Alma Del Barrio, a Latin music-focused radio show on KXLU 88.9 FM, began in 1973 with LMU alumni and has celebrated over 50 years of airtime.
KXLU’s ninth annual Salsa Festival kicked off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2026, welcoming students, faculty, and people of all backgrounds to enjoy a day full of salsa music, Hispanic food, and vendors. The festival, which drew larger crowds later in the day, featured a vibrant community full of dancing and fun that lasted until 6 p.m.
This year’s festival featured DJs and bands such as Natália Spadini Trio, Orquesta Ritmo Alegre, Invasión Latina, Yari Moré Latin Band, and more salsa music from the Alma Del Barrio station DJs.
With a huge turnout this year, around 2,000 people registered for the salsa fest, resulting in one of the largest crowds the festival has seen in recent years.
Alma Del Barrio DJ and LMU alum Angela Fajardo commented on the turnout of this year’s festival and the generational legacy of the Alma Del Barrio radio program.
“They started with one hour and now we have it for the weekend, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturdays, 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays, and here we are 53 years later, going strong,” said Fajardo.
“We have people of all ages, all cultures, you can see Cuba, Puerto Rico, you can see Colombia…,” said Fajardo, commenting on the diverse crowd the event draws every year.
Walking around campus during the salsa fest, there were smiles and people dancing all around, with the music reaching almost all the way across campus.
Many vendors also came to sell items from their small businesses at the event, some of whom had been to KXLU’s salsa fest before, and others experiencing an event like this for the first time.
One vendor, Denise Kennedy, owns Shirley Girl Boutique, a small clothing business sourcing garments from Ghana.
Kennedy described her experience attending and what the atmosphere was like.“It’s more than just selling, it’s about community and meeting new people, this is my second year and I have already met ten new people,” she said.
The cultural richness of Latin music behind this day is central to what Alma Del Barrio DJs emphasize in their radio program.
DJ Hugo Rujeles explained how many people can categorize Latin music and put it in a box, when in fact there is a much wider variety and depth to the salsa genre and Latin music in general.
“There’s so much more to Latin music than just salsa salsa salsa…” said Rujeles. “It’s the colors and the flavors and the feelings that are all there in every type of Latin American music, and you’re not appreciating it because you haven’t heard it before.”
KXLU radio station director Lydia Ammossow describes the fun and magic of the event, and the importance of the light that it brings to the LMU and Los Angeles community,
“It’s fun to watch the dancers, it’s fun to watch the musicians, and really in a word, it’s joy,” says Ammossow. “That’s why this day is important. It brings joy. I think if there’s anything that we need more of in this world, it’s joy.”
Alongside DJ Rujeles and Ammossow, an Honoree at the event, Tom Schnabel, music director at KCRW radio, highly praised Alma Del Barrio, KXLU radio, and noted the salsa festival’s impact on the community.
Schnabel explained his admiration for KXLU’s radio style and operational management, emphasizing the amount of freedom and creativity the Alma Del Barrio DJ’s are allowed to have compared to more mainstream and commercially focused radio stations,
“I like listening to KXLU during the week sometimes because you never know what you’re going to hear. There’s a lot of variety. They let the DJs do what they wanted to do. With KCRW, you have to have a certain sonic footprint, so you have to have a certain sound,” said Schnabel.
Regarding the integrity of salsa music and its role in the future of music, Schnabel remains confident in the generational durability and resilience of salsa and Latin music as a whole,
“It’ll always be stronger, because there’s a heartbeat in salsa, and it’s very important, very nurturing, and the fact that it’s a dance music. It’s not just something you listen to and zone out or whatever, it’s not that kind of chill music. There’s so much vitality and I think people are attracted to that,” said Schnabel.
If you missed this year, look out for the 10th annual Alma Del Barrio salsa festival in 2027. In the meantime, the station’s music can be enjoyed live by salsa lovers and music listeners alike all over the world, every weekend from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
