Because of their international recognition, salsa and merengue are the biggest genres in Spanish music. Salsa has its roots in Cuba and was made popular worldwide by New York’s Puerto Ricans and Merengue was created in the Dominican Republic.
Each Latin country has some form of music. Still, some listeners feel that only salsa and merengue are played on the radio, and that other Hispanic countries’ music is not being played on the Spanish radio stations.“It is not fair when they only play merengue and salsa, because they have other people listening,” said 16-year-old Anais Bermejo, who is Mexican. “Like if they play Salvadorian music, there is a lot of Salvadorans, but they don’t play their music. It is like they’re forcing us into another culture.”
The only time she hears any type of Mexican music other than Spanish pop is on the weekends on Amor (FM-93.1) for only two hours, she said.Even though there are stations that play Mexican music on the AM dial, the FM dial hardly carries any Mexican music, Bermejo and other listeners said. Bermejo feels that the reason for this is that people who work at the radio stations are Puerto Ricans and Dominicans, so they get more radio play.
Like Bermejo, 18 year-old Natalia Luna feels that the radio stations set the trends in music.
“(Radio stations are) the ones exposing people to other music,” Luna said. “If they don’t play others’ music, people don’t know. If they play it then the audiences will be interested.”
Luna is from Peru. She has never heard a Peruvian song on any of the Spanish radio stations. Luna realizes that there is not a great amount of Peruvians in New York, so she doesn’t expect her music to be played or to get any recognition on the radio.
Latino Mix Programming Director Bryan Melendez explained that as business, they have to make money. Radio stations have to try to please both the listeners and the stockholders.
“We do honestly and generally try to find the middle ground,” said Melendez, who station can be found at 105.9 on the FM dial, “what is good for the listener and what is going to drive the bottom line.”
Radio stations carry out research in order to find out what listeners will listen to and what they will like. They are trying to grab as much attention as they can from their listeners. Radio stations want their listeners to turn up the volume and sing along with a song, rather than turn off the radio, Melendez explained.
“Contrary to popular beliefs, radio stations don’t set the trends, they follow the trends,” he said. “Radio stations kind of solidify a bunch of trends that are happening into one roof.”
All the different types of music are tested to see whether or not they fit the radio station’s preferred genres and format. If the format and genres are not met, the song is disregarded.
“People tend to be very regionalistic and specific because you’re your own person and you like what you like,” Melendez explained. “We’re in the business in trying to find the common denominator. We have to play music that the most amount of people like.”
Luna and Bermejo don’t agree with Melendez. They want to be introduced to other music and they like music from outside of their countries.
“If I like the type of music, I will listen to it,” said Bermejo. “I love bachata and I am not Dominican. I grew up with it and I got use to it. I can get used to other music.”
Luna would like to hear more music like samba and tango, even folkloric music from across Hispanic nations.
“I am from another country and I know my music already,” Luna said, “I would like to hear other music to see the similarity and differences between my music and their music.
Dacia has been with Harlem Live since July of 2008. Dacia has taken the role of leader of her team and acted the part as she leads her team successfully winning three presentation challenges. 
