Welcome.

My name is Christiana Malacara.

Im your host of Somos Hispanos.

We are honored to be here at the 12th Annual K?

ONDA!

awards ceremony.

The 12th annual K?

ONDA!

Primos Awards ceremony is where the community comes together to nominate the best of the best within the Great Lakes Bay region of 2023.

Stay tuned as we highlight the nominees and celebrate their outstanding contributions.

Hello, tonight, we have Leonard Hernandez, the emcee tonight for the 12th Annual Premios Award ceremony hosted by K?

ONDA!

Leonard, what is the importance of this event to the community?

Well, the importance is to honor those that normally don't get honored.

So it showcases people that do things in our community that pretty much uplift and keep the culture going.

So basically, it's to to give those who does not get the spotlight usually.

We put that on them and give them the glory that they deserve.

Wonderful.

And from my understanding, these people were nominated by other fellow community members.

Can you talk about the importance of that?

Well, with that, I feel like by being nominated by the community leaders, basically it shows that you're doing something that they are recognizing and it's offering them to be able to offer them, to be able to basically show that they are recognized by them.

And it gives them that ability to know that someone cares.

So after looking at the lineup, we saw people that have been nominated, nominated from education to music to their longevity and even a legacy award.

So when going through that list, I know we can't highlight everyone in the community, but this is the 12th annual.

What is the importance of keeping this going every year?

Well, keeping it going.

What it does is it keeps everyone involved in the community and it also lets you know who's actually doing what in the community.

So by keeping this going, it's basically given everyone that, like I said in the beginning, that does not get highlighted, a chance to be highlighted for the things that they do do.

Leonard, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

All right.

My name's Leonard Hernandez, and I am the emcee for tonight.

I'm a local dj.

I've been djing for 17 years, and I was also one of the first recipients of the award for Premios.

When I first got with K?

ONDA!, it was the first ceremony.

It was in Bay City, and it was a little small place.

So to see him go from that to this is very awesome.

And it it's very nice to see him highlighted in this way because we went from a small room over a...

I would say a bar, you know what I mean, to, to where we are now at the Horizon.

So I do give him a lot of gratitude and, and a pat on the back for where he has brought the Premios.

You're right.

There has been a lot of growth and development over the last 12 years to the entire organization receiving your award.

How did that make you feel?

It made me feel honored.

It made me feel recognized.

It made me feel like I was a part of the community because usually you're not recognized unless organizations like this do what they do with with having an awards like this.

Sorry to laugh, but, you know.

So basically it made me feel felt like someone that was doing something for his community.

And it was it well, it was an honor to be recognized by them.

Great, thank you for sharing.

Thank you so much.

Today we are here with Miguel Torres, one of the founders of K?

ONDA!.

We are highlighting many people from the community at the 12th annual K?

ONDA!

Primos Award ceremony.

Miguel, can you tell us how this award ceremony started?

Well, it started back in 2013.

We started it in Washington Lanes in Bay City, at a little bar called Pinsetters.

And the goal was to highlight Latino musicians, djs, because at the time, there was a big scene.

You know, we had Latino musicians, we had bands playing every week from Texas, California.

And it was like nobody ever recognized them.

I mean, we you know, the Latino movement at the time wasn't as big as it is now, you know?

And we're like.

But everybody was everybody was always kind of wondering, hey, where's the dances?

I mean, what new bands are coming out?

So basically, this is kind of like our way to show the community, you know, who you know, what bands are here, what you know, who's playing what, you know, not only in Tejano music, but like we have we honor, like Spanish hip hop artists.

We recognize the people that are doing rock music country, so variety of music.

So today, we're not just honoring musicians.

We're also honoring people that are in the community making a difference through education and legacy awards.

Can you tell me a little bit about those people?

Well, right now we got a we're we're going to be recognizing Monica Reyes, who's also who's been part of the Hispanic leadership, as well as be Hispanic leadership as it's a recognized, you know, what the Education and Culture Award.

And that's a new award that we're doing this year.

And that's for somebody.

And hopefully, you know, that's for somebody that know the purpose of that award is to recognize someone who's promoting culture and also educating our people.

Wonderful.

So the longevity of this, you've been doing this for 12 years.

That is amazing.

So what does the support look like from the community but also in your committees within K?

ONDA!

Its growing every year.

To be honest with you, this year, I never thought that this would actually grow to what it is.

And every year people are actually looking forward to this award.

I know when we announced it on Facebook, you know, when I announced it on my page and I actually kind of does is like everybody's like terribly rushed to like, yeah, you know, they get excited about it.

So we never thought that it would actually, you know, we just wanted when we started this, we just wanted to, you know, show the community that, you know, we just wanted to give back to the community pretty much and recognize our people and we didn't know that it was I mean, it's amazing to see how big it's become.

Well well, thank you very much for highlighting all the community members in general through K?

ONDA!

Can you tell us a little bit about your publishing?

Publishing?

okay.

We have a group of members.

We have an events committee that gets together once a week, once a month.

It's called Team K?

ONDA!

We meet every year, every Sunday.

Right now we're meeting at Barnes Noble Bookstore, and we have committee members Veronica Flores, Desi Campos and a number of others that have that are that join us every week.

And we all just share ideas.

And pretty much we all have the same mission to give back to the community.

Well, congratulations on your 12th year.

Thank you for sharing all of these great, wonderful people with the community.

I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

With me now is Miguel Mendoza, also known as Gueroman Gueroman Hey, yes.

Can you tell me how you acquired that name?

Well, let's start from the beginning.

I started doing Delta Radio Tejano Radio at Delta College on January 1st, 1994.

So I just celebrated 30 years.

And over the 30 years of doing this, you know, a lot of friends and family always listened.

And I had a friend of mine who one day after the program, he said, hey, we're sitting at his house talking, having a couple beverages.

And I don't know what I said because I've always been called Guero, well, since I was a kid, you know, He said, Gueroman, you're crazy.

Hey, Gueroman, you should use it on the radio.

So I started, you know, this was probably year one of Delta, so I started using it, Gueroman.

And lo and behold, there's people to this day, they still don't know who I am.

After 30 years, I have a pretty big listening audience, and some people still don't know who I am.

So this year, for the 30th anniversary, they decided, let's do a shirt celebrating your 30 years, you know.

So my great niece, Chloe love her dearly.

She said, You know, Uncle Mike, I want to design it.

I said, okay.

So she got on the iPad and started playing around and she goes, You know, we need to put your picture on like, No, I don't want my picture on this because, yeah, let's do an emoji.

So it's you create an emoji and everything.

And she created the shirt and told her what we needed to say and she did a really nice job on it.

So we got it out, you know, kind of put together and we sent it to Saginaw Knitting Mils and they did the final on it.

So that's what we were offered as a thank you gift this year for our pledge drive.

So you'll see it out there.

It's, it's got my emoji on the back and it says celebrating 30 years of Tejano music.

You know, Miguel Mendoza, Gueroman, it's got the emoji.

And I have a saying that I've always said it.

Turn it up, you know, So it says it on their souvenirs.

Got the thumbs up and it's a really cool shirt.

But so that's celebrating 30 years and that's what they're representing, too.

Or they're going to acknowledge me for the 30 years of Tejano music for community, 30 years of Tejano Music through Delta College.

And also we're acknowledging that today with the K?

ONDA!

Awards.

Yes.

What does that mean to you receiving a K?

ONDA!

award?

It's an honor.

You know, sometimes, you know, you go to Delta, I go there every Saturday and I try I try to be live.

I'm one of the few djs that goes live on Saturdays, even at the station.

So I like to connect with my my audience or my listeners.

And that's why I do it, you know, also so I can connect with them.

And when I do pledge drives, I tend to do better because people know who I am and they listen to the show.

And so for them to acknowledge my 30 years of service, that's that's an honor.

You know, I appreciate that.

Well thank you, Gueroman, for being here today.

An additional 30 years of service through Delta College.

That's phenomenal.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

And so, see, here's a perfect example.

We've never met before, right?

So there you go.

Now, you know, I'm on Saturdays and 1:00, so now you can tune in.

And like I said, we need to cross-promote each other.

So when you get a chance, let me know and you can come in and and we'll do some cross-promotion between TV and radio.

Sure.

Well, thank you.

Thank you.

Good evening.

On behaldf of my daughter Amy Guzman I am honored to accept this award.

Unfortunately, she would not be here tonight.

She could not be here today.

But she sends her most heartfelt thank you to Miguel, Christina and the K?

ONDA!

organization and to the community for recognizing her work at Delta College Public Radio 90.1 and her program El Sol Latino.

You know, it's an honor it truly is a honor and, you know, really quick.

You know, most, probably ask, have questions.

you know who inspired you, whats your inspiration who inspires you?

You know, I like to think, you know, it's... my dad, my dad, he he came here today, but he he loved music.

He loved music and he didnt play very much.

He didn't play with an accordion, but he bought instruments.

There were always instruments laying around the house.

I dont know why he bought so many instruments.

he did not know how to play.

And my mom, she would get so upset to my dad because he would buy all of these instruments, she said Frank, why would you buy all these instruments you dont know how to play.

And he said for the boys for the boy you know.

And so he had his deep desire for music and I think...

I think that spilled over onto me and to my brother.

And I think that my inspiration.

And that's where I got it from.

Want to thank everybody here for welcoming me into your community.

You know, I arrived here a year ago making the bold statement I'm going to bring salsa to the Tri-Cities.

A lot of people said, no, that's not going to happen.

Well, I've been working with Miguel here and his events.

Give us a little salsa lessons here and there teaching on Detroit.

But now I'm thrilled to announce just this past week we reached an agreement with My Table up in Bay City, to do a weekly salsa event.

every Sunday.

So I look forward to seeing everybody there at that.

We'd like to thank you all.

We are Culturas Del Sol, from Flint, Michigan And we just celebrated are 10 year anniversary I most importantly, want to thank all these families and these beautiful little chickas with me.

Without them, I wouldn't have a group.

I wouldn't have the opportunity without the community supporting us.

So we thank you, we're honored you guys really know how to do it big here in Saginaw is that I love coming to see you at every event you have A big special thanks to Miguel where even he is.

Your wonderful keep up the great work.

Takes a lot to do all this.

So all of you community members receiving awards Thanks to all of you.

Let's keep our culture alive and well.

I stand on the shoulders of a lot of great djs professional djs that i learned from.

Ricky D., Rick Deas, Rick Rock, Rick Martinez Frank Mendel, Henry Fernandez, big Hank, Mike Hernandez, Gueroman, Gueroman is in the house.

All my peers then.

Learn a lot of these guys these are professional djs guys.

Stand on the shoulders of a lot of great professional djs learn from a lot of great guys and if it wasn't for them, I wouldn't be here.

So this achievement award is because of that I would not be here if it wasnt for them.

Alright, thank you again, you guys have a blessed night God bless you and thank you Miguel and all the K?

ONDA!

staff and everybody here.

Have a good time and Thank you.

Thank you everyone, for acknowledging.

I don't want to say me.

It's for the Great Lakes Bay Hispanic Leadership Institute.

And I was honored to have Miguel part of the program last year.

And he graduated and was really a mentor and a friend to a lot of the people that graduated.

And I see about 15 or 20 of our graduates here.

We have been...

The program has been on for about 15 years.

And we hope 15 more.

Bring these young leaders up to work in the community, contribute to our region and to contribute to our country and to our state.

And so I thank Miguel and K?

ONDA!

for this recognition, and this is for all our leaders that come after us.

Thank you Just want to say thank you to the community.

But I do it for.

I write Tejano mixes for the next generation so they can listen and know some Spanish songs.

I do, all the older generation stuff and bring it back to life.

So it's it's a lot of work with, you know, my community.

That's part of what I do.

And I just thank you for so much as my name gets bigger and bigger year by year.

I won't forget you guys.

I wont forget my city where I come from nomatter what happens And I love you all for that alright.

Wow.

You guys want to ask me on January 1st, 1994, if I'd been doing this for 30 years, I would have thought, you crazy.

But, you know, the more I got into as the years went on, you know, I got into a little bit more.

I met new people.

I got to know Louis Flores very well, just like Jesse said, hung out a lot with him at the record shop.

Got to know a lot of different music with Louis and Jose, and there were big mentors of mine as well.

Got to know Frank Mandel and Jesse and all the guys and Leonard and Moscon.

We all talk and collaborate.

You know, we work together.

And that's what it's about.

You know, you have to come together and stick together as a group.

You know, it's not about outdoing each other.

It's about working together.

And that's what we did.

We did a we had a fun time doing it.

I'm still doing it on Saturdays at 1:00.

The biggest question I've always they've always asked me is where the heck did you learn to speak Spanish?

Well, my mom and dad.

So my mom and dad from a little town called Asherton, Texas Anybody?

Asherton, Texas that were they were from.

“Speaking Spanish ” That way when people hear, They won t forget you.

My grandpa use to tell me, you got to speak Spanish as you grow up.

And it always stuck with me know?

And I did.

So to this day, after 30 years, I still meet people who who don't have never met me.

I've been on the radio for 30 years now.

Oh, your the Gueroman.

Yeah.

That's why they call you the Gueroman.

Yeah, That will be it.

But, yeah, I'd like to thank Miguel and Premios K?

ONDA!

for this fantastic award Everybody here, a fantastic staff here at Horizon Conference Center.

You guys doing fantastic job.

So thank you to all of you for supporting is still listening after all these years.

We'll be doing it another 30 years.

I don't know.

But I still love what I do and I still have fun doing it.

Thank you all very much.

And keep on tune it on.

It means a lot to me.

Mingo was an asset to our community, especially our St Joe's Church on sixth.

He was an usher there for over 18 years and no matter where we were at the next day, he was in church greeting you.

Hey sugar, how are you doing?

Who's your daddy?

Alot of his famous sayings.

He's very missed.

You guys get a chance.

We did a special tribute and got a billboard in his honor on South Washington and East Remington.. And it's a double billboard.

And it says the best memories were made with you.

And on behalf of the Rodriguez family, we're honored, especially me the here and the rest of the family Ramon, the oldest son, And Jesse, the youngest son.

Thank you.

We love you guys.

And continue to believe and just make a difference in this.

And you don't know me.

I'm the first citizens on the team over in Saginaw, so Si se puede, we can do it.

There's no reason we are not at these tables, but tonight this award is for Mingo Rodriguez.

And I wanted to say a word about Tony Cervantes.

All of you know him as El Chayo.. El Chayo.

He did the.... the AM, out of Michigan State University.

Do you know that he was very professional.

He very active in his community, you know, in Lansing.

He was very active in his church, Crystal Ray.

Just so much he did for for his community through the radio, just like Gueroman.

Being there, given everybody the music they want to hear.

We had... Me and Miguel went to his funeral when he passed last year.

I know that when I listen to the radio, he he inspired me in.

He gave me all kinds of shout outs.

That's how he did.

You know.

He had his family on his show and he was just a real generous man for his community.

and thus, we honor him.

Everybody, like he said, we do get into it a lot.

A lot.

But at the end of the day, like I told him, we are leaders of this community and we have to show people that sometimes we have bad days.

But at the end of the day we have to do it for you all.

You have to make sure that we present ourselves professionally for everybody because that's what we're here for, to give back.

So now I need you all to chip in to give back too.

We're going to be having a couple of pop ups couple of Food Drive.

So you guys continue to spread the word.

I appreciate this and appreciate you all.

More to come.

Alot more to come First of all, I just want to thank God for giving me the opportunity to be here.

A lot of you guys don't know.

I got shot 20 years ago, so I'm glad to be here.

And I thank God, you know, for giving me a lovely daughter with my three beautiful grandkids and wonderful son-in-law.

And I want to thank Miguel you know.

Because I joined Miguel after I've been with some other groups before and I just follow you around.

You just got to keep going forward and like they say Si se puede.

Firstly, we had a lot of great talent here.

And speaking of a great talent, is everybody ready to hear me sing?

Well Im sorry Im not going to.

I'm just going to talk.

I dont have my phone so Im kinda old so I just going to write stuff down.

Thank you Miguel, K?

ONDA!

As miguel said I came here a few years ago and got a table.

I heard what he said about needs some help.

I decided, Hey, I hope you set up some tables or do whatever it takes.

I didn't realize I was going to take on the role that I did, and instantly my family jumped in.

My son could not be here today.

But my daughter Rhiannon and my wife Jessica It wasn't even a question.

They said, What do you need?

How can we help?

They were there instantly.

So thank you guys.

I mean, our daughter here is like our biggest marketing person right here.

She does a lot for us.

But the reason I did get involved, there's been a lot of talk about change in life and doing different things without going into detail.

I did not live the most honest life before.

but I moved to Nebraska for a good 13 years and on my path of change and on the way back, we have this little mindset of leave things better than when you didn't.

The way you were there was positive to leave a better.

I wanted to know how I could get back to Saginaw.

How could I do anything better?

Because I didn't get much before, but I was involved in a lot of organizations around here.

I did a lot as a teenager in the Hispanic community.

And speaking of that big influencer, Mike Mendoza, 30 years every morning or afternoon, no matter where I went, any family, any friend, the Tejano program was playing.

He got us ready for every quinceanera, dances.

He put us in that mood to get ready to go out and see the next big band.

When anybody came around.

So thank you very much.

Also my parents, my grandparents, my grandparents, Margaret and the late Arturo Lopez, who passed away in 2022.

People like that.

And the reason my roots run deep and they dont run dry.

So thank you very much.

And matter of fact, Vinnie Rodriguez, one of the most talented people I ever came across in my life.

No matter your age or whatever, people can always influence you you And Vinnie did just that.

Always see him play everybody else.

thank you to the community..

I dont mean to be up here so long that every vendor, every band member, every community person I have shaken a hand with Thank you for alowing me and my family to come into your life.

And before I go, I would like to say happy 17th anniversary.

I appreciate you.

Next thing you know, Miguel hey Bill can you help out What do you want to be helped out with Miguel Come on man, help me out with this program.

I said, okay, I'll do it.

So next thing you know, here I am talking about sponsoring.

and giving scholarships for children.

That's an incredible thing to me.

I never had the opportunity to go to school.

I was in the sixth grade and I ran away from home and never went back.

It was the most shamful thing in the world, but sometimes life, like you said, God sends you certain places, makes you do certain things.

Sure enough, that was me.

So I told Miguel, I will help.

So I have been.

So every year I try to do more and more and more.

Ron Clack, incredible man.

He's with the Saginaw Optimus club, The Saginaw Optimus Club and McDonald Cadillac and me We're going to do something special this year.

We're going to give way four scholarships, not just two.

Were going to get the money together and we're going to do four scholarships.