Ayana Contreras
Content Director, Vocalo
Previously, Ayana was Executive Producer of The Barber Shop Show hosted by Richard Steele, which was broadcast from a working barber shop on Chicago’s West Side.
Ayana was a 2014-15 Arts + Public Life Artist-in-Residence at The University of Chicago, and is a 2015 Association of Independents in Radio New Voices Scholar. Her first hosting gig was with WBEZ’s Global Overnight program in 2007.
Stories by Ayana Contreras
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Digging into the legacy of Chicago’s Gramaphone Records
Jesse De La Pena of Chicago’s Vocalo Radio dives into the cultural significance of Gramaphone Records for the store’s 50th anniversary
The Best Albums of 2019
As 2019 comes to a close, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot reflect on the best albums of the year. They also hear from Sound Opinions producers and listeners about their favorites.
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Call It Clave, Or Call It Hambone — The Beat’s The Same
Clave is the foundation of salsa, boogaloo, mambo and so much more.
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Reclaimed Soul Serves Up Slice Of 75th Birthday Cake To Chicago Musician And Producer Willie Henderson
The Brunswick label was one of the biggest players in the Chicago Soul scene, and one of the key men behind the sounds at Brunswick was Willie Henderson.
