Last Thursday, I took part in the debut of Radiosombra.org, a new Internet radio station based out of Boyle Heights in East Los Angeles. My show was one of several that debuts that night as part of a new collective. Among the debuts were The Tao Of Funkahuatl hosted legendary Ruben Funkahuatl Guevara, Art & Grooves, an aptly titled show by art curator and deejay Reyes Rodriguez. Another show is Merkado Negro, hosted by Nico from Los Poets Del Norte and DJ Libre. their show concentrates on everything underground in the real Eastside from subversive art and music to community –building projects. My personal favorite is the brilliant Heart Break Radio, hosted by Lady Imix from Imix Books. Just like the title insinuates, it's a collection of songs to cry yourself to sleep.

Discos Immigrantes is the name of my show. It will focus on the migration of records and people, which in some cases are quite similar. In future shows, I will have interviews from folks who have either immigrated to the U.S. or who are the product of immigration (i.e. first generation Americans) The show will focus on their stories and music they have brought with them, whether in the physical form or in their memories.

Radio Sombra is the brainchild of Marco Amador, a musician and long time community activist, who set up the station and for the time being, is financing the operation. I spoke to him briefly on why he felt the need to start an Internet station in the heart of East L.A.

What made you start this station?

With the recent SB 1070 debacle in Arizona, many musicians have come out in support of the immigrant movement. Whether it is boycotting concerts in Arizona, or being part of the pro-immigrant marches going on across the U.S., I am proud to see that many have been behind the movement. However, there have been a number of well-intentioned artists who are writing and releasing songs in support of the Anti-Immigrant movement that are sub-par at best. The songs may come from the heart but most of them are full of clichés and slogans, mostly from those who have not gone through the immigration experience themselves. I don’t want to insinuate that these artists are opportunists, but if you haven’t been writing about immigrant issues since before all this madness in Arizona, you are probably a little late to the party. Besides, would you really want to rally a pro-immigrant song written by the likes of Taboo, probably the least talented member of the pop group The Black Eyed Peas?

Los Tigres Del Norte have been singing about immigration issues for the last forty-something odd years. They themselves immigrated into the U.S. in the late sixties, relocating to San Jose, Ca to try to make a living as musicians. In 1972, Los Tigres scored their first hit, "Contrabando y Traicion," a song that made them a household name in Mexico as well as among Mexicans living in the U.S. The song was considered the first Narcocorrido to become a hit and thus started the Narcocorrido boom that continues to thrive today. Over the years they have written many tunes, including some great songs critical of both the Mexican and U.S. government. But it’s their ability to write about the immigrant experience in the U.S. that sets them apart from most groups. As each immigrant experience is different, so is each song. Below are some of my favorites that Los Tigres Del Norte have recorded featuring different spectrums of the immigration experience:

“Vivan Los Mojados” (Long Live The Wetbacks) from the album Vivan Los Mojados

So why is Sheriff Joe Arpaio, the sheriff of Maricopa County Arizona in a music blog? Because of the band Queen, of course!

For those who aren't familiar with Sheriff Joe, his heavy-handed approach to law enforcement has caused much controversy over the last fifteen years. He has won fans in conservative Arizona, but to the rest of the world, he is seen as one of the worst violators of human rights. According to Phoenix New Times, from 2004 through November 2007, he was the target of 2,150 lawsuits in U.S. District Court and hundreds more in Maricopa County courts, with more than $50 million in claims being filed. His tough on crime tactics have crossed over into immigration issues. After Arizona passed a law that would make it a felony to smuggle undocumented immigrants into Arizona, Arpaio took it upon himself to instruct his sheriff's deputies and members of his civilian posse (known as The Minutemen) to arrest “illegal aliens.” They soon took to harassing any persons of color without regards to their legal status. Earlier this year The Department of Justice began investigating Arpaio's targeting of Latinos and Spanish-speaking people. Two months ago, The Department of Homeland Security removed the authority of Arpaio's deputies to make immigration arrests in the field.

Arpaio is a master at eluding questions in the vein of Richard “Tricky Dick” Nixon, another master of the game. However, on Monday night, Arpaio was being interviewed "Meet-the-Press" style at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Protestors soon tired of him dodging questions and broke out into a cacophonous version of "Bohemian Rhapsody" to disrupt the interview. Check it out below.