Danny Villablanca, host of Tiempo Latino, grew up with Latin Jazz as the soundtrack for his life in the late 1960's and the 1970's in the South Bronx. With a father from Chile, a mother from Nicaragua, and a childhood in a Puerto Rican neighborhood in New York, it's understandable that Latin music was his first love. His sister loved to dance and brought home the albums of Ray Barretto, Eddie Palmieri and Mongo SantaMaria. On a small transistor radio they listened as Symphony Sid introduced the world to the Latin bands of the day. Symphony Sid also still talked about jazz and played Mingus, Parker and Monk. In Danny's diverse neighborhood conversation often turned to jazz, and black friends, some who were musicians, played albums of Hubbard, Benson and others. This led Danny to listen to the likes of  Wes Montgomery, Cal TJader, Chick Correa, Billy Cobham, John McLaughlin and Weather Report.

Fast forward many years later to a nice life in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania, with a wife and two kids at home, an older son also into music, and a good job delivering the mail. His love of Latin Jazz never faded, and his discontentment with music on today's radio was only growing. Danny talked about his idea for a Latin Jazz radio show to a customer on his mail route and gave him a few CDs. The customer loved the music, and encouraged him to get it on the air. Danny then took a radio workshop and a course in audio mixing at at Northampton Community College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which he'd been driving past on his way to work for years. A class project led him to contact Grammy-nominated Arturo O'Farrill, son of Chico O'Farrill, who graciously said yes to an interview. Ten questions turned into a five-hour conversation. Impressed with his work, a teacher recommended Danny approach a larger college with his idea for a Latin Jazz radio show.

Soon Tiempo Latino was on the air at 91.7 WMUH, at Muhlenberg College, Allentown, Pennsylvania. Danny quickly began getting calls and emails from across the country from folks wanting copies of the show (now available via podcast). He focuses on playing music by Latin musicians, and showing the diversity of Latin musicians from Brazil, Venezuela, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and more. He's producing a Latin jazz concert at Northampton Community College on September 6, featuring the internationally touring Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra with Arturo O'Farrill, formerly of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Far in time and technology from the transistor radio where it all began, Danny now shares his love of Latin Jazz and a lifetime of knowledge. His listeners are with both new fans and folks like himself who were lucky enough to have known it all their lives.