At 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, Juan Nieves turns on his mic and becomes Johnny Mambo. It's a name derived from a simple translation and what he called a "connection with Latinos, the vibe, and music."
His radio show, "Mambo in the Morning" on Poder 97.1 FM, has become a trusted source for entertainment and local news for the Latino community.
"I do everything but bad news," Nieves affirmed. "I don't want to start anybody's morning off with a negative vibe."
And the former baker has been that positive voice for the past 10 years. He said radio stations often play the same music, but great radio personalities have the ability to connect with their listeners.
"I am my audience," Nieves said. "We all got our ups and downs, and good days and bad days, that we're going to go through together."
Nieves' love for music began at a very young age. He remembers being 10 years old playing music for his large Puerto Rican family at family gatherings. Nieves said they would call on "Juanito" to play records through the window to keep the guests entertained.
"I would love to see the smiles on their faces and the good time they were having," Nieves said. "That's when I knew this is what I wanted to do."
And Poder presented the best opportunity to do what he loved while developing his voice. Now Nieves said his mission is to inform as many people as he can through his platform.
"I need to let you know what's happening in our city, especially for our community," Nieves said. " If there's a book bag drive, if there's a job fair going on, you're going to hear about it on my show."
Poder was founded by the Ibero-American Action League in 2015 and is the first 24-hour Latin radio station in the upstate New York area.
"Johnny Mambo" was there from the beginning.
"I always experience Johnny as so quiet, reserved, very humble, very modest, which I think is so interesting when you think about a radio personality or a DJ," said, Angelica Perez-Delgado, Ibero's president and CEO. "But he's never the loudest one in the room."
Under Perez-Delgado's leadership, Nieves was promoted to radio station manager. But, she said, his special role is "the agency celebrity," alluding to his high visibility and respect in the community.
"His voice is so unique and is so intertwined with Poder as a radio station, that when you think of Johnny, you think of Poder," Perez-Delgado said.
Nieves said when he's not on air, he also enjoys mentoring others and teaching the community what he knows. He referred to himself as "sort of like a mirror" where young Latinos can look at him and be inspired.
"We only got one life to live," Nieves said. "Do what you want to do, enjoy what you do, and if you don't love it, leave it alone."
