DJ Spotlight: Alex Hernández, aka DJ Sirena

By Daja Long and Luqman Gbenro •

Welcome to the DJ spotlight. A series of stories dedicated to highlighting the people who shape Mako Radio’s sound and keep college radio cool.

For the first spotlight in the series, it only felt right to focus on the beating heart of Mako Radio; Alex Hernández. Hernández, or DJ Sirena as listeners know her, is the station manager at Mako Radio. It’s her responsibility to oversee the day-to-day operations and ensure that the station’s output maintains a high bar of quality. Under her leadership, the station has evolved quite a bit.

PHOTO BY BRIELLE AGUAYO
Alex Hernández is the station manager of Mako Radio 88.5 FM.

“The station has grown in a multitude of ways, but I think the most prominent and obvious for me is that it’s become more groundbreaking,” Hernández said. “The music that we play is very obscure, very underground. We are not afraid to break boundaries. I tried to bring people who don’t speak English and people [who come] from other cultures, and highlight [them] through the music.”

Sharks Grotto is Hernández’s DJ show and contribution to the station’s eclectic sound. Listeners tune in every week to explore artists from every shore.

“My sound is international music. I play music in other languages that mix genres,” Hernández said. “My station identity is mermaid-themed. Everything is underwater. I try to keep [the music] in the international waters.”

Hernández’s work doesn’t stop when her show ends. She manages the station’s relationship with artists, often inviting them to the station to discuss their work.

A few interviews stand out among the many she’s done.

“Two of my favorite artist interviews are the interview with Hariz. He played a live music set and that was incredible. It was very similar  to NPR tiny desk. Another one we got [was an] interview with this artist named Dayglow. It was the week before he went on to sing at Jimmy, Jimmy Fallon. So that was really incredible,” Hernández said.

She credits the station’s success to the “incredible team” at Mako Radio. She cites the team’s hard work as the reason they receive so many opportunities.