Thirty years will have passed this April 15th since the first broadcast of a program that confirms why radio continues to be a vibrant space. Capable of telling the story of reality through the voices that shape it. It was born in 1996 with the intention of opening the microphones of CMKO Radio Angulo to the women of Holguin. Three decades later, that premise remains its central focus. The program is called “When a Woman Doesn’t Sleep,” a title taken from a poem by the Havana poet Reina María Rodríguez.
From its inception, the team understood that its strength lay in diversity. Which is why women from all walks of life have graced its microphones: agricultural producers, teachers, scientists, artists, self-employed workers, students, homemakers…
The Federation of Cuban Women has been key in ensuring that this reach extends beyond the city. As thanks to this organization, the program has been able to reach rural areas and remote communities. Where stories that deserve to be told are also unfolding.
Its structure has always prioritized dialogue; the intention is to converse. Allowing the guest to set the pace and for the listener to feel they are hearing a genuine testimony.
And, as with any tribute, it is essential to remember those who began this beautiful project almost three decades ago. Bárbara Sánchez Rojas was the driving force behind this program. Responsible for the script and direction from its inception until her death in 2021. Also involved in those early years were Natasha del Valle as an advisor. Arnaldo Calzadilla for sound, and Alicia González Diéguez as the announcer.
Photo: Archive/Radio Angulo
Over time, these producers were joined by Tatiana Galván as a writer and director. Hernán Zaldívar Ávila for sound, and Cecilia Berdote, Flor Vega, and Alicia Durañona as advisors.
Photo: Archive/Radio Angulo
Currently, “When a Woman Doesn’t Sleep,” which airs every Saturday at 7:00 p.m.. It features Alejandro Mármol on sound and script, and is hosted and directed by Holguin radio personality Maité Santiesteban Fernández.
Santiesteban tells us that when the idea for the show was proposed to her almost two years ago, it was a great joy because she had known it since Bárbara Sánchez’s time on the program. She also greatly enjoys conversation and interviews. In these conversations, Maité confesses that she prefers to highlight the human side of each guest. As well as the lesser-known women who always have a story to tell.
Photo: Archive/Radio Angulo
For 30 years, “When a Woman Doesn’t Sleep” has demonstrated that radio can continue to narrate the daily lives, challenges, and achievements of women in Holguin.
It would be impossible to list all the voices that have passed through the studio or been recorded in their own homes. The program owes a part of its history to each one. With their testimonies and experiences, they have sustained the essence of a space that aims only to accompany, listen to, and document what it means to be a woman.
This work is not only a tribute to the “When a Woman Doesn’t Sleep” team on its thirtieth anniversary. Also to its listeners, and especially to the women who are part of its history, but also a homage to the work of Bárbara Sánchez on one of the radio programs she loved most.
By: Yailyn Ojeda Grass
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