Ridel Cuadrado’s story at CMKO Radio Angulo begins in 1967, almost by chance. He was working at the National Institute of Sports, Physical Education, and Recreation (INDER in the Spanish acronym). Also where he shared his days with Manuel Pavón Sánchez, a renowned actor in the station’s drama department.
One day, Pavón asked him if he liked acting, and Ridel said yes. Pavón told him he worked on the station’s drama programming and invited him to spend the evening at the studio. Since at that time Radio Angulo ended its broadcasts at midnight, and recordings only began then.
Amalia Raber directed the drama program “El Cuento” (The Story), and it was on this program that it all began. During those years, there was also the historic program, what we now know as “Estampas Holguineras” (Holguin Scenes). Which was called “Raíces de la Nación” (Roots of the Nation), and the utilitarian program “Ecos de la Semana” (Echoes of the Week). Directed by Miguel Gutiérrez Guethón—two programs where Ridel began working.
He remembers those early days as a small team, four or five actors, without a formal drama department yet. Ridel was 21 or 22 years old and had no professional experience. Although he had been part of an amateur comedy group in school.
In 1970, Yolanda Guillot arrived in Holguin with the idea of creating Studio 2 for Telerebelde. They then opened the ICRT acting school. It was a large, diverse group, and Ridel was part of it. Shortly afterward, he was selected to study and work as an actor at the Telerebelde channel in Santiago de Cuba. He lived there for about a year and a half, until he was called up for military service. After three years, he returned and joined the drama group at Radio Angulo.
Ridel has lent his voice to characters in novels, plays, historical dramas, comedies, and more. Today, at 79 years old, Ridel continues to perform in dramas on CMKO Radio Angulo. And longs to return for working on police dramas, one of the most popular genres with listeners.
For him, radio became more than just a job: “I’ve grown so fond of it that if I don’t come here, I feel bad. I fell in love with it, because they say that once you get the radio bug, you can’t let it go. I’ve even come to work with a headache, and when I step into the studio, everything is forgotten. As long as I have the strength, I’ll keep going.”
By: Yailyn Ojeda Grass
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