Miami airwaves lost an icon: Cuban radio and television personality Adrián Mesa died
Cuban radio personality Adrián Mesa, one of the emblematic figures of South Florida airwaves, died in Miami on Wednesday, Sept. 8 before midnight, victim of a stroke and a heart attack. He was 60 years old.
The news was confirmed by people close to the communicator, who worked at Z 92.3 FM, a Spanish Broadcasting System (SBS) radio station, after rumors of his death began spreading Wednesday morning.
“Fly high in the eternal light, dear Adrián,” posted journalist Oscar Haza on his social media.
Television host Mario Andrés Moreno mourned the loss on his Instagram account.
“Adrián Mesa leaves us an irreplaceable void since he managed to win a unique space in the afternoons of @ z92miami, with a unique sense of communication, affable, always friendly with his audience and his colleagues. Great sense of humor and always concerned with the well being of those around him (…) We are sad, very sad because they are sudden, abrupt, hard losses. Without a final hug, without a goodbye.”
Radio personality and singer Susy Lemán confessed her consternation at the death of her colleague. “He was the brother I never had in the 20 years that we worked together. He was one of the noblest human beings I have ever met in my life. Adrián loved work like no one else. For him, the station’s audience and clientele were the most important. The microphone was his life. Sadness is a very small word to describe what I feel,“ said Lemán.
“Adrián was a guy with an extraordinary grace and extremely Cuban. He was a relatable man who knew a lot about music and was very generous to his listeners. It is a great loss in these terrible days in which we lost our colleague Leo Vela. I feel very sad,” said radio and television host Omar Moynelo.
“I remember him as a very happy person and a good friend and companion. I never saw him sad. He had a positive energy. If the public liked him so much it was because he projected on air the same as in his personal life with the people around him. Miami radio is in mourning,” said his colleague Albertico Rodríguez.
Singer Mirtha Medina remembered the radio host as another family member.
“I always received his support in all the activities I participated in. I remember when I opened (nightclub) La Casa de la Medina he was always supportive, sending us his radio audience. He was a selfless person who did not hesitate to support Cuban artists who came to Miami to continue their careers. His death has hurt me a lot,“ said the singer.
“Adrián’s departure is a great loss for the Miami radio community. He always showed his admiration for Celia Cruz by having her present in almost all the programs that he conducted during his professional life,” said promoter Omer Pardillo, executor of La Guarachera de Cuba, on behalf of the Celia Cruz Foundation.
Adrián Mesa was born in Havana on Aug. 26, 1961. After leaving the island with his sister for Miami during the Mariel exodus in 1980, he studied radio broadcasting at the Miami Lakes Technical Educational Center and journalism at Miami Dade College.
At the end of the decade he was hired as a DJ on FM 92, where he captivated the audience with his voice, his charisma and with that folksy style that made him like family to every listener for almost forty years. Under the tutelage of the unforgettable radio personality Betty Pino, he was part of Clásica 92.3 FM since Sept. 27, 1997. At that time he co-founded the program Aquí está Álvarez Guedes, with the legendary Cuban comedian, which remained on the air fourteen years.
“Guillermo [Álvarez Guedes] was my teacher. With him I learned many secrets of radio and the responsibility that comes with being in front of the microphone. His advice is as useful as the first day,” Adrián said in an interview with el Nuevo Herald in 2017, when he received the key to the City of Miami from then-Mayor Tomás Regalado.
Sunday shows Concierto de Boleros and Los Grandes de Nocturno (known as El Mano a Mano) were career highlights, where he coined his catch phrase “ahí na má” which he used for emphasis.
When Mega TV emerged in 2006, Adrián was selected to host the space Entre Fichas, which ran for almost two years.
Adrián customized important advertising campaigns and was master of ceremonies in countless concerts for big name international stars.
His death leaves a great void in the world of Miami entertainment, where he is remembered for his affability and his eternal smile.
“Since I started in the radio I have not stopped receiving positive feedback from this community,” said the radio personality announcer in the aforementioned interview, after recalling that on Aug. 26, 2012, his birthday, the City of Miami proclaimed that day with his name, as the City of Hialeah did on January 15, 2004.
“But there is nothing more stimulating than receiving the affection of the people, which is the reason to carry on every day.”
He is survived by three older brothers and several nephews. The funeral will be private.
This story was originally published September 10, 2021 at 3:07 PM.
