14 June 25 - July 1, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | CULTURE | NIGHT+DAY | NEWS | LETTERS | CONTENTS | OUT NOW! SEE WHO MADE THE LIST Month XX–Month XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | MUSIC | CAFE | FILM | ART | STAGE | NIGHT+DAY | METRO | RIPTIDE | LETTERS | CONTENTS | In memoriam Beloved WDNA radio host and musician Robert Heredia dies at 71. BY GABRIEL LÓPEZ SANTANA P opular radio show Fusion Latina co-host and band leader, Robert Heredia, died early this month in Miami at the age of 71. Neither his family nor WDNA has publicly dis- closed the cause of death, but multiple sources tell New Times that he was found dead at his home by his wife on Tuesday, June 2. Heredia was a bass player from New York who came to Miami in the ‘90s after a career that included stints with salsa greats like Is- mael Rivera and became a programmer and co-host for the WDNA Latin Jazz show. Here, he also founded his band, Orquesta La Tradición, and became a mentor to many young Miami musicians. “He was a fellow musician who had a tre- mendous knowledge of Latin Music, a very good Latin Jazz bass player, and a great friend,” Andy Harlow, the multi-instrumen- talist, bandleader, and co-host of Fusion La- tina for more than 20 years, told New Times during a phone conversation. Heredia played for Harlow’s band in New York in the ‘70s as a young bassist, and both reconnected again in the late ‘90s, when He- redia moved to Florida, where Harlow had become a radio personality. Fusion Latina was named New Times’ Best Latin-Music Ra- dio Program in 1999. “He knew a lot about stuff I didn’t, and vice versa”, says Harlow about how they complemented each other as hosts and pro- grammers. “He was one of those guys who, like me, wanted to keep the history and the tradition of the Latin music going.” In his quest to keep Latin music’s tradi- tion alive, Heredia founded La Tradicion (The Tradition) in 2010, and those local gigs served as launchpads for young musicians like Marlon Caro, who now tours with Marc Anthony as a trombonist. “I want people to know that he was a very dedicated person: dedicated to his craft and to helping others,” says Caro, who met Here- dia when he was an eighth grader and played alongside him in venues like Dolphin Mall. Heredia’s teachings and the taste he passed on to the young trombonist via his rich music collection served him well. “In many ways, I currently tour with Marc Anthony because of him, because he intro- duced me to that ‘Calle’ New York style — the exact type of style they were looking for in a trombonist when they hired me,” explains the 27-year-old musician, who has also played for Oscar D’Leon and Willy Chirino. Lisset Morales, a respected Cuban singer and musical actress, remembers Heredia with “love and gratitude,” highlighting that he always had an open door for her and her music on the radio show. Harlow gathered friends in the studio to share memories and play some of his late co- host’s favorite records. [email protected] | CROSSFADE | t Music Robert Heredia photo Heredia was a bass player from New York who came to Miami in the nineties.
