“My father has always been my hero. All of my life, he’s taught me to care about others, not only through his words but mostly through his actions. He is a veteran and worked for the Memphis Fire Department for 25 years before he retired. When he received the Memphis Firefighter of the Year Award in 1981 for rescuing a woman and her baby from a burning building, it really made an impression on me. He showed me that helping others is what brings true happiness in this life. My father’s shining example of helping others led me to my journey with Memphis Music.
“When I began working for the local non-profit Memphis Music Foundation, which existed to help local musicians, I found a way to give back to the community and reconnect with my Mexican culture. My parents adopted me from Mexico, at birth, at a time when there were almost no Latinos in the Mid-South, and even though I had a wonderful family life and upbringing, there was a void in my life. I looked different and felt disconnected from my surroundings being the only Mexican in my school for a long time. Years later, through the Memphis Music Foundation, I was able to work with lots of incredible Latin Artists in Memphis, and it was a huge relief to finally reconnect with my roots. That experience led to more volunteering in the Latin community with the Centro Cultural Latino de Memphis, planning and promoting events. Among other things, the CCLDM (fostered by Caritas Village) offers free art classes to everyone, Latino or otherwise. And it’s the only place in the city where you can go to learn the ancient art form of Aztec dancing for free from Danza Azteca Quetzalcoatl (DAQ). Through meeting DAQ, I’ve become most passionate about our annual Memphis Day of the Dead Celebration. It’s a celebration where we pay tribute to our passed loved ones which is something that should be important to everyone. It’s especially meaningful to me because I lost my mother to cancer when I was 16 years old, and participating in the Day of the Dead for the first time with people who shared my Mexican heritage helped me process that loss years after it had happened. It gave me a special way to grieve and reinforced that there’s no better way to help yourself than by FIRST helping others."
“When I began working for the local non-profit Memphis Music Foundation, which existed to help local musicians, I found a way to give back to the community and reconnect with my Mexican culture. My parents adopted me from Mexico, at birth, at a time when there were almost no Latinos in the Mid-South, and even though I had a wonderful family life and upbringing, there was a void in my life. I looked different and felt disconnected from my surroundings being the only Mexican in my school for a long time. Years later, through the Memphis Music Foundation, I was able to work with lots of incredible Latin Artists in Memphis, and it was a huge relief to finally reconnect with my roots. That experience led to more volunteering in the Latin community with the Centro Cultural Latino de Memphis, planning and promoting events. Among other things, the CCLDM (fostered by Caritas Village) offers free art classes to everyone, Latino or otherwise. And it’s the only place in the city where you can go to learn the ancient art form of Aztec dancing for free from Danza Azteca Quetzalcoatl (DAQ). Through meeting DAQ, I’ve become most passionate about our annual Memphis Day of the Dead Celebration. It’s a celebration where we pay tribute to our passed loved ones which is something that should be important to everyone. It’s especially meaningful to me because I lost my mother to cancer when I was 16 years old, and participating in the Day of the Dead for the first time with people who shared my Mexican heritage helped me process that loss years after it had happened. It gave me a special way to grieve and reinforced that there’s no better way to help yourself than by FIRST helping others."
Catrina Guttery hosts Memphis Made on Sunday nights from 8-10 pm, featuring 2 hours of Memphis music. "Memphis is known all over the world for its music. It's a big part of what brings us together. Memphis Made showcases both established and up-and-coming bands, giving them an outlet for sharing their music with the world."
Catrina Guttery, WEGR Rock 103 On-Air Personality
Catrina Guttery, WEGR Rock 103 On-Air Personality
- Website: http://rock103.iheart.com/onair/catrina-52531
- Memphis Made: http://rock103.iheart.com/onair/memphis-made-55562
- Email: catrina@rock103.com
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