Fans, friends flock to help Chata Gutierrez, longtime salsa DJ, in her battle with cancer

By Rune Langhoff Sørensen

Hundreds of salsa aficionados gathered Feb. 22 at Café Cocomo to raise money for their friend and idol, the legendary salsa DJ, Chata Gutierrez, who last year was diagnosed with liver cancer, but still - after 34 years - hosts her weekly show on KPOO.

The contrast is stark. Outside, rain pours scornfully down on the Potrero Hill industrial district along the John F. Moran Freeway. Laminated flyers clipped on a lamp standard cry about the slaying of a Latino man, who in 2005 became the victim of a shooting and died only 21 years old. Inside however, the mood is high and the colors bright and warm. On Café Cocomo, friends, supporters and fans of legendary salsa DJ Chata Gutierrez are gathering. The vibrant salsa tunes reflects on the mirrored disco ball, and Coronas and snacks are enjoyed aplenty between passionate dances. But as outside, the thought of death is present, here it’s just fought back by gentle dance moves. The night’s key figure, Chata Gutierrez, host of Con Claves on independent radio KPOO, sits in the corner battling for her life: She has liver cancer.

José Solis, one of the friends of Chata Gutierrez who came up with the idea to throw a fundraiser, explained that it felt like a natural thing to support the DJ. “She’s in need and we’re gonna help her. That’s what friends are for,” he said. “Tonight we are both opening our pockets and our hearts, because we really appreciate what Chata has done to keep the music alive.” To get in, everybody donated at least $15 to support Gutierrez and her fight against the deadly disease. Also, posters, photographs, and hats were sold. The proceeds are donated to Gutierrez.

Gutierrez rose to local fame when she began DJing 34 years ago. She started out at KPFA radio and eventually ended up at independent radio KPOO. But in her long career some things have been constant: Her never-ending love of salsa and her interaction with her audience . As she explained on another occasion, she wants her listeners to have “confienza” in her show and use it like a newspaper, to keep up with what’s happening in the community and even to call her to mourn the death of a friend.

These attributes, her fans say, have made the show a lasting success. Gutierrez’ show has received numerous awards such as the Best Salsa Radio Show by the SF Weekly, which described Gutierrez as “the eminent goddess of San Francisco radio talent” and the Tom Donahue Award for being the best radio show on California public radio.

Backstage at Café Cocomo, respected salsa musician John Santos prepares to take the stage. He is one of the many musicians playing for free. “I love Chata,” he said before the six-hour show started. “She has been bringing wonderful music to this community for so many years, and when others doubted, she never stopped. Tonight all that love is coming back to her,” he said and continued explaining that the fundraiser event felt “like a family reunion.”

For another mastermind of the fundraiser, Oli Medina, who has known Chata Gutierrez for more than 10 years, this is a special night. She hopes they will raise enough money to secure Chata Gutierrez financially - she gets some good, but expensive medicine from Mexico - and to ultimately cure her. “She’s such a pioneer, and I just wanna show her that when you got a friend, you got a friend,” she said.

But not all the people, who showed up, know Chata Gutierrez personally. One of those is Vinnie Reyes, a New York-Rican, who first heard the salsa DJ on the air in 1991, when he was in the army and stationed across the bay in Oakland. He hangs in the bar, but his eyes are on Gutierrez: “She has such a sweet voice, and it made me feel a part of a community. She gave information about what was going on, about where the parties were,” he said. After finishing his military duty, he ultimately returned from New York to the Bay Area to stay for good. “I came back because of her voice and her personality. You can hook that down on paper,” he said and added: “What she’s done for us - for me - I can never give back, but I can try and that’s why I’m here today.”

In the corner, just outside the DJ booth where she usually resides, sits Chata Gutierrez. Constantly, friends and fans are dropping by to talk to the “radio goddess.” Some just hug her, others give her flowers, and some wants a group picture. She is already exhausted, but wants to thanks all the people that showed up and smiles to the camera.
But it is clear that she is not in her preferred element. Friends describe Gutierrez as soft spoken and shy, but emphasize that when she does speak out; it is from the heart and with a clear message. “I’m used to being behind the mic, not this. This whole thing is really overwhelming,” Gutierrez said. “But I’m really truly grateful.”

Not so long ago, she had to stop DJing on Con Claves - the longest running salsa show in the Bay Area - for a month, as the cancer wouldn’t let her. But she couldn’t live without it, and returned. “I realized that DJing keeps my alive. Music is my medicine,” she said.

Asked why she thinks all the people showed up to support and celebrate her, she was clear: “A lot of the people that are here today grew up listening to me. I guess I left an impression and they wanna give back today,” she said and agreed to her status as one the voices of the community.

Oli Medina couldn’t agree more. That’s why she is throwing the fundraiser: “You should honor people that matters when they’re alive, not when they’re dead,” said Medina.