Frank M. Figueroa had a career in radio broadcasting starting in 1947 at WSOU-FM, his college radio station at Seton University. Upon graduation, he went into commercial radio, hosting recorded music shows on stations WLIB, WEVD, WNJR, and WHOM in New York City. Along with his radio activity, Frank Figueroa led a 12-piece Latin band that played in some of New York’s most famous ballrooms, including the Manhattan Center, Palladium Ballroom and Lincoln Square Center.

In 1958, he enrolled at Columbia University, earning a Master and Doctorate in the teaching of Spanish. In 1962, he joined the faculty of Illinois State University where he taught courses on television. Frank Figueroa was a Professor of Spanish and Latin American Area Studies at Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida, for 30 years. He also taught Spanish courses for five years on WEDU-TV, the local educational television channel.

Since his retirement from college teaching in 1994, Figueroa has written nine books and dozens of articles for music magazines. Along with this publication, he is the author of Encyclopedia of Latin American Music in New York, Almanaque de la Música Latinoamericana, Brief Dictionary of Abbreviations and Acronyms, Cancionero de Agustín Lara, Glossary of Afro-Caribbean Terms, Doña Pepa: My Puerto Rican Grandmother and The Unforgettable Tito Rodriguez.

If you would like to order his latest book, “Noro Morales Latin Piano Man,” please click here.