If you are ever listening to Watercolors on SiriusXM, you can hear Talaya hosting some pretty amazing contemporary jazz. Every Saturday, she also presents on Real Jazz.

Talaya’s radio career began in her hometown of Albuquerque at KUNM playing jazz and Latin jazz. She studied at San Francisco State University and was quickly hired by KRE, one of the last free form commercial Jazz radio stations hosting a Latin Jazz show which she called Sabor y Salsa. KRE-FM later became KBLX “The Quiet Storm” and while contributing much achievement in the Bay Area, was moved to Los Angeles to launch “The Quiet Storm” at KUTE. While at KUTE, she was the first in the country to interview Sade and play “Smooth Operator” on the radio. By 1988, “The Wave” hired her and for over 30 years she brought in stellar ratings with a massive following and many successful commercial endorsements. She simultaneously voice tracked for the smooth jazz station KYOT in Phoenix. For almost a decade, Armed Forces Radio and Television Service (AFRTS) had her hosting a show called Nuestra Musica producing and playing some great Latin music for all our troops around the world.

Her awards include the first to receive the 1998 Radio and Records Industry Achievement Award for Smooth Jazz On-Air Personality. In 2012, it was the GENII Award for Excellence in Radio from Alliance for Women in Media, as well as awards from the NHMC (National Hispanic Media Coalition) plus being recognized by Los Angeles County and City Board of Supervisors and the prestigious Angelus Award for her positive contributions to the City of Angels.

As a voiceover talent, she has contributed to various Spanish and English campaigns. A proud member of SAG-AFTRA since 1981 and for over 20 years she was on the National Broadcast Steering Committee.

In 2003, Talaya was heard as the Voice of God for the Screen Actors Guild Awards aired on TBS and later with The Imagen Awards, The Latino Theater Company’s Annual Gala at the LATC, and the United Farm Workers (UFW) Gala at the famous Biltmore in Los Angeles. In addition, working annually with Eric Marienthal’s High Hopes Head Injury Benefit Concert in Newport Beach, California.

Singing with the Millenium Choir at the Vatican in 1999, on the Grammy winning Evanescence and with Gabriela Anders and Nyee Moses has been a few of the many fulfilling events in her life.

Her soothing voice, smooth presentations and love of all things jazz has always motivated her to keep moving forward.

Family, music and traveling the world has kept that smile on her face and in her voice.