iHeart Lydia and Bianca

Bianca Kajy and Lydia Jarjosa

The Chaldeans at Mojo in the Morning

By Sarah Kittle

On any given morning, their voices can be heard across metro Detroit’s airwaves, confident, quick-witted and unmistakably at home in the fast-paced world of iHeart Radio and Mojo in the Morning. But beyond the microphones and studio lights, they are also daughters of the Chaldean community, shaped by family expectations and a deep sense of identity.

In an industry where representation still matters, these two young professionals are building careers in mainstream media and redefining what it looks like for Chaldean women to find their voice and be heard.

From Promotions to Producers

For Lydia Jarjosa, 28, and Bianca Kajy, 23, the journey to the studio wasn’t planned from childhood. It started with a willingness to take a chance.

Lydia first entered the station as a college intern in promotions. At the time, she admits she had stopped listening to the radio altogether. But once she stepped inside the world of live broadcasting, everything shifted. She changed her major and immersed herself in marketing and promotions before eventually becoming the show’s producer.

Bianca’s path came shortly after and through Lydia herself.

“I hired her,” Lydia said with a laugh.

Bianca began in promotions, energizing crowds at station events and building a strong presence on social media. Her creativity and drive eventually led her to become the show’s digital producer and, more recently, an on-air personality.

Today, the two work in a side studio just off the main room where the hosts broadcast live. “We complement each other really well,” Bianca said. “I’m sporadic and up here,” she added, gesturing upward, “and she’s like, ‘All right, take a step back.’”

Lydia agrees. “She’s little-sister coded, and I’m mom coded,” she said. “It works.”

When the digital producer position opened, Lydia admits she hesitated. “I went to Mojo and said, ‘Do you think we should have two Chaldeans on this show?’” she recalled. “I thought, there are so many characters. Why would we have two of the same?”

Mojo’s answer stuck with her: You are not the same.

He was right. Their personalities are distinct—Bianca is energetic and expressive, Lydia is measured and strategic. What could have felt redundant instead became balance. Behind the scenes, they may debate and banter, but on air, the dynamic flows seamlessly.

Representing the Culture

The women understand that simply being in their roles carries weight. “It’s an honor,” Lydia said. “You don’t want to misrepresent who we are.”

They weave Chaldean culture naturally into conversations, singing “Happy Birthday” in Chaldean, sharing phrases like “Yalla Habibi,” or connecting with listeners who excitedly recognize them as they go out and about their own personal business like shopping.

They also recognize the larger significance. In a community where careers like doctor, lawyer or engineer are often emphasized, broadcasting isn’t always seen as practical.

“Seeing Chaldeans in creative fields is important,” Bianca said. “It shows there are other paths.”

Their presence is felt far beyond Michigan. With listeners streaming from places like Australia, which is home to a large Chaldean diaspora, they’ve received messages from abroad celebrating hearing a Chaldean woman on American radio. Lydia takes pride in being the first Chaldean female producer in the show’s history.

Both women have seen their families’ perspectives evolve. Bianca recalls her father once telling relatives she was going to become a dentist, despite her working in radio. Lydia’s father initially suggested pharmacy school.

The turning point came when their work became both visible and audible. Now, Lydia’s father tears up when he hears her voice on the radio. Her uncles save audio clips and proudly play them in their stores. Some of their most powerful on-air moments have involved family.

Lydia once spoke candidly about being estranged from her half-sister—a deeply personal subject that prompted family members to reach out with understanding and empathy.

“It felt like art,” she said. “It wasn’t a secret anymore. It was real.”

Bianca wrote and performed a Father’s Day song for her dad, sharing emotions rarely expressed in traditional Chaldean households. “We don’t talk about feelings much,” she said. “But after that, something changed.”

The song opened conversations between father and daughter that might never have happened otherwise. “It was probably the best Father’s Day gift he could’ve gotten,” she said.

Live Radio

Live radio is as chaotic as it sounds. There’s no rewind button—only a bleep button. Even if something goes off-script, the show must continue.

Lydia arrives before 5 a.m. to build the show rundown, even if it changes mid-broadcast. Bianca manages live streams, edits popular segments like “War of the Roses,” and keeps the digital side humming.

Behind the laughter are real-life challenges. Breakups, stress and personal struggles don’t disappear when the microphones turn on.

“You still have to show up,” Bianca said. “People are counting on you.”

Both women grew up listening to Mojo in the Morning on the drive to school. Bianca even met former Chaldean show member Joey when she was in sixth grade and told him she wanted to do what he did someday. Now, she is. “It’s so full circle,” she said.

For two young women from a tight-knit immigrant community, their presence in a major media market is more than a career milestone. It’s proof that representation matters—and that success can look different than expected.

When asked how they hope young Chaldeans feel when they see them on air, both women answered without hesitation.

“Excited,” Lydia said.

Bianca agreed. “I want them to feel happy. I met a young Chaldean boy once who told me, ‘I want to do what you do one day.’ That meant everything. If someone can see themselves in us, that’s the coolest thing.”

For Lydia, those moments hit close to home. One Halloween, her mother answered the door to a group of trick-or-treaters who had one specific question: Does Lydia from Mojo in the Morning live here? They were young Chaldeans hoping to say hello.

“That’s such a responsibility,” she said. “When you know someone from your own community is looking up to you—it makes you want to do things right.”

Creating a Legacy

Ten years from now, Bianca hopes listeners remember her for the joy she brought.

“I just want people to say, ‘She made me laugh. She made my mornings better,’” she said. “If I can help someone escape reality for a little while, that’s enough.”

Lydia’s answer was deeper, rooted in faith. “I hope they say they saw my faith in Jesus,” she said. “That’s what matters most to me.”

Behind every success story, they say, is someone who believed in them early on. For Bianca, that person was her friend Sam, the first to celebrate her when she got the job, even before her parents fully understood the path she was taking. “She pushed me to keep going,” Bianca said. “When no one else really got it, she did.”

For Lydia, it was her mother. “There were days I was exhausted, going to school full time, working part time, trying to prove I could do this,” Lydia said. “My mom told me, ‘You can live at home as long as you need to. I’ve got your back.’ Even now, after the show ends, she’ll text me, ‘Great job.’ Even if I didn’t say a word on air.”

Both women emphasize that while their careers may seem unconventional within the Chaldean community, they are deeply rooted in it.

“I want Chaldean readers to know we’re involved,” Bianca said. “We’re at church. We’re at community events. We’re proud of who we are. But you don’t have to follow one traditional path. You can create your own.”

Lydia echoed that sentiment.

“I want to be approachable,” she said. “If someone has a business, an idea, or just needs advice, I want to support our community however I can.”

Bianca’s own family story reflects the resilience often found in immigrant households. Her father moved to the United States at 16 for his mother’s heart surgery. Facing deportation, he and Bianca’s mother married in a courthouse—no wedding, just paperwork and hope.

“They built everything from there,” Bianca said. Today, she proudly embraces the culture she once felt distant from as a child growing up outside predominantly Chaldean schools. “Now I love being Chaldean,” she said. “I’m proud of it.”

And perhaps that pride, woven into morning show laughter, live radio chaos and deeply personal moments, is what makes their presence so powerful.

Somewhere in metro Detroit, a young listener is on the way to school, radio on, hearing two voices that sound familiar—not just in accent or humor, but in heritage.

And this time, representation is on the air.