Shows
Tracks From AbroadVenezuela 2 – Tracks From Abroad Ep. 92After a week in the Middle East, our Tracks From Abroad team is bringing you to South America on episode 92!
For the first interview, our hosts speak to Giovanna from Venezuela. After moving to Canada at 16, she first studied architectural drafting and is currently completing another degree in architecture at the University of Toronto. Growing up in the music capital of Venezuela, Barquisimeto, she studied classical piano, and tells us about some of the teachers she shared with world renowned Venezuelan composer, Gustavo Dudamel. We learn about traditional Venezuelan folk music played around Christmastime, "Gaitas", and shares...2023-12-1458 min
Tracks From AbroadSudan – Tracks From Abroad Ep. 91Tracks From Abroad is beginning our 10th season this week with a new country! Today we visit Sudan with two U of T students who joined our hosts for a double-interview.
Omar speaks to his Sudanese culture regarding food, as well as his upbringing in Dubai, and the differences he finds living now in Toronto. Omar's friend Aly tells us about his father, a tour guide, and mentions his dream to open a global tourism business along with him. Aly has had the good fortune of touring the pyramids of Giza countless times!
On the ep...2023-12-0859 min
Tracks From AbroadKurdistan – Tracks From Abroad Ep.9010 episodes down and new hosts Alex and Seth have traveled all across the world, listening to unique stories from the community at the University of Toronto. Today, landing in Kurdistan for episode 90, we hear from PhD student Sinem and learn about the field of Ethnomusicology.
Focusing on non-western frame drums, Sinem studies the significance of these instruments in female led circles across North America. The Kurdish people are one of the largest stateless nations and Sinem explains the differences and similarities of modern Kurdish people living across four separate countries.
Join us next week on...2023-11-2959 min
Tracks From AbroadArgentina and Ecuador – Tracks From Abroad Ep.89Episode 89 of Tracks from Abroad first brings us to Ecuador, where we speak to Tomas. He speaks about his love of the cello and his aspiration to play in symphonic orchestras. But it's not all strings and seriousness - we also hear about his affection for danceable Ecuadorian music, which he hears when he meets with other Ecuadorian-Canadians and which you will hear on this episode.
We then travel south and talk with Argentinian professor Alejandro Sofier. He explains to us his interest in the horror genre of literature and also about his past as a journalist.2023-11-2458 min
Tracks From AbroadBangladesh – Tracks From Abroad Ep.88
Episode 88 of Tracks from Abroad brings us to Bangladesh, where we speak to Neha. She speaks about her interests while studying at the university and about how language plays a big role in Bengali culture. She reminisces on her time living in Bangladesh and later speaks to being involved in the community on campus, advocating for commuter students.
We hear some classic Bengali folk tracks as well as some newer tunes recommended by Neha. Join us next week as we take a trip to South America and visit Ecuador!
2023-11-1859 min
Tracks From AbroadRwanda/Madagascar – Tracks From Abroad Ep.87On episode 87 of Tracks From Abroad, we take a visit to two African countries, one on the mainland and another off the coast.
We first speak to Skylar from Rwanda, who tells us about his journey moving to Uganda, and more recently about his time thus far in Toronto. He touches upon his love for film and fashion, as well as his artistic expression through writing.
We then speak to Madagascar-born Donné Roberts, and his Japanese collaborator Yukiko Tsutsui. They reflect on how unique cultural experiences have impacted their music and describe some of the t...2023-11-0957 min
Tracks From AbroadMyanmar/India – Tracks From Abroad Ep.86Episode 86 of Tracks From Abroad starts in India, where we talk to Harman Grewal, a PhD student from West Bengal. While chatting with us, Harman describes how his his family journeyed through the jungle from Myanmar to their current home in India. We make a similar trek as we cross the border into Myanmar, where we talk to globetrotting photographer Bryan Dickie and Napas Thein, president of U of T's Myanmar Culture Club. They enlighten us on their experience with the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.
Tune in to our show Mondays at 6pm on CIUT, and for...2023-11-0158 min
Tracks From AbroadHungary – Tracks From Abroad Ep.85This week on Tracks From Abroad we speak to a Shaolin Kung Fu World Champion from Hungary.
@misskisswushu is an architecture student at @uoftdaniels at @uoft , and she sat down with TFA’s hosts to discuss Kung Fu competitions in China, the building of UFO-shaped homes in Hungary, and her method for goal-setting both in class and in the real world.
On this episode of TFA you’ll be exposed to Hungarian music from across the 20th century, and you can send in your thoughts on the episode to TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm .
Next week is a...2023-10-2557 min
Tracks From AbroadAzerbaijan – Tracks From Abroad Ep.84On episode 84 of Tracks From Abroad we visit Azerbaijan, a country situated at a crossroads of cultures.
Our TFA hosts spoke with Matin Muradli, an Azerbaijani exchange student studying biology with a focus on stem cells. Matin tells us about car racing in Baku, Azerbaijani cuisine, and his experience as a two-time Biology Olympiad.
Later on the broadcast we chatted with Artemis Sadeghi, founder of the U of T chapter of Not Just Tourists (NJT). NJT sends medical supplies around the world in airplane suitcases to countries in desperate need of humanitarian aid. Artemis explains...2023-10-1857 min
Tracks From AbroadScotland – Tracks From Abroad Ep.83On episode 83 of Tracks From Abroad we visited Scotland, a country with an especially strong cultural influence on eastern Canadian provinces like Prince Edward Island where 41% of the population is Scottish!
TFA's hosts spoke with Megan, an exchange student studying linguistics with a special interest in sign language. She is most familiar with British Sign Language, although she plans to take a course in American Sign Language starting next semester.
Having only been living in Canada for a month, Megan reflects on the differences between Toronto and her hometown of Glasgow–namely all the cars driv...2023-10-1057 min
Tracks From AbroadSouth Korea – Tracks From Abroad Ep.82For episode 82 of Tracks From Abroad we finally visited South Korea!
TFA hosts Alex and Seth spoke with Ryan Cho, a student of Ethics, Society, & Law at U of T. Ryan talked about the appeal of K-pop, the changing values in Korean culture, and how he maintains his connection to the country.
You will also hear from Bill Ju, a human biology professor at U of T. We talked to Bill about his parent's journey to Canada, his own teaching style, and his view of the international student experience.
Listen up for a...2023-10-0459 min
Tracks From AbroadGreece – Tracks From Abroad Ep.81For episode 81 of Tracks From Abroad we speak with Phaedra Archi, a Theatre and Performance & Cinema Studies student in U of T's drama department.
Phaedra talked about the Greek mythology that inspired her name, being bilingual, her love of the Greek mountains, Toronto's Greektown (does their food compare to authentic Greek food in Greece?), and her interest in the Performing Arts.
The music on this episode include popular Greek songs which have influences from neighboring countries like Turkey. Tune in to our show Mondays at 6pm on CIUT for episode 82 coming up next week!
2023-09-2858 min
Tracks From AbroadSpain -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.80We have been around the world in 80 episodes on Tracks From Abroad, and this week our outgoing host, Jesse, finished off with an episode on Spain.
Jesse visited Bilbao in the Basque part of Spain this summer, and today's episode you will hear music with traditional influences of the Basque Country. You will also hear music on this show played with traditional Basque instruments like the Txistu flute and the Txalaparta.
Our first guest on this episode was Jon Ander, a local in Bilbao who talked about the region’s transformation into a cultural hub, th...2023-09-191h 00
Tracks From AbroadItaly/Colombia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.79For episode 79 of Tracks From Abroad we speak with Isabella Milano, a classical voice performance student in U of T's music department.
Isabella performed her original song, Up In the Air, at Youth Day this summer at Yonge and Dundas Square, and on this episode you will hear about how that project came together.
Isabella's family is Italian and Colombian, so we chatted about the kind of music she grew up listening to, code switching between Spanish and English, and her first trip to Colombia to visit her abuela.
The music on today's sho...2023-09-0559 min
Tracks From AbroadTaiwan -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.78After last week's show in Slovenia, Tracks From Abroad is crossing to eastern Asia to visit the island of Taiwan. We are approaching episode 80 of TFA while entering into a new chapter of our show as we bring together a team of talented CIUT volunteers to carry the show for the next 8 months.
First on the episode we speak with Simon, a U of T student who lived in Taiwan from age 4 until age 18 before coming to study in Canada. Simon talks on TFA about Taiwanese restaurants, we compare the island's social norms to Canada's, and we t...2023-08-2159 min
Tracks From AbroadSlovenia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.77Ever wanted to travel to Slovenia? Now is your chance, because this week on Tracks From Abroad you will hear an interview from a Slovenian exchange student and some fantastic Balkan music.
We welcomed Andrej to our show who studied abroad in Toronto during the last winter semester. Andrej talks about Slovenian folk music, the languages he speaks (ever heard of Serbo-Croatian?) and of his family back in Slovenia.
What music will you hear on this episode? Well my favorite track is a Slovenia cover of She's a Lady by Tom Jones...Dama by Oto Pe...2023-08-1259 min
Tracks From AbroadVermont #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.76We head back to Vermont this week on Tracks From Abroad--the home state of TFA's founder, Jesse McDougall. On the cover of this week's show you'll see a timeless Vermont treat, the maple creemee!
On this episode you'll hear reporting from David Goodman's radio show, the Vermont Conversation. David spoke with Vermonters in the aftermath of a devastating flood which hit central Vermont on July 9th, flooding 4000 homes and 800 businesses. Vermont is still recovering from this disaster with grace as hundreds of volunteers turn out to help their neighbors clean and rebuild their homes.
We al...2023-08-0759 min
Tracks From AbroadQuébec -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.75Bonjour - Hi!
For this episode of Tracks From Abroad we jump one province over to Québec to listen to some folk music and chat with Simply Chloe the Band, a student band based in Montreal.
The host of this show is Rosa Caramazza who selected some great Quebec tracks from across the decades, and the host of the interview was Elizabeth Chernyak. Elizabeth and her partner Bo Hong Fu speak with Chloe, a student in Montreal, about the formation of her band, their experiences performing, and the significance of bilingual music in the re...2023-07-2959 min
Tracks From AbroadTFA WINS BEST IN STUDENT PROGRAMMINGAt the start of June, 2023, Tracks From Abroad was recognized with the Excellence in Student Programming award by the National Campus and Community Radio Association.
The recognition took place in Calgary at the CRABO Awards (Campus Radio Awards in Broadcasting and Online), and you can see a video of the event here:
https://youtu.be/6WiCwUBqVbk
A big thank you goes out to TFA listeners for supporting the show over the past two years. During that time we were one of the few student-made shows on CIUT 89.5 FM, and this show is continuing w...2023-07-2510 min
Tracks From AbroadJapan #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.74This week on Tracks From Abroad you'll get a taste of Japan with two special interviews and a wide range of international and Canadian music.
We start the show with Masayo and Kate of the University of Toronto Japan Association. They introduce us to vocaloid music, the chaos of Tokyo's streets, and the respectful traditions of Japanese society.
Our second interview is with Sugar Brown (Ken Kawashima), a professor of East Asian Studies at U of T and a blues musician in Toronto. Sugar Brown also serves in a trio of hosts on the Calling Al...2023-07-2459 min
Tracks From AbroadFrance/Italy -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.73This week we welcome Julien to Tracks From Abroad for an episode about France and Italy. Julien is an engineering student at U of T, and he's lived in several European countries including Luxembourg, the Netherlands, France, and Italy!
With Julien we talk about French protests, about the short WWII film he acted in, and he shares some of his favorite music from classic Euro artists.
You can check out Julien's work, including the short film, here: https://linktr.ee/frajulien
Next week you'll hear some Japanese music on TFA and a special in...2023-07-1559 min
Tracks From AbroadTrinidad #3 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.72For episode 72 of Tracks From Abroad we sample some chicken pilau while visiting Trinidad for the third time.
On this episode you'll hear from Shameel, a U of T graduate who first joined TFA in 2022. Along with co-host Quinn Carlisle we talk about Trini slang, curry chicken, and why the hummingbird had been made a symbol in Trinidad. As always on TFA you'll hear some music from the country in question, and we threw some of Toronto's Kobo Town into the mix as well.
In the second part of the episode you'll hear from Chaddy Cu...2023-07-1058 min
Tracks From AbroadNigeria #3 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.71Welcome to the 8th season of Tracks From Abroad, a student-made radio show broadcast on CIUT 89.5 FM where we talk about countries around the world in order to learn about the diverse city of Toronto.
This week we visit Nigeria for the 3rd time welcoming Stella-Maris as our guest. She is going into her second year as an international relations student at the University of Toronto, and together we talk about African icons, Fela Kuti's politically charged song 'Zombie', and Stella breaks down how ancient tribal categories affect society in the present day.
This episode wa...2023-07-0358 min
Tracks From AbroadIndonesia #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.70Tracks From Abroad is finishing off our 7th season with an episode about Indonesia.
This episode is full of guests, and we started the show talking to Adeline. She taught us about the dark side of tourism, language learning from airport magazines, and the best Indonesian street food Rupiah can buy. Jesse’s co-host on this episode was Ayesha.
Later in the episode you’ll hear from percussionist Chris Hull as he discusses the faculty of music’s Balinese Gamelan ensemble and his beginnings with the genre.
Finally on the episode we talk with Bi...2023-06-1959 min
Tracks From AbroadNetherlands -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.69We welcome Jelle to the show this week as we talk about the Netherlands! Tracks From Abroad is nearly at episode number 70, and there's lots of great Dutch music to find on this episode from artists like Froukje and de Jeugd Van Tegenwoordig.
Jelle shares stories about evading Dutch bike thieves, university music competitions, and we discuss competition in Canadian schools. If you would like TFA to focus on a certain country or region of the world, send us an email at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm !
You can also listen back to all of our 60+ international e...2023-06-0459 min
Tracks From AbroadColombia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.68Tracks From Abroad needs your help during CIUT's Spring Funding Drive! Each donation goes towards strengthening independent student voices on the radio waves and towards the production of fantastic radio episodes like the one TFA is releasing today.
On this episode #68 we visit South America to hear music and stories from Colombia. Alejandra Ballestas Medina joines TFA for a conversation about opera music and the life of a singer. Her cousin, Isabella Milano, joins Jesse as a cohost. Isabella is a vocal student at U of T's faculty of music. The interview was edited by Rosa Caramazza.2023-05-2258 min
Tracks From AbroadMongolia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 67CIUT 89.5 FM begins it's Spring Funding Drive this week, so Tracks From Abroad conjured up the best episode possible! Today you'll hear Tsetsen from Mongolia who is the president of the Mongolian Students Association at U of T.
On this show Jesse was joined by Elizabeth, a previous guest from TFA Lithuania. We talked with Tsetsen about traditional 'ger' houses, about Mongolian political assassinations, and about mount Burkhan Khaldun which is thought to be Genghis Khan's tomb.
After 67 episodes of TFA, we hope you will donate to CIUT's Funding Drive today to ensure that our sh...2023-05-0859 min
Tracks From AbroadMalaysia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 66.5In just a few days I will fly to Malaysia for the month of May. I'm going there to visit my girlfriend's family, to explore Kuala Lumpur, and we have several other adventures planned around the peninsula.
This episode of Tracks From Abroad is a modified rebroadcast which takes us back to March of last year when I interviewed my girlfriend, Zoë. She grew up in Malaysia, and for this show she picked Malay music from across the decades to introduce us to their sound.
You'll also hear about Zoë's experience studying Mandarin in a Ch...2023-04-2557 min
Tracks From AbroadEquatorial Guinea -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 66School’s out for summer, and Tracks From Abroad is bringing you to tropical Equatorial Guinea for the next hour.
We welcome to the show Andrea from Talks for Students, a podcast featuring international discussions from Saint Mary's University in Halifax, NS. Andrea discusses visiting Equatorial Guinea from Madrid, her work with The Africville Museum in Halifax , and the lessons she’s learned from her abuelos.
The second interview on this episode is Maroni Minter, a civil rights advocate in Vermont, USA, who grew up in Gabon. Maroni talks about coming from West Africa to Americ...2023-04-1858 min
Tracks From AbroadBolivia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 65This week Tracks From Abroad checks Bolivia off of the world map with two students and a CIUT DJ.
First on the show we talk with Itzal and Imanol, two Bolivian students at U of T. They discuss how to avoid pick-pockets, traditions surrounding coca leaves, and the many kinds of indigenous dances found in Bolivia. This is a must-listen interview for fans of Latin American music and stories.
Next on the show we got in touch with Marco Lopez of the show Viento Sur on CIUT. Marco has been hosting on...2023-04-1157 min
Tracks From AbroadZambia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 64TFA GIVEAWAY ALERT
The 11-piece collective Kuné is giving away 2 tickets to their upcoming performance as well as their newly released CD.
To enter the drawing, like this post and tag three friends in the comments.
The show will take place at the Lula Lounge at 8pm on April 5th, and the ticket drawing closes the day off at 12 noon.
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This week Tracks From Abroad touches down in Zambia🇿🇲 for a family episode like none other.
We were joined in the studio by @nessaopokuu of @utscasa...2023-04-0457 min
Tracks From AbroadGuatemala -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 63Tracks From Abroad took a visit to Guatemala this week with two special guests.
Hugo, a biomedical engineering student at U of T, joined first to discuss getting up close and personal with lava, how to eat mango as a snack, and we reflected on the presidency of Jimmy Morales.
Next on the episode you’ll hear Paula Sofía, a terrific singer songwriter from Guatemala. On the episode we play her full album, Quinto de Hora, and she gives us the BTS report on how to write, record and produce an album. This is a m...2023-03-2858 min
Tracks From AbroadJapan -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 62Today Tracks From Abroad visits the long-awaited country of Japan with three special guests.
We start TFA’s 62nd episode speaking with Masayo and Kate of the University of Toronto Japan Association. You will learn about Japan’s Anime scene, the White Day Celebration, and UTJA’s language exchange events where students can practice speaking Japanese.
Next we speak with Taro, a TikTok video maker and English teacher helping Japanese folks learn tricky idioms like 'Christmas came early' and 'pulling my leg.' You can find Taro's funny and informative videos on TikTok at @tarotomoshimashu.
...2023-03-211h 00
Tracks From AbroadPakistan #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 61This week Tracks From Abroad returned to Pakistan for a more modern take on the country's popular music. Electronic dance music is not synonomous with Pakistan, but one U of T student from Pakistan named Razzak Noorani working to change that. Razzak joined this week's episode along with a Pakistani Canadian social entrepreneur Fahad Tariq, an alum of the University of Toronto Mississauga.
First on the show was EDM producer Razzak Noorani who was excited to introduce his new single, 'The Circus.' Razzak debunks misconceptions about his home city of Karachi and describes the natural beauty of Pakistani which so m...2023-03-1457 min
Tracks From AbroadItaly #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.60Tracks From Abroad crosses the 60 episode mark tonight as we visit Toronto's Little Italy neighborhood. TFA has met dozens of new faces during the last 10 episodes while amplifying diverse voices on UofT’s campus every step of the way.
Our show features interviews with Lenny Lombardi of CHIN radio and Italian exchange student Tommaso from Università di Macerata. You can watch TFA's full interview with Lenny Lombardi on Tracks From Abroad's Youtube page.
Lenny discusses how the founding of CHIN radio by his father, Johnny Lombardi, played a role in developing a vibrant community in Litt...2023-03-071h 00
Tracks From AbroadThe India Feature -- Tracks From Abroad Special EditionThis episode is a combination of the best moments of India on Tracks From Abroad. TFA has done 3 episodes about India with various guests and musical styles, so we combined the best moments into 1 hour!
2023-02-2258 min
Tracks From AbroadIndia #3 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 59This week @matrix.msngr joined TFA to discuss southern India where he grew up on Cape Comorin. At @uoft Markus is finishing his masters as a mechanical and industrial engineer.
On the show you'll hear Markus's custom playlist which includes 'soup songs' made specifically for the heartbroken. Who knew? Markus also talks about the cricket rivalry between India and Pakistan, the astounding amount of languages in India, and the Snake Temple: a sacred building containing holy snakes which gave his town its name.
TFA also played music by Toronto’s own @ozzylyall !
Listen to TFA M...2023-02-2158 min
Tracks From AbroadArgentina -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 58This week Tracks From Abroad took a trip to Argentina, the winner of the 2022 World Cup soccer tournament. On the episode you’ll also hear a live performance of Argentine folk music recorded in the CIUT 89.5 FM studio by El Ceibo Folklore.
First on the show is U of T student Abril, a 4th year political science student who tells us about her home of Mar del Plata and the several other Latin American countries where she’s lived.
At the halfway point you’ll hear our interview with Patrick and Patricio , a guitarist and percus...2023-02-2059 min
Tracks From AbroadLithuania -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 57Finally, the day you’ve all been waiting for…Tracks From Abroad is visiting Lithuania with a full hour of music and discussions including a chat with the Ambassador of Lithuania.
First on the episode is Elžbieta. Elžbieta is a theater student, kick boxer, and world traveler who talks on TFA about identity and superstitious Lithuanian holidays.
TFA’s diplomat guest Darius Skusevičius called in from Ottawa to discuss how he got into the foreign service and what his work is like day to day. Darius mentions a marathon he ran in close pro...2023-02-0759 min
Tracks From AbroadPeru -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 56This week on Tracks From Abroad we visit the beautiful nation of Peru which remains locked in a political crisis over its government's leadership. TFA managed to get a first hand source on the show calling from Lima, Peru to comment on the day to day scenes in the city and the experiences of political protestors.
That was Matias Recharte, percussionist of the band band Kuné, Canada's global orchestra. Several weeks ago before the unrest had claimed the lives of 50 Peruvians, Matias came to the studio to talk about Peruvian folk music and to play two special i...2023-02-0158 min
Tracks From AbroadGrenada -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 55They're gonna remember this episode of Tracks From Abroad as we ditch gloomy Toronto and find our way to the shores of the Caribbean.
TFA welcomes Zoei, a violinist in the music department, to tell us about her home country of Grenada. Zoei describes the controversy around ethnomusicology, the wonders of Grenadian Jouvert, and the best crowd surfer in the Caribbean: Lavaman.
Also on TFA this week is Treson of The Human Rights Band, a Reggae group in Toronto that knows how to rock the house. I saw them open for Meta and the Cornerstones...2023-01-2058 min
Tracks From AbroadRomania -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 54Tracks From Abroad is back in our 6th season, this week featuring a handful of guests on a show about Romania. TFA has new episodes from all around the world scheduled for every week, so stay tuned and follow us on IG!
Dorian and Diana joined TFA to talk about their experiences as Canadian-Romanians, and the heavy metal bassist of Pero Defformero gave TFA's friend Andrej a call all the way from Eastern Europe! It is a heavy episode all the way around.
Lastly, TFA checked in with Alex, host of Dreaming in Stereo on...2023-01-1300 min
Tracks From AbroadWorld Foods -- Tracks From Abroad Special EditionFeeling hungry?
This week Tracks From Abroad reaches back into the catalogue to all the times that student guests talked about their favorite international foods. From Indonesian Indomie noodles to the Barbadian flying fish to Egyptian chicken panne, TFA has amassed quite the menu.
TFA season 6 will begin in the 2023 new year. Thanks for listening in 2022.
2022-12-1759 min
Tracks From AbroadHip Hop Genre Spotlight -- Tracks From Abroad Special EditionFrom Jamaica to the Bronx, and then to the furthest parts of the globe, the Hip Hop genre has made its mark in cultures around the world. This week on Tracks From Abroad we hear about the origins of Hip Hop from Toronto rapper PHATT Al, before tracing Hip Hop's influence to Palestine, Japan, Poland, Iran, Haiti, and finally back to Canada. You'll hear interview clips from PHATT AL, Professor Skye, Milad and even a relative of mine who is studying abroad.
Keep it locked on TFA, and hear this show played live Tuesday at 9pm on...2022-12-0959 min
Tracks From AbroadBotswana -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 53An entirely new genre, Amapiano, hits the Tracks From Abroad airwaves this week thanks to Atang, our U of T student guest from Botswana. Atang left Botswana in 2019 for Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts USA, and today he enjoys studying chemistry and performing a capella with Tunes Beats Awesome in Toronto.
TFA speaks with this worldly student about studying abroad, emerging Zulu genres, new business ventures in Botswana, and much more. We add Botswana to a list of seven other episodes TFA has made about African countries, each featuring international students at U of T. If you would...2022-12-0258 min
Tracks From AbroadThailand -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 52This week we add another pin to the Tracks From Abroad map in South East Asia by visiting Thailand with U of T student Arav. You'll hear him recount his favorite Thai street foods, explain concepts of Thai gratitude, and detail the judicial chaos caused by Thailand's legalization of marijuana which stands in stark contrast to its neighbors' policies.
Arav also gets into the cultural and linguistic similarities between India and Thailand--plus--tune in to hear the true title of the city we know as 'Bangkok'.
This week host Jesse McDougall recaps Fifa World Cup scores...2022-12-0258 min
Tracks From AbroadIndigenous Canada (Fundraiser) -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 51Tracks From Abroad has raised $800 dollars for CIUT, our campus radio station to which Tracks From Abroad owes its existence. Each donation goes towards strengthening independent student voices on the radio waves and towards the production of fantastic radio episodes like the one TFA is releasing today.
On this show we return home to hear music and stories from Indigenous peoples across Canada. Our first guest is Olivia, a masters student in Indigenous health at U of T. On the show she talks about the history of lacrosse, speaks in Mohawk, and debunks myths about taxes...2022-11-1859 min
Tracks From AbroadSeason 5 Retrospective -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 50.5Boy, would you look at all the places Tracks From Abroad’s TTC card has been!
And, like before, the 3x3 grid makes us bump the 10th episode of season 5 onto the next page. Last but not least for the UAE with Youssef.
This week’s show is a retrospective of season 5—the best interview moments with music from several different countries. We’re quite glad that TFA has reached episode 50, and soon we will have new TFA volunteers joining the show to carry us into season 6.
As always, if you would like to get i...2022-11-1159 min
Tracks From AbroadThe United Arab Emirates -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 50We did it. 50 Tracks From Abroad episodes are complete, and this week we visit Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. We also hear music from the Sultans of String, a local band who is kindly giving away two copies of their new album, Sanctuary, to TFA listeners. Enter to win some free music by emailing TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm before a random drawing selects the two winners!
This week you'll hear an interview from Youssef who sheds light on life in the UAE, and we try to dispel common assumptions that Canadians might have about the small nation...2022-11-0458 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Trinidad -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 49CD GIVEAWAY DETAILS BELOW:
There's lots of local Toronto voices on Tracks From Abroad this week as we return to Trinidad and Tobago, a nation we previously visited during season 3.
First on the show is Brittney of the West Indian Students Association at U of T.
In the second half we are joined by Miks of Frission Radio who grew up on the island before coming to Canada and graduating from U of T in 2014.
On top of all this you'll hear...2022-10-2858 min
Tracks From AbroadPakistan -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 48This week Tracks From Abroad radio ventures into a new part of the world: Pakistan and its South Western province Balochistan. We hear from a Balochi student at U of T and a Canadian tabla player dedicated to learning about the drums' history.
We begin the show with Lateef Johar Baloch, a political science student with a history of activism in Balochistan. He is a veteran of much social organizing and protest against the Pakistani government, and he shares his story after fleeing his homeland for Canada.
Abbas Janmohammad comes up next courtesy of Umair...2022-10-2158 min
Tracks From AbroadIndonesia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 47We’re heading back to South East Asia on Tracks From Abroad to chat with U of T student Stefi about Indonesia. On the show we’ll get into contemporary Indo music, compare high school experiences, and avoid dying by way of chili sauce. We are also joined by Zoe who was previously a guest on TFA’s 19th Malaysia episode.
Did you know Indonesia is the largest muslim country in the world? Or that the country is known for its cheap street food? TFA is a great way to learn about new countries every week, and just s...2022-10-1458 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Serbia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 46This Serbian episode of Tracks From Abroad features a return guest Andrej and his musician friend Jack.
Andrej renewed his Serbian playlist with some new genres like Serbian rap and metal; and we talk about Serb news, Ćevapi, plus where to get free Serbian yogurt in the GTA.
Jack also tells us about his upright bass studies at Humber College, and that time he played Latin music at the Lula Lounge on Dundas Street.
You can hear the show online any time at TFA.radio on Instagram, or on CIUT 89.5 FM. The show i...2022-10-0757 min
Tracks From AbroadVenezuela -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 45What can we say? We're globe trotters at TFA. As such, this week's episode is on Venezuela, a country mired by corruption and economic failure. But the music plays on in the streets, and today you'll hear some of the best music coming from within Venezuela's borders.
This episode features a double interview with U of T student Manuel and U of T professor Donald Kingsbury. Manuel lived in Venezuela until he was 15 years old, and recently visited his family there just months ago. Don was a government employee towards the start of the Chavez regime and...2022-09-3058 min
Tracks From AbroadBarbados -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 44Hot off an episode on Palestine last week, Tracks From Abroad is crossing the globe to visit Barbados on this week's show. We've had a great experience learning about Caribbean countries with the help of the Caribbean Studies Student Union, the West Indian Students Association, and the Centre for Caribbean Studies at U of T. This week is no exception!
UofT student Kairos recorded an interview at CIUT where he shared stories about his home and the songs he's released as a rapper, and Kelson Fredricks joined the second half of the show with an explanation of...2022-09-2358 min
Tracks From AbroadPalestine -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 43Palestine is the focus of this week’s Tracks From Abroad show which brings us a mixture of dance, food and political discussion. You know the drill—this is episode 43.
To introduce Palestine we welcome Nadeen, a third year U of T student, and Bashar Murad, a Palestinian pop musician. We also got some help from the minds of RAW on CIUT who suggested some tracks for the episode. In the end, we had too much music to fit into the hour-long slot, and you can find the extended track list on Spotify or at TracksFromAbroad.com
2022-09-1659 min
Tracks From AbroadJamaica -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 42Tracks From Abroad hits back HARD this week with a flaming hot episode all about Jamaica. We welcome U of T student Alana to the show to discuss her time representing the island in badminton across the world, and you'll hear from current Second City improv Comedian PHATT Al.
As I mentioned to Al, he's done so much in the entertainment industry that I thought his resume was the work of three people combined during my interview research. This guy packs an artistic punch, and you can hear him talk about his Jamaican roots and his current...2022-09-0959 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Egypt -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 41With the fall semester about to begin, welcome to season 5 of Tracks From Abroad! When this season is complete TFA will be one year old.
We begin by returning to Egypt, but this time with a twist. Ramzy is a going into his second year at U of T, but he has only lived in Toronto for a short time. So we thought that eating out at an Egyptian restaurant would be a great way to find Egyptian culture close to home.
We met in the Nile River Restaurant at 598 College St. to order some...2022-09-0159 min
Tracks From AbroadBike Touring Lake Simcoe -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 40.5Just like last time after episode 30, Tracks From Abroad is pausing our normal programming to spend one episode testing the boundaries of radio show structure and seeing what Jesse can get away with on air. In this show you will find the familiar themes of travel and adventure but this time fit into a story about Jesse and Zoe attempting to bike around Lake Simcoe in July.
The show features thematic music selected by the two bikers as they worked through their multi-day tour around the lake as well as spontaneous audio logs recorded as the trip...2022-08-2659 min
Tracks From AbroadItaly -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 40Tracks From Abroad has just reached 40 episodes since we started the show last October. So we’re celebrating with a pizza party! Just kidding, but we are going to visit the home of pizza and pasta in Italy.
On this celebratory show we have Gabriella for our first student interview. She talks about living in Italy as a teenager and the recent heatwave that’s engulfed the country. Soon we will link with the Italian department at UofT to hear more from the boot-shaped nation.
Our second interview is with do-it-all DIA who has just rele...2022-08-1859 min
Tracks From AbroadGuyana -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 39Tracks From Abroad GUYANA is a hot show coming off our return to Ukraine last week. The show has stellar music with two superb guests!
Our UofT student guest is Alyssa who talks about the Caribbean Studies Student Union, costal flooding, and Guyana's Independence celebration. She and I study the same subjects at UofT, and Alyssa was great on air.
Next we welcome Danny Adhim of Folk'n Comedy, an open mic show I've been watching on Mondays throughout the summer. Danny had humble beginnings in Guyana but now directs films and elevates local comics in...2022-08-1259 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Ukraine -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 38For this 38th episode of Tracks From Abroad we return to Ukraine to speak with a whole cast of people. To start the show we have U of T student Alex and Rick Palidwor of Hart House together for a discussion of the band Dakhabrakha, a band whose pronunciation alludes me.
Rick brings extensive research of Dakhabrakha to the show and we play corresponding tracks to get to know the band. Alex adds another level of sophistication giving us translations and stories to illustrate how this band fits into the Ukrainian music scene.
Later in...2022-08-0559 min
Tracks From AbroadSt. Vincent -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 37This week's Tracks From Abroad episode is perfectly timed to coincide with Toronto's Caribbean Festival. We present to you an episode about Saint Vincent and the Grenadines!
Previously we've visited Haiti, DR, St. Lucia and Trinidad, and this time the show is just as stellar.
Thandi talked with TFA about playing squash, volcanic eruptions, and code switching. Also on the show is Drew Gonzales of Kobo Town. We caught Drew on Toronto Island at an Island Cafe performance to talk about his new music and the Caribbean Carnival.
Stay with TFA this weekend...2022-07-2958 min
Tracks From AbroadMexico #3 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 36Mexico now ranks as the most visited country on Tracks From Abroad, and I have no problem with that. This week Victor, a student at U of T, tells us about his time in Mexico and his travels across the continent.
I was so interested to hear about his experience running a candy business with his family, cooking mole, and finally returning to U of T to get himself another degree. There is a lot to learn about Mexico, and I hope you'll take a listen on TFA.
Next week we have a special artist...2022-07-2259 min
Tracks From AbroadSingapore -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 35Tracks From Abroad Singapore was a great show with some challenging questions and interesting answers. Genevieve gave was our U of T student rep from Singapore, and her playlist was diverse across the board.
We talked about Gum chewing, economic development, and the future of the island nation.
2022-07-1659 min
Tracks From AbroadKurdistan -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 34Take a trip to Kurdistan this week on Tracks From Abroad, a disputed region spread between the nations of Turkey, Syria, Iraq and Iran. To help us better understand this part of the world we welcomed Milad to the show who put together a great playlist of music.
He says music is essential to the Kurdish culture, and together we talked about Kurdish dances, their fragile governance, and their language.
TFA will return next week with a show for the ages that will change the world. Is anyone even reading these descriptions? asfdfaederfa srgaesfdaedhszz...2022-07-0859 min
Tracks From AbroadIsrael -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 33This week on Tracks From Abroad is stacked with good interviews!
First U of T student Hagar discusses Israel from her home in Tel Aviv. We talk about the Israeli army, Israel's beaches, and the holy city of Jerusalem.
Next two members of the Toronto band Queen Kong join TFA with intern Quinn Carlisle, and Aaron of Jaffa Road ends the show with a bang. You can hear both band's music in the episode, and their full video interviews are up now on Youtube. See them play in the Toronto Jazz Festival this weekend!
2022-07-0159 min
Tracks From AbroadEgypt -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 32This week on Tracks From Abroad we visit the 'cradle of civilization' to hear music from Egypt. Our student interview with Karim covers Egyptian beaches, potato chips, and how best to enjoy the pyramids of Giza.
Next week for the start of Toronto's Jazz Fest we'll do a show in Israel featuring local band Jaffa Road. Have any suggestions for the show? Send us a message or email tracksfromabroad@ciut.fm
And rock on! -Jesse
2022-06-2458 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Brazil -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 31Every great series has an origin story. For Tracks From Abroad, it all began when two students sat in an echoey lecture hall and talked about Brazil. And Brazil is back baby!
Episode 31--the start of season 4--is here featuring an interview with U of T student Ana. She is the producer for el CafeciTO, the Spanish and Portuguese podcast at U of T, and we talk about Brazilian geography, censorship, and political documentaries.
You'll notice the episode graphic got switched up, but we're still sticking to our guns finding international students to discuss music...2022-06-1659 min
Tracks From AbroadVERMONT -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 30.5For 30 episodes we've journeyed across the world, but this week Tracks From Abroad took the chance to visit Jesse's home. He makes this entire show FYI and is writing this paragraph right now.
Vermont is a lovely place to live in the USA, and through a few interviews and well-selected music you can travel there too. Just press play.
Thank you to Kal Traver, Jackson Greenleaf, Ben Roth of WRVU, and Rusty DeWees for speaking about Vermont in this show. See you next week.
2022-06-1058 min
Tracks From AbroadTrinidad -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 30Guys, I'm being serious. This Tracks From Abroad show on Trinidad is a really fun listen!
This week we welcomed two guests: Shameel of Trinidad and Kyn Rose, a Toronto artist with ties to St. Vincent. We play some of Kyn's songs, and get into a great playlist put together by Shameel! It really made me want to visit Trinidad, and since Shameel just returned from Trinidad, we might have to get him back on TFA for an update.
In Shameel's interview we talk about screw de lightbulb pat de dog, the pan, and humming...2022-06-0359 min
Tracks From AbroadTurkey -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 29Here’s a first! Tracks From Abroad got to hear some Turkish sounds this week thanks to Batuhan. In my interview with Batuhan we talked about Turkish politics, instruments, and folk battle rapping. Also, TFA has been recording some shows with guests in studio, so if you want to come be a part of the process send me a message.
The show goes on, and we’re nearly at episode 30!
2022-05-271h 00
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Mexico -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 28Mexico deserved a second go-round, so Tracks From Abroad returned with the help of two guests. Rebeca and Ana came on the show with a great playlist of Mexican music. At first we talked about the state of Nuevo Leon where they are both from, but soon we were going on about Mexican food, holidays and racism.
It was a fun show to make, and I hope to visit Mexico soon to check it out for myself.
2022-05-2059 min
Tracks From AbroadNiger -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 27Tracks From Abroad's biggest interview happened this week with renowned Nigerien band Mdou Moctar. This is episode 27 on Niger.
First on the show TFA welcomed Djaouar, a U of T student who grew up in Niger. Djaouar is one of the nicest people I've met in Toronto, and with another CIUT host, Victor Kovaleski of The Third Face, all three of us went to see Mdou Moctar when they came to Toronto. Djaouar and I talk about assimilation, pick-up soccer, and Chick-fil-A in our interview.
Later TFA was blessed to speak with Mdou Moctar himself...2022-05-1459 min
Tracks From AbroadChina -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 26Tracks From Abroad is hitting its stride this week with an episode on China featuring Vicky Huang. Her playlist is wonderfully experimental with some Chinese classics thrown in as well. In our interview we talk about collectivism ideology, earthquakes, and Buddhism with the help of the TFA intern, Quinn Carlisle.
Also on the show are tracks by Paul Chin and YAMANTAKA // SONIC TITAN. These groups from Toronto combine Asian influences into their music to great effect. This summer you can expect more interviews from local artists like these, and feel free to send any suggestions to TracksFromAbroad...2022-05-0658 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to France -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 25It's a small world, as my parents say, and in 25 weeks Tracks From Abroad has circled back to France.
This week UofT student Louise comes on as a guest with her producer Theodore, and together they talk about Louise's music project Oliana. We talk about French rappers, crediting music producers, and which Parisian monument is best. You will hear a range of French music, and several tracks thrown in by Oliana as well.
With summer vacation upon us, Tracks From Abroad is continuing with weekly shows and new projects...2022-04-3058 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Nigeria -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 24After much interviewing and editing, TFA's 24th episode has come together as we return to Nigeria for more music.
Somachi Agbapu is this week's student guest who describes immigrating to Canada, eating Nigerian jollof rice, and playing basketball at U of T. Somachi is the captain of the Varsity Blues basketball team, and in the future TFA hopes to talk with more international athletes at UofT.
The second guest was Nova, an afro-fusion artist from Lagos, Nigeria who is set to release and perform new music this summer. Nova was featured in Exclaim! magazine as...2022-04-2259 min
Tracks From AbroadGermany -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 23In collaboration with the University of Toronto Department of Germanic Languages & Literatures, Tracks From Abroad visited Germany this week with two guest interviews. The first was UofT student Hana Wernick, and the second is professor Stefan Soldovieri.
Hana talked about Berlin Wall music, immigration, and German beer; while Stefan talked about Germany's green cities and natural gas. Hana also put together a great playlist of German music for our show, and she encourages all UofT students to check out what the department has to offer.
If you're interested in traveling to Germany with UofT, message...2022-04-1558 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to Iran -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 22As I sit in my room, Iran feels like a far away place, but this week with the help of Milad we got the inside scoop through the lyrics of Persian Rap. Rappers in Iran are often critical of politicians which makes them subject to harassment, imprisonment, and torture just for their words. It is a high price to pay, and some must leave their homeland for good to avoid persecution.
Milad and I talk about everything from Hijab restrictions, Iranian student clubs, to sheep-head-stew. Ever try it? Persian rap is a fantastic genre, and even in...2022-04-0858 min
Tracks From AbroadUkraine -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.21Is has been over one month since Russia invaded Ukrainian, and this week Tracks From Abroad welcomes two Ukrainian U of T students to the show. Alex and Michael talk about Ukrainian rap, about Ukrainian boxing, and about solidarity amongst Eastern European Nations. TFA is also happy to showcase two songs by Michael who raps under the stage name XMMX.
Despite our planet's wars and the calamity that is exam season, listening back to songs from better times helps ease the pain.
Stay tuned for Persian rap next week. -Jesse
2022-04-0756 min
Tracks From AbroadReturning to India -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 20Long ago for Tracks From Abroad episode 3 we visited India for the first time, and today for the grand finale of TFA Season 2 we retraced our steps with the help of Deepayan, a PhD student at the University of Toronto. This is one of the most ambitious radio episodes I've ever made because it features multiple video interviews taken over several weeks with many songs in between. Interestingly, it was the first time a student guest has performed a song on TFA, and it won't be the last.
Deepayan's close friend Chris Hale is a Sitar teacher in Eastern T...2022-03-2559 min
Tracks From AbroadMalaysia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.19It was a long flight to the other side of the world this week to reach Malaysia for episode 19 of Tracks From Abroad. Our guest, Zoe, is a material science student and Varsity rower at the University of Toronto.
We talk about street food, monkey bites, and the time Zoe played on Malaysia’s national hockey team. This is a show you won’t want to miss.
Next week my flight is slightly shorter, and we’re going to India to learn about the Sitar. It’s going to be a wild ride, so catch Tracks F...2022-03-1658 min
Tracks From AbroadNicaragua/Norway -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.18It’s a big world out there, so to save time, Tracks From Abroad visited two countries this week. Our guest, Henrik, grew up in sunny Nicaragua before moving to “desolate” Norway where he enjoyed skiing and eating waffles. Armed with 4 passports and lots of inside knowledge about the flaws of his countries’ legal systems, Henrik brought music from both countries to the show.
Also on the show is Victor, Henrik’s roommate and the host of The Third Face on CIUT As we sat around a table with two CIUT hosts and a world-traveler, the conversation bounced between ra...2022-03-1159 min
Tracks From AbroadMorocco -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.17In the fall I met a first year student named Ali on the soccer field as we were trying out for a campus team. For months afterward I didn't see him, but from our short conversation it was clear that our interests overlapped. He liked soccer, he knew all kinds of music, and he wanted to come on Tracks From Abroad to talk about Morocco!
This week TFA travels to Morocco to hear music from the country that combines Arab, African, Spanish, and French cultures into its rhythms. We hear stories from Ali and music from Faouzia, a...2022-03-0459 min
Tracks From AbroadLebanon/Syria -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 16It has been 12 episodes since we featured Lebanon on Tracks From Abroad, and this week's show includes a Syrian twist with an interview from the band Kazdoura. Band members Leen and Johnny talk about their Arabic-fusion music, the challenge of making art during war, and their plans for future projects.
Also on the show is my economics TA, Suzanna, who describes her life in Lebanon--a city that never sleeps. She traveled from Lebanon to California at 19, and now works for the University of Toronto teaching classes in the middle of the night from Beirut.
The d...2022-02-2459 min
Tracks From AbroadGhana -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.15Tracks From Abroad returns to Africa for episode 15 on Ghana, and for the second time we have a double student interview with Maame and Enam.
Also on the show is Zamani, an artist from Nova Scotia who talks about her creative process and a music video she filmed in Ghana for the song Outside.
Thanks so much for listening, and happy reading week to all you students out there.
2022-02-1559 min
Tracks From AbroadSt. Lucia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.14I surprise myself every week with just how much I can pack into one hour of Tracks From Abroad. This week on St. Lucia has two interviews, one with U of T student Charran Auguste, and a second with U of T professor Kevin Edmonds. The small island of St. Lucia is revealed to be a beautiful and dynamic community under which political conflict and the drug trade exist.
I discovered the genre Dennerey Segment from Edmonds who's family comes from the Dennerey part of the island. I can't think of a better way to learn about t...2022-02-1458 min
Tracks From AbroadDominican Republic -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.13TFA Dominican Republic is another stacked episode with Caribbean music, a student interview, and an interview with Néstor E. Rodríguez, the director of Caribbean Studies at the University of Toronto.
In this episode we discuss Dominican slang, corruption, baseball, and we touch on the country's African heritage derived from the slave trade. Rodríguez himself immigrated from DR to Georgia, USA before arriving in Toronto, and he shares stories from his research and experiences within the Latin world.
It's warm in the Caribbean, so we going back next week too St. Lucia with ano...2022-02-0358 min
Tracks From AbroadSerbia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 12This week, Tracks From Abroad had Andrej Askovic in the 'studio' to talk all things Serbia. I don't think Serbia was mentioned during the entirety of my education in the US of A, and Andrej helps fill in the gaps.
The show has some great music from late 70s to the present day, and we threw in some Canadian tracks by the Lemon Bucket Orchestra and Rush to give Toronto some props.
You can listen to the show live on CIUT 89.5 FM, Saturdays at 8am, and be back here this time next week for another great...2022-01-2958 min
Tracks From AbroadHaiti -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 11We've now begun season 2 of Tracks From Abroad, and this episode on Haiti is a perfect show to start with. It features interviews with Mathis Roy Vigne as well as Professor Skye of Professor Skye's Record Reviews.
You can find all of the songs on this episode through our instagram page @TFA.radio, and listen live on CIUT 89.5 FM, Saturdays at 8am. Next week we've got a show on Serbia, and the tracks just keep coming. Until next week, Jesse
2022-01-2858 min
Tracks From AbroadLatvia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 10On the 10th and final episode of season 1 for Tracks From Abroad we visit Latvia with Anna.
Did you know Latvia is known for its historical folk songs? Or that the University of Toronto music department had a Latvian professor teaching for 32 years? Take a listen and learn about the eastern European country that has everybody talking.
TFA will be taking a break next week, and the next episode on Haiti will arrive on January 13th. If anyone is still reading this, thank you for listening, and if you or someone you know wants to...2022-01-0758 min
Tracks From AbroadMexico -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.9This week Tracks From Abroad visits Mexico with a playlist from Isai Gutierrez. Isaí tells us about learning English in Toronto, seeing homeless youth in Mexico City, and the experiences that contributed to his cultural identity. The Canadian music this week comes from Nelly Furtado with her 2009 Spanish-Language album, Mi Plan, and there's lots of good Latin music throughout.
Next week will mark episode 10 of Tracks From Abroad! Thank you for listening. -Jesse
2021-12-1358 min
Tracks From AbroadNigeria -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 8Tracks From Abroad visits Africa for the first time on episode 8 -- Nigeria. We interview Ehiko, an arts student from Nigeria, and talk about Nigerian patois, Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) protests, and as always we get recommendations on Nigerian food in Toronto.
This week TFA is happy to have Shopé on the show to spread some wisdom about the music industry and introduce some of his new music. Shopé talks about the moment he decided to become an artist while listening to a lecture in convocation hall at the University of Toronto. You can listen to the full vi...2021-12-1258 min
Tracks From AbroadIran -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.7For this episode of TFA we go to Iran with Kiyan to talk about the Farsi language, Iranian tourism, and the best places in Toronto for Persian food. Kiyan’s music spans many genres, and we even fit in two Persian-Canadian artists, Hossein Behroozinia and Sina Bathaie.
TFA’s 8th episode is going to be a big one! The show will focus on Nigeria, marking our first visit to Africa. A highlight of the show is my interview with Shopé, a Nigerian-Canadian afro-beats artist who graduated from U of T before beginning his music career.
I wan...2021-12-1158 min
Tracks From AbroadEl Salvador -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.6This week I interviewed my Spanish professor, Manuel, in his office here at U of T. We talked about Salvadoran rock, guerrilla warfare, and I got an interview with rising Latin artist Melly Queen who is based in Toronto. In the future I'll continue to interview local musicians and maybe get some field interviews at shows across the city. We'll see you next week for a show on Iran--all the best. -Jesse
2021-12-1058 min
Tracks From AbroadFrance -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 5In the fifth episode of Tracks From Abroad we have two guests at once (both French guys who live in my house). They talk about French protests, the OM soccer team, and they laugh at Canadians for being rule-followers. You can listen to our show on CIUT FM 89.5 or stream it at your leisure on Mixcloud/Spotify. So give the episode a listen, a share, and go eat a God damn croissant.
2021-12-0558 min
Tracks From AbroadLebanon -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.4TFA is back and we're actually a radio show now! CIUT 89.5 FM is broadcasting our show from downtown Toronto Saturdays at 8am. You can always find the new shows here or on Spotify by searching Tracks From Abroad.
This week I talked with Bassel about coming from Lebanon to Canada for his PhD, and we found some fatiastic music to play as well. You can also support and grow the show by following TFA on instagram at instagram.com/tfa.radio.
Until next week- JM
2021-11-2058 min
Tracks From AbroadIndia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.3This episode Ananmay gives us a rundown on India with a fantastic playlist featuring all genres. He’s certainly got the magic touch, and you can hear more of his sought-after playlists here on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/ananmaysharan?si=74dc210ea32148ce
2021-10-2258 min
Tracks From AbroadRussia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 2Listen to the second episode of the show that's rocking the collective consciousness. It's TFA, bringing you Russian music with my friend, Vera.
2021-10-1858 min
Tracks From AbroadBrazil -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 1The first episode of a recurring series featuring international University of Toronto students who share music from their corner of the world while discussing whatever comes to mind.
2021-10-1759 min