Tracks From Abroad

Scotland – Tracks From Abroad Ep.83

On 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 driving on the opposite side of the road.
Megan introduces us to a fascinating traditional Scottish tune from Jean Redpath as well as a more contemporary track by the band Current Affairs.
Tune in next week on CIUT 89.5 FM to listen to TFA episode 84 on Azerbaijan!

South Korea – Tracks From Abroad Ep.82

For 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 great mixture of Korean and Canadian tracks, and tune into our show, Mondays at 6pm on CIUT.
Our next episode is all about Scotland!

Greece – Tracks From Abroad Ep.81

For 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!

Spain -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.80

We 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, the Athletic Bilbao football club, and the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.
Later, Jesse shares field recordings of the Euskara language and of a church organist performing in San Sebastien.
Next week TFA will begin a new chapter with a volunteer team and two new hosts, Alex and Seth. The structure is the same, but Jesse is graduating this fall and the show must go on! Please listen next week when TFA visits Greece on CIUT 89.5 FM.

Italy/Colombia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.79

For 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 show is a mixture of Italian and Colombian tracks with lots of Canadian artists like Frank Moyo, Beny Esguerra, and Dia. Tune in to our show Mondays at 6pm on CIUT for episode 80 coming up next week!

Taiwan -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.78

After 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 touch on the gory Taiwanese horror film industry. 
Next on the episode you'll hear Ross, a TFA listener who shares about his experience being married to his Taiwanese wife, a Daoist, who practices the religion of Daoism. Ross talks about the six visits he's made to Taiwan, the religious festivals he's witnessed, and the different paper objects he's seen burned in order to be sent to ancestors in the afterlife. 
If you're hungry for some soup dumplings and a look into Taiwanese culture, this is the episode for you. Check it out on Tracks From Abroad, Mondays at 6pm on CIUT 89.5 FM. 

Slovenia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.77

Ever 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 Pestner! Keep it locked on TFA Mondays at 6pm on CIUT, and send us a message anytime, at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm 

Vermont #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.76

We 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 also learn about David Goodman's career in journalism, and a writing award he will soon win from the Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum. David's 5th edition of his book, Best Backcountry Skiing in the Northeast, was updated and rereleased in recent years.  
Kal Traver of Rubblebucket and Kalbells is up next speaking to Jesse about discovering music in Vermont at a young age. Kal says she loves to return to Vermont for it's tranquility and community which encouraged her to set off on a career as a musician. 
And lastly TFA hears from Steve Rand, a high school English teacher working in Jesse's hometown who has two decades of experience running a study abroad program for Vermont students to travel to Rwanda. After Rwanda's genocide in 1994, Rand says this has been a life changing experience for him and the hundreds of students who have experienced the beautiful countryside and powerful stories of the Rwandans they've worked with. 
Listeners interested to learn more about Steve Rand's program can contact TFA at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm

Québec -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.75

Bonjour - 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 region. 
In the next episode we're considering scrapping the formula and ranking the menu items at St. Hubert BBQ. Catch Tracks From Abroad Mondays at 6pm on CIUT 89.5, or anytime at CIUT.fm . 
 

TFA WINS BEST IN STUDENT PROGRAMMING

At 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 with a new slate of volunteers in the September of 2023. 
But truly, without the participation of U of T students, local musicians, comedians, politicians, and professors who have been guests on our show, this would never have happened. 
So thank you for listening and checking in (TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm). You know where to find us next week, Mondays at 6pm on CIUT.