Tracks From Abroad

Japan #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.74

This 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 All Blues radio show broadcast on CIUT every Saturday from noon until 1pm.
Ken tells us about his research on Japanese history, his discovery of the blues in Chicago, and his upcoming album to be released this fall. Juggling academia and performing around Toronto ain't easy, but Sugar Brown is the man for the job. 
Keep up with Tracks From Abroad Mondays at 6pm on CIUT 89.5 FM, or any time through our podcast. We'll see you next week. 

France/Italy -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.73

This 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 interview with Toronto blues musician Sugar Brown. Drop us a line, or follow the show at @TFA.radio on Instagram. 

Trinidad #3 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.72

For 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 Cub, an artist from Trinidad who is well versed in island culture. Want to develop a dreadlock hairstyle? Look no further! Chaddy tells TFA listeners the background stories behind his tracks on this episode. 
TFA plays every Monday at 6pm in Toronto on CIUT 89.5 FM, and you can reach out at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm . 

Nigeria #3 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.71

Welcome 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 was edited with the help of CIUT volunteer Rosa Caramazza, and if you want to be a part of CIUT's volunteer-powered station, check us out at @CIUT895fm on Instagram. 
On every episode of TFA you'll hear music from around the world, and if you have a song or artist to suggest, please drop us a line at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm !

Indonesia #2 -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.70

Tracks 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 Bill Foo about the joys of surfing in Lombok, Indonesia.
Follow TFA into our 8th season on CIUT 89.5 FM (CIUT.fm), and get in touch at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm . Where do you want to travel to next?

Netherlands -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.69

We 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 episodes on CIUT's website, CIUT.fm .  

Colombia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep.68

Tracks 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.
Next we chat with Swardy, a musician based in LA and Jesse's first cousin. Ben took a transformative trip through Colombia for 6 months, and he shares some of the found sound recordings he took there that made their way onto his most recent album. 
Please consider supporting CIUT on behalf of TFA during this week's funding drive. You can donate by following this link: https://donorbox.org/2022-fall-fundraising-drive/fundraiser/jesse-mcdougall

Mongolia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 67

CIUT 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 show and many others like it continue to have access to the necessary broadcasting resources offered by CIUT! We will continue doing our part on the air, and we hope you will support our community too. 
Tune in next week when TFA visits Colombia for the first time with an EDM producer and opera singer! There's lots to look forward to. 

Malaysia -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 66.5

In 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 Chinese school, her time playing for the first Malay Woman's National Hockey Team (see #71), and her favorite street food: Nasi Lemak. 
Next week TFA will visit Mongolia for the start of CIUT's Spring fundraiser. So tune in Mondays at 6pm to CIUT.fm, or find our podcast on whichever app you prefer. 

Equatorial Guinea -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 66

School’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 America for the first time, and reflects on his experience now that his son has made the same journey.
After the last live show this Monday at 6pm, TFA will be rebroadcasting episodes for the month of May. DM us a message or email TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm if you want to hear from a specific country on CIUT.