Tracks From Abroad

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. 

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