Tracks From Abroad

Peru -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 56

This 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 instruments, the cajon and quijada. The cajon is an unassuming wooden box, and the quijada is the striking jaw bone of a donkey--teeth and all. You will hear both on this episode along with music by Kuné, a Toronto band comprised of 10 immigrant musicians and a Métis Canadian.
Also on the episode is U of T first year student Deb. Deb shares her favorite Peruvian-reggae music with us and explains Peru's must-visit locations. Deb has a high-profile political connection too, but our interview was recorded before the Peruvian president, Perdo Castillo, was removed from office in December of 2022.
You can listen to Tracks From Abroad any time online for our full archive of international radio episodes, and the show is live on CIUT 89.5 FM in Toronto Mondays at 6pm. See you next week!

Grenada -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 55

They'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 this summer at Lee's Palace. Treson tells us about the legend of Bob Marley and how Jamaican slang was created by escaped slave rebels called Maroons. This is an interview to remember.
We will catch you Monday at 6pm next week, but in the meantime you connect with Tracks From Abroad at TFA.radio on Instagram or at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm

Romania -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 54

Tracks 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 CIUT. Alex was born in Romania, and hosts her show Fridays at 6pm on the station.
If you want to contribute to our show with songs, graphics or ideas, email us at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm or hit up @tfa.radio on IG. Until next week!

World Foods -- Tracks From Abroad Special Edition

Feeling 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.

Hip Hop Genre Spotlight -- Tracks From Abroad Special Edition

From 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 CIUT 89.5 FM.

Botswana -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 53

An 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 like to come on the show send us an Instagram DM or email TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm
Tracks From Abroad visits new countrys twice weekly on CIUT 89.5 -- Saturday at 8am and Tuesday at 9pm. You can tune in with a traditional radio or by visiting www.CIUT.fm

Thailand -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 52

This 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, and as always you'll hear lots of Thai music between the interviews. You can contact TFA by sending a message on Instagram (TFA.radio) or email the show at TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm .

Indigenous Canada (Fundraiser) -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 51

Tracks 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 and Indian Status Cards.
Next TFA welcomed CIUT host Jenny Blackbird of the show Indigenous waves. Jenny fills us in on topical debates among Indigenous peoples and suggests some great artists for us to play.
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

Season 5 Retrospective -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 50.5

Boy, 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 involved on the show as a guest, or if you have questions/comments, email TracksFromAbroad@ciut.fm or hit us up on Instagram @TFA.radio.

The United Arab Emirates -- Tracks From Abroad Ep. 50

We 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 on the Saudi Peninsula. You'll hear music from Emirati artists as the all-important rock and roll version of the national anthem to end the episode.
Thank you for listening to Tracks From Abroad, and double thank you to the over 50 guests we have had on the show in the past year. Tracks From Abroad is going to continue with the help of some other CIUT volunteers, and we will see you next week. -Jesse McDougall