Welcome with Karim Kanji: Recent Episodes
Karim Kanji
Welcome to the show, the most respected golf writer today, Bob Harig!
Karim Kanji and Bob Harig discussed Harig's new book, Drive: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods.
The discussion delved into Tiger's physical challenges and mental strength, his journey from amateur to professional, and his career highlights and legacy.
The episode also highlighted the lasting impact of Tiger Woods on golf and society. Despite the complicated nature of his legacy, the participants emphasized the importance of not compromising and setting daily goals to stay on track, drawing inspiration from Tiger's drive and resilience.
Find more information about Drive: The Lasting Legacy of Tiger Woods and Bob Harig here: https://www.amazon.ca/Drive-Lasting-Legacy-Tiger-Woods/dp/1250288754
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Welcome to the show, Canadian boxing icon, Donovan Boucher!Karim Kanji and Donovan Boucher engaged in a personal conversation, sharing details about their current activities and reminiscing about their past experiences, including Donovan's involvement in boxing and personal anecdotes from his life. Donovan discussed his boxing journeys, including his shared experiences with Sean O'Sullivan and including his transition into the professional boxing world. The conversation culminated in the detailed retelling of the intense build-up to their pivotal fight at Varsity Arena, where Boucher emerged victorious in the second round, solidifying his position in the boxing world.Boucher also shared details about his boxing career, his children's academic successes, and his transition into stunt work and the movie industry. The conversation touched on the current state of boxing, with a focus on the highly anticipated fight between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul. They shared their diverse opinions on whether such fights are beneficial for the sport and speculated on the potential outcomes of the match. The conversation also delved into the financial hardships faced by fighters, drawing attention to the role of promoters like Don King and the tendency of some fighters to squander their earnings. They shared anecdotes about fighters who have suffered financial losses due to mismanagement and betrayal. The conversation underscored the significance of financial literacy for fighters and the need to be discerning about entrusting their finances to others. Additionally, they expressed hope for a more transparent and fair financial landscape for fighters in the future.Finally, Donovan Boucher and Karim Kanji had an engaging conversation about Donovan's experiences in the world of boxing and refereeing.
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In the latest episode of "Welcome with Karim Kanji," we shine the spotlight on Patrick Hakeem, a comedian whose roots span the globe, enriching his comedic lens with layers of multicultural experience. Born in Montreal, Patrick's half-Syrian, half-Ecuadorian heritage, combined with growing up in an all-Italian neighborhood, imbues his comedy with a rich tapestry of cultural influences.
The conversation ventured into Patrick's recent stand-up special and album recording, shedding light on the intricacies and challenges encountered amidst a pandemic-laden world. Amidst the laughs, Patrick revealed insights into the Sirius XM realm, offering a glimpse into the lesser-known territory of radio royalties for comedians.
With a shared disinterest in political satire, Patrick and I navigate the terrain of comedy with a focus on personal connection. Their exchange underscored the vital role of relatability in crafting humor, delving into Patrick's journey from reluctance to embrace stand-up amidst distractions.
Anecdotes flowed as Patrick and I recounted encounters with audience dynamics, from the absurdity of a self-proclaimed minority to the disruptive presence of hecklers. Patrick also lamented the dwindling platform for Canadian comedians, reflecting on Much Music's transition and the saturation of comedy specials in the streaming era.
Throughout the episode, a deeper narrative emerged, painting a portrait of resilience amidst a changing comedic landscape. Patrick Hakeem's journey serves as a testament to the power of cultural fusion in comedy, bridging divides with laughter and shared experiences.
Tune in to "Welcome with Karim Kanji" for a captivating exploration of comedy, culture, and the ever-evolving world of entertainment.
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Welcome to the podcast....Mary Ormsby!Mary and I discuss Mary's upcoming book, "World's Fastest Man*," which focuses on Ben Johnson's life and career including the process of researching and uncovering new perspectives on events from the past. We also delved into the 1988 Seoul Olympics, discussing our individual experiences during the event and the cultural significance of the Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis rivalry.Mary recounted her journey to writing Ben Johnson's book, detailing her initial resistance due to her lack of experience and discomfort with the subject matter. She explained how she eventually agreed after retiring from her job at the Star and receiving encouragement from Ben, despite feeling uncomfortable with the idea of being the one to tell his story. Mary also reflected on her belief in the miscarriage of justice surrounding Ben's story, expressing her determination to do her best to understand and tell his story.This episode also explored the complex dynamics between Ben Johnson and his coach, Charlie Francis, shedding light on Francis's coaching techniques and the introduction of performance-enhancing drugs into Johnson's training regimen. We also examined the prevalent culture of drug use in the 1980s athletic community and Johnson's decision to use steroids despite the ethical implications. The discussion provided insight into the blurred lines between fair competition and rule-breaking, as well as the impact of these factors on Johnson's mindset and career trajectory.For more information on Mary Ormsby's book please visit: https://sutherlandhousebooks.com/product/worlds-fastest-man/
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Welcome to the podcast, Kris Siddiqi!
We talked about the Canadian comedy scene, Siddiqi's experiences in television, and his personal life. We also discussed the death of the Just for Laughs Festival and the need for more exposure for local comedians across Canada.
We also talked about Siddiqi's roles in Law & Order and the presence of Canadian actors in the show. Kris and I also discussed his experiences hosting galas at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and the challenges of raising children in the entertainment industry.
The conversation also touched on the shifting terrain of comedy, with Kris and I raising questions about the impact of the democratization of comedy content and the absence of traditional gatekeepers. We explored the challenges of navigating the vast quantity of comedy specials on platforms like Netflix and the need for comedians to carve out their unique voices in this new comedic landscape.
The meeting ended with Kris sharing details about his recent projects in television, such as the Netflix show, I Woke Up A Vampire, and Apple TV's The Changeling.
Visit Kris on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thesiddiqs/?hl=en
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Karim Karim and Dan Speerin engaged in a reflective conversation, sharing personal stories and memories from the past. They discussed the unexpected turns in their lives, including personal losses and the impact of the pandemic on their plans and experiences. The conversation also touched on their shared experiences, such as attending a concert together, and how their perspectives have evolved over time. Throughout the discussion, there was a sense of camaraderie and mutual understanding as they navigated the changes and challenges in their lives.
Dan Speerin reflected on his journey to Toronto Metropolitan University, recounting his early struggles and experiences in the Canadian entertainment industry. He emphasized the need for universities to play a role in supporting and incubating talent, drawing from his own experiences of navigating the industry without guidance. Speerin highlighted the value of mentorship and industry insights in incubator systems, and expressed his hope for such initiatives to spread across the country to provide support for aspiring creators and entrepreneurs, both within and outside of academic institutions.
The conversation delved into the significance of storytelling, using the case of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos to illustrate its power in shaping perceptions and behaviors. Dan Speerin and Karim Kanji emphasized the need to bridge generational divides to foster better understanding and communication, highlighting the challenges of ageism and the importance of listening to different perspectives. They also discussed the potential for improved global relations if people took the time to pause and listen to others, emphasizing the impact of effective communication in promoting harmony across different generations and cultures.
Dan Speerin and Karim Kanji engaged in a discussion about the complexities of monetizing podcasts, especially for passion projects, and the repercussions of the pandemic on events-based organizations. They also examined the difficulties in persuading local businesses to invest in podcast advertising and the potential for local podcasting networks to foster an ecosystem for local communities. Additionally, they touched on the impact of the decline of local radio stations and the need for retired salespersons to promote podcast advertising to local businesses.
Listen to Dan's podcast here -> https://globalnews.ca/national/program/toronto-tomorrow
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Dive into an inspiring conversation on the latest episode of [Podcast Name] featuring host Karim Kanji in dialogue with the incredible Beth French! They kicked off by exploring their shared affinity for the sea and the diverse accessibility it presents across different regions.Beth, a force to be reckoned with, shared insights into her health journey, her son's passion for water activities, and her awe-inspiring participation in the Ocean Seven Challenge. This entails conquering seven global channels solo, without any assistance - talk about an extraordinary feat!Get ready for a raw and honest conversation as Beth opens up about her challenging battle with ME, shedding light on the physical pain, bedridden moments, and the often overlooked struggles of her condition. Her journey into channel swimming post-single motherhood underscores her determination to overcome health barriers and navigate the unique challenges of solo parenting.The dialogue also unpacks their differing perspectives on open water, with Beth embracing it as a transformative experience while Karim grapples with a hint of apprehension.Beth delves into the significance of documenting her channel swimming exploits, sharing her transformative journey of pushing personal boundaries and conquering mental and physical hurdles. Hear her reflections on self-discovery, mental fortitude, and the decision to attempt all seven channels in a single year - a testament to her resilience and a challenge to understand her body's capabilities.But that's not all – the conversation extends to the trials Beth faced while filming her swimming adventures and parenting Dylan, her son with autism. Tune in to [Podcast Name] for an exploration of resilience, self-discovery, and the incredible journey of Beth French as she navigates the seas and life's challenges.
Welcome to an enriching exploration in the latest episode of "Welcome To The Music," where Karim Kanji, alongside Gregg Tilston, unfolds the intricate narrative of Grant Avenue Studio's Control Room. In this episode, we engage in profound conversations with the masterminds behind the scenes, Mike Bruce and Andrew Lauzon.This piece delves into the heart of Hamilton's musical legacy, unraveling the studio's rich history. From hosting distinguished visitors to the meticulous crafting of a distinctive "house sound," we venture into the personal anecdotes that breathe life into this iconic space.Mike and Andrew generously take us on a behind-the-scenes tour, sharing their journey and offering exclusive insights into the studio's intricacies. The mixing and editing suite, featuring high-end gear tailored for independent producers, is laid bare for our exploration.Our discourse explores the timeless allure of vintage gear, shining a spotlight on unique sonic qualities like the Neumann M49B mic. Andrew passionately emphasizes the irreplaceable value of vintage gear, crafting a sonic signature that echoes the concept of a "house sound."The narrative weaves around the idea that a studio's historical legacy serves as an everlasting inspiration for artists, propelling the creation of new musical stories. The episode concludes with tantalizing hints about upcoming talent in Hamilton, promising a vibrant future for the local music scene.Join us in this podcast episode as we celebrate the essence of musical storytelling and its profound influence on shaping the future of sound. Step into the magic of Grant Avenue Studio and uncover the sonic legacy it holds within its walls.
Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji welcome to the show Steven Page!The episode begins with a discussion on the creation of the Trans Canada Highwaymen album Explosive Hits Vol 1, a K-Tel tribute album, sharing anecdotes about the song selection process, remote recording during the pandemic, and the creation of the infomercial for the album. They also explored the profound impact of growing up in Scarborough on Steven’s musical influences and personal identity, discussing how the multicultural environment and music programs in Scarborough played a pivotal role in shaping his perspectives and ultimately contributed to the formation of the band the Barenaked Ladies. Steven Page shared personal anecdotes about his enduring friendship with fellow musicians, past collaborations, and current work on a new record. He also emotionally recounted the experience of singing Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” at Jack Layton’s memorial service, expressing the pressure and honor of fulfilling Layton’s request. Additionally, he performed a song from his recent album and discussed his regular live streams during the pandemic, where he plays his own songs and covers. The meeting also involved discussions about lost venues, Steven’s music preferences, and the details of the upcoming show on Easter weekend.For more information check out https://transcanadahighwaymen.ca/
The episode kicks off with host Karim Kanji and returning guest and new author Morgan Campbell discussing the parallels between the publishing and boxing industries, highlighting the similarities between writers and boxers, editors and trainers, and agents and managers. They emphasize the importance of active promotion in both fields, drawing insightful comparisons between book promotion and the marketing efforts involved in selling pay-per-view boxing events. The episode then touches on the intricacies of writing a book about family, with Campbell highlighting the complexities of family dynamics and the need to write from his own perspective. They also reflect on their experiences with education, sharing memories of the lack of natural light in their school and the impact of technology on learning. Campbell passionately addresses the issue of Black America's culture being underappreciated and appropriated, emphasizing the lack of authentic love and compensation for their contributions. The meeting concludes with a discussion about a poignant passage from Campbell's book, "My Fighting Family Borders and Bloodlines and the Battles That Made Us," where Campbell vividly describes a pivotal moment in a high school football game. They also share their thoughts on the upcoming Super Bowl, with Campbell expressing his confidence in the Kansas City Chiefs' ability to outperform the San Francisco 49ers.
Craig Northey, lead singer of Odds, joined Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji on the show earlier this year.Canadian rock band Odds released their seventh studio album, "Crash the Time Machine," co-produced by Steven Page earlier this year. The album explores themes of struggle and community, showcasing the band's evolution into new musical directions while maintaining their dark ironic signature.The first track, "Staring at a Blank Page," is described as defiantly joyful, offering a perspective on overcoming immovable obstacles by altering one's own outlook.Singer and guitarist Craig Northey emphasizes the significance of friendship as a form of immortality, acknowledging the collaborative influence of friends, including the late John Mann of Spirit of the West, on the album. The band, consisting of Northey, bassist Doug Elliott, drummer Pat Steward, and guitarist Murray Atkinson, reflects on their musical journey, rooted in the present but informed by a rich past dating back to their founding in 1987.Odds gained recognition with their 1991 debut, "Neopolitan," and continued to achieve success with Gold-selling releases like "Bedbugs" in 1993 and Platinum-selling "Good Weird Feeling" in 1995. After a hiatus in 1999, they regrouped in 2007 to embark on the second chapter of their recording career with the release of "Cheerleader" in 2008.
David McPherson joins the show to discuss his new book 101 Fascinating Canadian Music Facts which features stories about musicians and their experiences across Canada.Hosts Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston start the episode off by discussing the Much Music documentary and tour, sharing details about the special guests and expressing their enthusiasm for the brand’s continued impact on Canadian culture. They also reflected on recent interviews with celebrities, highlighting their admiration for their work and personal qualities.David McPherson joined the conversation to discuss his book on Canadian music facts, sharing interesting stories about musicians and their experiences in the industry. The group also talked about guitars and musicians, highlighting the importance of chance encounters and the role they can play in success.The episode continued with David McPherson sharing an interesting story about the Maple Leaf Forever guitar, which was made using wood from a tree that inspired Canada’s unofficial national anthem. He also discussed his upcoming book tour. The group discussed the Much Comes Out initiative and its significance in Canadian music history, as well as various topics related to music, including Neil Young’s recording process and The Kings’ performance at the Heatwave Festival. David McPherson shared the inspiring story of Adrian Sutherland, an artist who created his debut solo record during COVID using an old shipping container as a studio.The episode concluded with David McPherson discussing his music preferences and promoting his book, “101 Fascinating Canadian Music Facts.”
Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston discuss the recent Canada’s Rock of Fame which took place in the historic Massey Hall.Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston discuss their experience attending Canada’s Rock of Fame event which was, in part, sponsored by Forty Creek Whisky. The hosts share their thoughts on the performances of various bands and artists, highlighting the talents of some lesser-known musicians. They also discussed the relevance of songs from decades ago and the importance of strong female voices in the music industry.Karim and Gregg also mention the performances of Trooper and Crown Lands, who nailed their respective songs. They also raved about the performances by Lee Aaron, Platinum Blonde, Rough Trade, Parachute Club, Chilliwack, Lighthouse and others.The hosts also discuss their differing opinions on approaching famous musicians and rock stars. They discuss the Canadian culture of not bothering famous people and how it can be different in other countries. They also talk about the importance of being introduced to famous people through mutual friends rather than approaching them directly.
More than 2 years ago Israel and Palestine attacks on each other prompted me to have a chat with Karim Awad.Karim Awad's ancestral roots trace back to the historic region of Palestine, prior to the establishment of the modern state of Israel. In our engaging conversation, Karim provided glimpse into his family's history in the complex landscape of Israel and Palestine.As the discussion unfolded, we embarked on a journey through the numerous occasions when Karim ventured back to his homeland, visiting the culturally rich city of Jerusalem, the resilient West Bank, and the challenging terrain of Gaza. His personal experiences shed light on the deep emotional connections that many individuals of Palestinian descent maintain with their homeland.Delving into the heart of the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel, we strove to gain a holistic perspective by examining the motivations of both sides. This allowed us to better comprehend the multifaceted issues at play, recognizing that there are genuine concerns and aspirations on all fronts.Towards the conclusion of our conversation, Karim shared his insights on what a potential path to peace may look like in the future. His thoughtful reflections offered hope and vision for a harmonious resolution to a long-standing conflict, leaving us with a sense of optimism in a quest for a brighter future.
Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston take to the red carpet at the 299 Queen Street West Much Music documentary premiere to speak with former VJs.Karim interviews former Much Music VJs about their favourite memories of Much Music, including stories of their experiences at the network and the impact of the station on Canadian culture. Gregg and Karim also talked about the premiere of the Much Music documentary, 299 Queen Street West, and the opportunity to meet special guests, including Ed the Sock, Steve Anthony, Monika Deol, Sook-Yin Lee, Denise Donlon, and musician Andy Kim. Additionally, Andy Kim shared details about his upcoming Christmas show at Massy Hal. Gregg and Karim reminisced about past interviews with Much Music VJs. Overall, the interviews were a nostalgic and engaging discussion of Much Music’s influence on viewers and the music industry.
Jamaluddin Aram is a documentary filmmaker, producer, and writer from Kabul, Afghanistan. His works have appeared in Numero Cinq, The Write Launch, and Cagibi literary magazine among others.Jamaluddin’s short story “This Hard Easy Life” was a finalist for RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers in 2020. He was selected as a mentee by Michael Christie for the Writers’ Trust of Canada Mentorship program for his book Marchoba, now titled Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday, his debut novel.He is the associate producer of the Academy Award–nominated film Buzkashi Boys. Jamaluddin has a bachelor’s degree in English and history from Union College in Schenectady, New York.He lives in Toronto. Connect with him on Facebook @Jamaluddin.Aram or on Instagram and Twitter @JamaluddinAram.Jamaluddin is the author of the new book, “Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad On Wednesday”. Ask for it at your favourite local book store or online.This is Episode #281 of the Welcome! podcast.
This episode originally aired on the Welcome To The Music Podcast. We spoke about: Listener Questions: Aneez from Whitby – It is said that rock stars want to be athletes, and athletes want to be rock stars… Adam Wainwright sang the National Anthem on Opening Day in St Louis… What’s the most John Gibbons Rock n Roll moment in the clubhouse, or on the road, or at a concert? Joshua from Scarborough – What was your walk up music when you were a Met? What would your walk up song be if you were playing today? Why don’t managers have walk up songs? (Fav song is Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd)Baseball: Two WS rings with Braves and 1986 Mets Getting umps to throw John out World Baseball Classic (Ohtani and Trout)One of John’s good friends, JP Ricciardi – disliked in Toronto among the fan base. Why does JP get a bad rap? Pete Walker, pitching coach with the Jays, played for John Blue Jays new manager Schneider Alex Anthopolous Why John didn’t like the Home run jacket. Music: Garth Brooks at METS spring training Rik Emmett and Gil Moore of Triumph came to games a lot Gil Moore helped John’s daughter, JORDAN, record couple of albums in his Toronto studio Having dinner with Geddy Lee and RUSH and so much more!
This past weekend I spoke with Omer Aziz about growing up in Scarborough and his new book, Brown Boy.We spoke about:living in Scarboroughhis book, Brown Boywhy he wrote Brown Boyhow seeing Barack Hussein Obama on television altered the trajectory of his lifewhat his next book will be abouthis favourite bookstorewhat’s he’s currently readingand so much more!Omer Aziz is the author of the book “Brown Boy”. The book is a memoir in which Aziz reflects on his experiences growing up as a Pakistani Canadian Muslim and explores themes of identity, belonging, and family.In “Brown Boy”, Aziz writes candidly about his struggles with mental health, his relationship with his father, and his experiences of racism and discrimination. He also examines the larger societal and political forces that shape the experiences of people like him, including the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the rise of Islamophobia.The book has received positive reviews for its honesty, insight, and compelling storytelling. It has been described as a “brave and thought-provoking memoir” that “offers a fresh perspective on the challenges of growing up in a world that often fails to understand or appreciate difference.” Omer Aziz is a Canadian writer, lawyer, and journalist.
This past week John Shannon joined me to chat about his career and new book, Evolve or Die (published by Simon and Shuster).Topics we discussed: - His relationship with Don Cherry- working with Richard Peddie and Sherali Najak- why he decided to write his first book- working with Bob McCown- working at Wayne Gretzky's last NHL game- and so much more!Who is John Shannon: John Shannon is a Canadian sportscaster, television producer, and former panelist on Rogers Sportsnet's Hockey Central. He won a Sports Emmy Award in 2003 for Outstanding Live Sports Special for his work on NBC's broadcast of the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Shannon was named Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network in 2008, in addition to being Executive Vice President of Programming and Production for the National Hockey League. In 2009, he left the NHL Network to become an on-air panelist for Rogers Sportsnet and a co-host of sports talk radio show Prime Time Sports on Fan 590 in Toronto alongside Bob McCown. The show was simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet. The show aired for the final time on June 19, 2019, before its cancellation. On August 28, 2019, it was reported that Shannon would be retained by Rogers Sportsnet for the upcoming NHL season. In 2020, Shannon became a co-host of the sports talk podcast, "The Bob McCown Show," alongside Bob McCown, which discusses sports topics of the day and features guests from the sports industry.
From the long time host of The Weather Network comes a behind-the-scenes look at Canada’s biggest weather events and climate phenomena.Chris St. Clair was a weather presenter and journalist on The Weather Network for more than twenty-five years. He is also a popular speaker on meteorology and climate change. He lives in Kingston, Ontario. Connect with him on Twitter @CStClair1.For more than twenty-five years, Chris St. Clair was on the frontline of Canada’s biggest weather events as a popular presenter on The Weather Network. For the first time, he shares his never-before-told stories covering the country’s most astounding weather events.From the flooding of the Red River in Winnipeg to the ice storm in Montreal, the hurricanes in Newfoundland, the devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray, the hailstorm in Calgary, and the heat dome and horrifying floods in British Columbia, St. Clair recalls these extreme weather events and relays their impact on communities across the country. He also follows Canadian snowbirds south to Florida and recounts their dramatic escape from record-breaking Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.A vivid personal narrative with accessible scientific explanations and meteorological analysis, Weather Permitting tells the story of how the weather has shaped the character and psyche of our nation, and is an homage to the strength and resilience of Canadian communities from coast to coast.
Shenaz Lila is my aunt (my dad's sister) and one of 8 siblings. Her eldest brother is Noordin Kassam whom I interviewed in 2018. I've also interviewed Amin Kanji and Taj Charania earlier this year. This is a continuation in a series of conversations I have with all the KKC siblings. Including my dad.
Gabriela Casineanu is an award-winning author who founded the Immigrant Writers Association in 2018.The IWA is a non profit organization that assists new Canadian immigrants find support to express themselves through creative writing.Each year the IWA releases a new anthology featuring short stories and poetry from their members. This past Tuesday the IWA released a new anthology called Finding The Way featuring 12 new Canadian writers. https://immigrantwriters.com/finding-the-way/Finding The Way features writing from new Canadians that have come from Ghana, Ukraine, Romania, USA, India, Cuba, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Trinidad and Tobago.
I've known Mike for quite some time. He's a stand up guy who lives in Brampton and cares about his community.When asked by the Brampton Guardian who he wanted to run this is what he said, "Originally, I decided to run since the incumbent, Pat Fortini, was running unopposed. Everyone needs a choice and I put my name in so that people would have an option. Once I realized what a regional councillor could do with helping people, I decided that I was going to put 110 per cent into this campaign."This was Mike's first time running for public office. So I thought I'd ask him on what lessons he learned. Hope you enjoy this conversation.
Ali Hassan is a stand-up comedian, actor, and professional chef. He is the host of CBC’s Canada Reads as well as Laugh Out Loud. He is also a frequent guest host of q, CBC’s premier national arts and entertainment show. His comedy has been performed at the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal and Toronto’s JFL42. He is a Canadian Comedy Awards nominee, and his solo show, Muslim, Interrupted, was performed at the world’s largest comedy festival, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. He has appeared in three award-winning films, Breakaway, French Immersion, and as the memorable Lebanese Uncle Stevie in the hockey hit Goon, in addition to other film and TV roles, most recently CBC’s Run the Burbs. He lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his family. Follow him on Twitter @StandUpAli and find him at StandUpAli.com.
Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji welcome The Pursuit of Happiness lead singer and songwriter Moe Berg to the show.
In the early 1990s, as AIDS tightens its grip on major cities around the world, the relative safety of Montreal’s nightlife becomes a magnet for gay men. But when they start turning up dead in hotel rooms, beaten lifeless in city parks, and violently murdered in their own homes, the queer community has more to fear than the disease. While the city’s police force dithers over the presence of a serial killer, a group of queer activists starts making connections, and rises up to start a movement that would end up changing thousands of lives. Hosted by Francis Plourde.
Listen on the CBC Listen App or wherever you get your podcasts.
Fresh off of her collaboration with the Grammy Awards and RBCxMusic, Domanique Grant is a Pop/Soul, Singer-Songwriter from Toronto, named one of Buzzfeed’s Top 20 Artists to Watch from Canada.
With a live show that’s been praised by Ted Talk, recent collaborations with Grammy Award-winning producer Jarrel ‘The’ Young (Drake 2021, The Weeknd 2020, Fall out Boyz 2019) and a Pandemic-song that went viral worldwide, 2022 is set to be a big year for the teal haired powerhouse.
The release of Domanique’s upcoming EP album QueenDom, exploring self-love and authenticity in a digital age; does that and more. With a milky vocal tone, paired with a praised, rap-singing versatility, echoing influences as diverse as Lauren Hill, Lisa Left-Eye Lopes, Rihanna, Sza and Chance the Rapper, combined, Domanique’s music straddles the lines of modern Pop and R&B, with elements of Electronic and Hip Hop that can’t be ignored.
BIo: Zaileen Janmohamed is a masterful marketer and a steadfast leader known for providing the vision necessary to navigate complex scenarios and deliver results. Zaileen has a wealth of experience on the brand, agency, and property sides of the sports marketing business, and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion to drive culture and business. In her role with USOPP, Zaileen is working at the intersection of sales and partner servicing, extracting key insights from the market to guide the evolution of Team USA and LA 2028’s business strategy, while also maximizing the offering for both existing and future partners. She joined the team in April 2019.
“Cournoyer has it on that wing. Here’s a shot. Henderson made a wild stab for it and fell. Here’s another shot. Right in front...they score! Henderson has scored for Canada!”
These immortal words, spoken to hockey fans around the world by the legendary broadcaster Foster Hewitt, capture the historic final-seconds goal scored by Paul Henderson that won the 1972 Summit Series against the Soviet Union. Hockey fans across Canada know the moment well, but the story of those amazing eight games has never been fully told—until now.
Here is my conversation with author Scott Morrison.
Published by Simon & Schuster.
Purchase a copy today: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/1972/Scott-Morrison/9781982154141
Amin Kanji is one of 8 children raised by Jaffer and Khadija Kanji. His eldest brother is Noordin Kassam whom I interviewed in 2018. This is a continuation in a series of conversations I have with all the KKC siblings. Including my dad.
Memory Is Our Homeland is a film by Canadian documentarian, Jonathan Durand. Charting the lost story of Polish refugees in Africa from 1942 to 1952 - this film brings to life a journey that brought a group of children from Poland through Siberia, Iran, India, and East Africa, to new lives in Montreal, Sheffield, and across the global Polish diaspora.
Randell Adjei is Ontario’s first Poet Laureate. Hailing from Scarborough, Randell is an author, spoken word artist, educator, community leader and entrepreneur. RISE Edutainment is a social enterprise which seeks to give opportunity to youth across the city.
Adil Dhalla is a Community Organizer, Social Entrepreneur and Play Advocate. Currently, Adil is the Director of Community for Camp Reset. Learn more about Camp Reset at https://www.thisisreset.org/copy-of-home. Almost 12 years ago Adil co-founded a start up called My City Lives. On their first anniversary I asked Adil 5 Questions: What motivates you to do what you do on a daily basis? If you had 30 seconds to impart your wisdom on a classroom of soon-to-be graduates, what would you say? In your opinion, what has been one of the most important technological developments over the past 12 months? If you had a crystal ball, what would you say will be the most important technological development over the next 12 months? Who is one of Canada’s tech stars and why? In this episode we finish off with a new 5 Questions. Listen to the end to hear the questions and Adil's answers. This is Episode #265 of the Welcome! podcast.
Aneil Gokhale is the Director of Philanthropy for the Toronto Foundation. In his role he is responsible for the development and management of the new business portfolio. In this episode we discuss:
his work with the Toronto Foundation the Love, Scarborough fundraising initiative in support of the Scarborough Health Network Foundation. how he switched from business and science to philanthropy. his favourite things in Scarborough. how young adults can become involved in philanthropy. why Toronto is the best city in the world...for some people.
https://torontofoundation.ca/ https://torontofoundation.ca/black-and-indigenous-futures-fund/ https://twitter.com/a_goks https://twitter.com/TorontoFdn https://www.vosnl.org/
Ali Hassan joins Karim Kanji for his third appearance on Welcome with Karim Kanji.
In this episode we talk about:
Doctor VS Comedian; His upcoming book, Is There Bacon In Heaven; Favourite tunes from the '90s; His upcoming movie, Stealing Vows; CBC comedy series, Run The 'Burbs; and so much more!
This is Husein's second appearance on the podcast. In this episode Husein calls in from hot and sunny Dubai where rumour has it that it is cold at night. Husien stars inthe new film, Donkeyhead. Donkeyhead is a 2021 Canadian comedy-drama film written and directed by Agam Darshi in her directorial debut. It stars Darshi as Mona, a woman tasked with taking care of her father with the help of her three siblings after he is diagnosed with cancer and his health starts to deteriorate.
Simu Liu is the star of the new Marvel movie Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings. Prior to earning worldwide fame for this role Simu was one of the stars of the hit Canadian comedy, Kim's Convenience.
Listen to this episode from 2017 to learn the back story of Marvel's newest superhero!
Brad Bradford is a City Councillor of the Beaches – East York ward in Toronto. Among his many duties he is currently the chair of the Toronto Music Advisory Council.
In this episode Brad discusses with hosts Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji the initiatives the city of Toronto is taking to bring back live music to the city in a post-pandemic scenario.
Jason Wilson is a two-time Juno-Awards nominee, Canadian Reggae Music Award winner, four-time Reggae Music Achievements Award nominee and Best-Selling Canadian historian from Downsview, Ontario. In 2007, Wilson became the first recipient of the Karl Mullings Memorial Award for commitment to reggae in Canada. The protégé of Studio One keyboardist Jackie Mittoo, Jason has performed and recorded with UB40, Alanis Morissette, Sly & Robbie, Ron Sexsmith, Ernest Ranglin, Brinsley Forde, Pee Wee Ellis, Martin Carthy and Dave Swarbrick. Wilson is a multi-instrumentalist though is perhaps best known for piano and voice. An Adjunct-Professor of history at the University of Guelph, Dr. Wilson has six books to his name, including the Toronto Maple Leafs’ official centenary book. – jasonwilsonmusic.com/
Ari Shapiro returns to the podcast. Instead of talking about baseball we chat about politics and world events. Specifically, Islamophobia; the role of governments in addressing Islamophobia; the conflict between Palestine and Israel; Ari's view on the situation in the Middle East as a Jewish person born in Israel and now living in Canada; and finally how the West has it all wrong about Russia.
Welcome To The Music hosts Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji take a look back at the 50th JUNO Awards. Gregg and Karim also celebrate past guests of the podcast who were nominated and even some who won! In other words, WTTM is a path to either a nomination or a statue! Congrats to all the nominees, winners and Canadian music!
Art Bergmann is Canada's Prince of Punk. Just don't call him that. In pure punk fashion, Art recently received the Order Of Canada but has yet to give an acceptance speech or even wear the "coveted" OoC pin.
In this timely interview, Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji talk to Art about music and the role of being a shit disturber by holding those in power to account.
We end of the interview with a powerful performace of his song The Legend Of Bobby Bird. Bobby was a 10 year old boy who ran away from residential school in Saskatchewan never to be seen again. Years later his remains were found.
For more information please visit www.irsss.ca/ (Indian Residential School Survivors Society)
Zaki Ibrahim recently released her album, The Secret Life Of Planets and joined both Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji on the show to talk about it. We also explore Zaki's musical inspirations and how growing up in South Africa, Nanaimo and Toronto shaped her identity and music. Stay until the end for a wonderful performance of her song, Gemini Moon.
Karim Awad's family is originally from historic Palestine prior to it being taken over by Israel. In this conversation, Karim gives me his family's history in Israel/Palestine. We also hear stories of the many times Karim went back to visit Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza. We also take a deep dive into the ongoing conflict between Palestine and Israel and look at things from both sides to better understand the motivations of everyone. In the end, Karim leaves us with what a solution for peace could look like in the future.
The Cabana Room, the upstairs venue of The Spadina Hotel, was the centre of the Queen West music scene back in the 60s and 70s and flourished as a place to watch indie acts before being turned into a youth hostel in 1997. In this episode, hosts Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji debate which Canadian act should join The Band, Joni Mitchell, Neil Young, Rush and Leonard Cohen in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Then we get around to reminisce about The Cabada Room which Gregg played in many times.
Prior to the release of her new album, SET THE FIRE, Kandle joined Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji from her home in BC to chat about music, her career, videos, her new music and her love of dogs and the comedy, Curb Your Enthusiasm.
Kandle’s mastery of music comes as no surprise, having collaborated with some of Canada’s finest songwriters, including Sam Roberts, Coeur de pirate, Peter Dremanis (July Talk) and Devon Portielje (Half Moon Run), in her impressive career to date — which also includes a Video of the Year JUNO nomination, a Prism Prize award for her Not Up To Me music video, and a Canadian Independent Video Award nomination for 2020 single, Lock and Load. Kandle also starred in Jack White’s 2018 video for Corporation, and her music was recently featured in Netflix's, Tiny Pretty Things. Growing up in the music industry as the daughter of Canadian rock royalty Neil Osborne of 54-40 has provided Kandle’s artistry with a unique insight. She brings a seasoned performance to every line and every word, channeling over a decade of touring the globe into music that’s familiar yet undeniably her own.
Farhan Lalji is the Vancouver Bureau Reporter for SPORTSCENTRE, Canada’s #1 sports news and information program. Lalji, who joined TSN in 1997, covers the Canucks, Lions, and Whitecaps FC, as well as other sports stories from around the Vancouver area. Along with covering the Vancouver sports scene, Lalji has reported from many of the biggest sporting events in North America, including the Stanley Cup Final, NBA Finals, Grey Cup, MLB and NBA All-Star Games, golf’s U.S. Open and PGA Championship, and the 2004, 2006, and 2010 Olympic Games.
Jeff Burrows is the drummer and percussionist for Canadian rock bands Crash Karma, and The Tea Party. Jeff Burrows begun drumming at eleven years of age and professionally since 1990 when he joined childhood friends Jeff Martin and Stuart Chatwood in forming The Tea Party which is celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2021.
Nothin' But a Good Time is the definitive, no-holds-barred oral history of 1980s hard rock and hair metal, told by the musicians and industry insiders who lived it.
Hard rock in the 1980s was a hedonistic and often intensely creative wellspring of escapism that perfectly encapsulated—and maybe even helped to define—a spectacularly over-the-top decade. Indeed, fist-pumping hits like Twisted Sister’s “We’re Not Gonna Take It,” Mötley Crüe’s “Girls, Girls, Girls,” and Guns N’ Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle” are as inextricably linked to the era as Reaganomics, Pac-Man, and E.T.
From the do-or-die early days of self-financed recordings and D.I.Y. concert productions that were as flashy as they were foolhardy, to the multi-Platinum, MTV-powered glory years of stadium-shaking anthems and chart-topping power ballads, to the ultimate crash when grunge bands like Nirvana forever altered the entire climate of the business, Tom Beaujour and Richard Bienstock's Nothin' But a Good Time captures the energy and excess of the hair metal years in the words of the musicians, managers, producers, engineers, label executives, publicists, stylists, costume designers, photographers, journalists, magazine publishers, video directors, club bookers, roadies, groupies, and hangers-on who lived it.
Featuring an impassioned foreword by Slipknot and Stone Sour vocalist and avowed glam metal fanatic Corey Taylor, and drawn from over 200 new interviews with members of Van Halen, Mötley Crüe, Poison, Guns N’ Roses, Skid Row, Bon Jovi, Ratt, Twisted Sister, Winger, Warrant, Cinderella, Quiet Riot and others, as well as Ozzy Osbourne, Lita Ford and many more, this is the ultimate, uncensored, and often unhinged chronicle of a time where excess and success walked hand in hand, told by the men and women who created a sound and style that came to define a musical era—one in which the bands and their fans went looking for nothin’ but a good time…and found it.
Erica Ehm is a good friend of the podcast. She was kind enough to sit down with hosts Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji a few months ago to help us think about our podcast differently. Out of that brainstorming session came a segment called, Lost Venues.
Lost Venues is a celebration of music venues from our past that no longer exist.
Sometimes Gregg and Karim will chat about venues that Gregg has played at. This episode features some past guests who shared with us some of their favourite Lost Venues.
Guests: Justine Giles Jonny Dovercourt Zenesoul Greg Godovitz Danny Miles
Perdita Felicien is a third time guest. And third time's a charm! Perditia is officially now an author. I'm so excited for her. In this episode we talk about her car, her book, Catherine - her mom, her daughter Nova, her relationship with her dad and some advice for a young first time book author to be, Morgan!
ZENESOUL is a Soul artist from Brampton, Canada. Born in Nigeria, she began writing songs at 11 years old. Today, this love for writing plays a big role in her music as she transports listeners with her lyrics, the clarity in her voice and use of simple instrumentals. Incorporating R&B, Neo-soul and Afro-beats into her music, ZENESOUL creates a sound of her own.
In March 2019, ZENESOUL released her first EP titled Worth. including, Lost and fiery up-beat hit, Pricey. Later that year, she debuted Back to You, infusing Afro-beats into her signature soul sound. These projects gained the attention of one of Canada's biggest stages as ZENESOUL performed at This is Brampton: NXNE music festival.
ZENSOUL released How It Feels in early 2020. The single grabbed the attention of Rory Farrell from the Joe Budden Podcast and R&B Radar, along with multiple blog mentions. This allowed for the success of her following single, Wasteman in summer 2020, highlighted by Spotify with placements on major editorial playlists, further growing her audience.
In August 2020, ZENESOUL released her sophomore EP, Coffee including the tragic ballad Safe taking listeners through her experience with domestic abuse. Coffee demonstrated ZENESOUL’s growth and skill in song writing and composition. Coffee was featured on CTV Morning Live, EarMilk and several music blogs.
Leading up to her next release, ZENESOUL released the project's first single Love and Be Loved in early November 2020, featuring Aaron Ridge. The single quickly became her biggest hit gaining almost 400,000 streams since releasing, featured on major Spotify playlists and radio stations across North America and Europe.
ZENESOUL continues telling her story, aiming to empower music lovers.
Prior to joining ESPN, Karim was an anchor and reporter on Canada’s leading sports network (TSN) since 2011. He hosted TSN’s news and information show SportsCentre and covered a variety of major sporting events including the 2013 and 2014 IIHF World Junior Championships and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
Karim also hosted TSN’s coverage of NCAA March Madness, the 2016 FIBA Americas, and TSN’s live coverage of the 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games and Rio 2016 Olympic Summer Games.
A native of Vancouver, Karim graduated from Simon Fraser University where he majored in Communications and received a broadcast journalism degree from the British Columbia Institute of Technology. NOTE: PODCAST BEGINS AFTER A MINUTE OF SILENCE.
Any Night Of The Week – A DIY History of Toronto Music 1957-2001 just might be one of the most important books about the Toronto live music scene ever written.
In this episode Karim Kanji speaks with author, musician and co-founder of Wavelength Music, Jonny Dovercourt.
Anuk Karunaratne is the Executive Vice President of Business Operations for the Toronto Blue Jays. Before the start of the 2021 regular season we sat down for a look back at the 2020 season as well as a look forward to the 2021 season and beyond.
Born in Toronto in 1951, Greg Godovitz has been an active member of the Canadian music industry since 1964. The year 2021 marks his 57th anniversary as a musician.
His recorded works with Toronto based group Fludd produced eight top ten hits including the SOCAN Hall Of Fame inductees Cousin Mary, Brother and Me and Turned 21 which have reached the amazing milestone of over 100,000 airplays.
Greg went on to enjoy national success with Toronto power trio Goddo, recording and producing eleven albums and touring the country extensively since 1975.
Justine Giles is a folk singer songwriter based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Originally from Sudbury, Ontario, Canada Justine was the 2020 Jim Beam Talent Search National Finalist, Calgary Region Winner.
Toronto-based Bad Breed started out as a hard-edged combination of punk rock and 60s R&B. Inspired by the sounds of Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, Betty Davis and Led Zeppelin, the muscular funk, lightning-sharp guitar riffs and soulful songs of love and despair from their latest album are a testament to the transformative and ferocious power of love.
Danny Miles is best known as the drummer of Juno Award-winning alternative band July Talk. Danny is also drummer and co-producer of the Alternative Hip Hop group Tongue Helmet and an avid bird photographer.
Zulekha Nathoo is an award-winning Canadian multimedia journalist currently based in Atlanta, Georgia. After almost two full decades with CBC she is currently a contributor for BBC Worklife.
In this episode we talk about her career, sacrificing for her career, living in the US as a Canadian, her past ball hockey career, her short stint as a world class air guitarist, and what it's like to raise a young mixed race child with her husband.
Dubbed “Hip Hops kid sister”, Keysha Freshh blends everything you love about the 90’s with everything you appreciate about Hip Hop. Born in Toronto, Keysha found a love for hip hop spending summers in NYC. She was exposed to the culture at an early age, listening to mixtapes her cousins would have. Keysha had her first song published when she was 5 years old, the song was titled “Summers coming” and she has been performing ever since. Keysha performed her first written rap, at the age of 12 while she was a member of the Toronto Children Concert Choir.
After expressing her desire to record music to hit maker and super-producer T-Miuns (credits: Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj) he referred Keysha to a local studio and she recorded her first song “Pardon my swag”. In 2009, Keysha then went on to record her very first official single “Hollywood Fresh”, which received rave reviews and radio play across North America. Keysha was the youngest female Hip Hop artist to have 3 songs in rotation on 93.5FM (then Flow 93.5) which, at the time was Canadas leading urban radio station. The remix to “Hollywood Freshh” soon followed featuring Gunna (who also produced the beat) and Hip Hop artist MIMS (This is why I’m hot). MIMS along with Hip Hop legend Doug E Fresh also appear in the music video for “Hollywood Fresh”.
Hotel Isabella was built in the 1890s in Toronto. During it’s first heyday it was a fancy hotel that people went to for weddings and anniversaries. In the 1970s and 80s it was known as a jazz bar. In the 1980s and 90s Gregg’s band, International Boundaries, played the basement bar of Hotel Isabella, Under The Izzy. There was also a main floor venue called Cameo Lounge. Besides Gregg, the Hotel Isabella played host to acts such as Big Sugar, Burton Cummings, Molly Johnson, Jeff Healey and Dan Aykroyd.
This episode begins with a talk about the new app, Clubhouse and the Super Bowl halftime show starring The Weeknd.
Paul Chin is a Polaris Music Prize-nominated producer that has risen from a pedigree of classical training, to discovering bedroom production; then years of releasing music as a beatmaker's beatmaker; followed by almost a half-decade of inwardly-focused musical exploration, practice, and collaboration. The Toronto artist's return to the market – while easy to be apprehensive about – begins a new chapter marked by this joyous and confident reflection of his vast musical vocabulary, and adoration for the artform as an electronic artist.
Paul Chin is a lifelong student, lover, and explorer of music, which manifests itself in his work as a music producer and DJ. Growing up in the Cayman Islands, importing influence and inspiration from any and everywhere was always ingrained in his sense of identity. Additionally, the ethos of DIY culture and resourcefulness exemplified by his Chinese-Jamaican immigrant parents are part of what drew him to the resilient philosophy of hip-hop while studying classical and jazz in school and private music lessons.
Eventually, his robust musical foundation and scrappy work ethic would meet his insatiable appetite for new and exciting sounds, leading him toward beat-driven electronic music. Since permanently relocating to Toronto, Canada, Paul has embedded himself in the city’s creative fabric. Collaborating and performing alongside resident stalwarts such as Skratch Bastid, Harrison, Tanika Charles, and Shad has afforded him local ambassadorship on stages alongside the likes of Snakehips, Falcons, Toro Y Moi, and Shigeto. His releases all possess a gravitational centre of instrumental hip-hop, but draw his pursuits of jazz, gospel, IDM, disco, garage, dancehall, and anime scores into their orbit. Not content to emulate trendy aesthetics from any one genre, Paul continues to develop his sound, performance, and collaborative work from a diverse spectrum of artists.
Here's the first episode in a series we're doing called Lost Venues. We'll explore lost concert venues through the eyes of former musician Gregg Tilston. Gregg was 16 when he started playing live gigs with Plastic Dollz from Whitby/Ajax, Ontario. The first gig in Toronto was at Larry's Hideaway.
Half fable, half manifesto, this brilliant new take on the ancient concept of cash lays bare its unparalleled capacity to empower and enthrall us. The Money Plot: A HISTORY OF CURRENCY'S POWER TO ENCHANT, CONTROL, AND MANIPULATE. Frederick Kaufman tackles the complex history of money, beginning with the earliest myths and wrapping up with Wall Street’s byzantine present-day doings. Along the way, he exposes a set of allegorical plots, stock characters, and stereotypical metaphors that have long been linked with money and commercial culture, from Melanesian trading rituals to the dogma of Medieval churchmen faced with global commerce, the rationales of Mercantilism and colonial expansion, and the U.S. dollar’s 1971 unpinning from gold.
In the spring of 1965, Bill Cosgrave was smuggled across the border into the United States after receiving an irresistible invitation from his captivating friend Mary Werbelow. When he made it to her apartment in Los Angeles, Mary introduced Bill to her boyfriend, Jim Morrison. The two young men quickly bonded.
When Jim and Mary’s relationship faltered, Jim headed for Venice beach with his notebook. Bill and Jim spent endless days together, enjoying the aimlessness of their youth and the freedom of the times, fuelled by Jim's unlimited supply of dope.
Jim Morrison's writing would morph into iconic hit songs, rocketing him to international fame as the hypnotic lead singer of the Doors. Beautiful Mary would set off on her own journey. After years of futile searching, Bill finally tracks down the woman he had secretly loved. He’s dying to know where her life has taken her and stunned by what he discovers.
Ian Keteku is a poet, musician author and artist. Ian Keteku earned the title of World Slam Poetry champion in France in the summer of 2010 and is also a two-time Canadian poetry slam champion.
Meg Warren is our first guest of 2021.
After starting the multiple award-winning band Repartee in 2009, they criss-crossed Canada for 8 years, driving the van to hundreds of shows across the country.
A high point in her career came in 2016 when what started as a little song idea about fighting for the people you love called ‘Dukes’ became the most added song across all radio formats across Canada in July of that year. Repartee would go on to win the 2017 Indie Music Award for Pop Artist/Group of the year.
Now, as a solo artist and songwriter, Meg co-produced and co-engineered her EP, ‘A Thousand Ways’ with ECMA-winning producer Dan Ledwell. She also engineered, mixed, and co-produced Newfoundland singer-songwriter Virginia Fudge’s upcoming EP which is slated for an early 2021 release.
She can't wait to see what's next.
Nick Kypreos is a retired hockey player who won the Stanley Cup while a member of the New York Rangers. Nick also played for the Hartford Whalers, Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs. Most recently he spend over two decades with Sportsnet as a hockey analyst and insider. Today he is host of the Real Kyper at Noon show on YouTube and part owner of the Little Buddha Cocktail Company.
During the last year of school, Chin Injeti recorded an indie album of the band in a home studio built by his father & brother. That CD ended up selling 70,000 copies and served as his introduction to the music industry!
The band (by then known as Bass is Base) went on to gain fans all over the world and garnered a deal with Universal Music and Island records in the United States.
Fronted by Injeti, the group won a Juno (Canadian Grammy) for best R&B record, a Much Music Video award for a song called “Funkmobile” and Chin was awarded with Songwriter of the Year from SOCAN.
With many years of creating, touring and performing all over North America with the likes of The Fugees, The Roots, Jamiroquoi, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and so many more, Chin learned the craft of carving out frequencies and the importance of an impactful lyric and melody. For years he just listened and watched until he was able to take a selfless approach to his craft, where he put the song and the artist before everything.
His purpose, indeed, became crystal clear when Injeti teamed up with then partner DJ Khalil; with whom he made music with and for the likes of Dr Dre, Eminem (“Recovery,”and “Survival” which he later won 2 Grammys for), Drake (“Fear”), Pink (“Here comes The Weekend”), Aloe Blacc (“I’m the Man,” “Can You Do This”), The Clipse (“Kinda Like a Big Deal” feat. Kanye), Lecrae (“Mayday” and another Grammy win), K’Naan (“Waving Flag” and another Juno award) and so many other artists.
Injeti’s impact on music was slowly taking shape with millions of records sold and Gold & Platinum plaques as evidence, and, perhaps most significantly, his being able to pick and choose the artists that he wanted to work with.
Chin Injeti is a force of nature - an inspiration, a teacher, mentor, leader, innovator, singer and multi instrumentalist, writer, collaborator, student; and yes, Icon.
Twin Flames: The husband and wife duo of Chelsey June, Métis (Algonquin Cree) from Ottawa, and Jaaji, Inuk and Mohawk from Nunavik, are long celebrated for their sonic soundscapes spanning Canada and the Arctic, and honouring their ancestors through song in English, Inuttitut and French.
Al Strachan is a member of the media section of the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Al is a best selling author of 6 books as well as a former sports writer with The Toronto Sun, Globe and Mail and Montreal Gazette. His latest book is Hockey's Hot Stove - The Untold Stories of the Original Insiders.
Bob McKenzie is the original TSN Hockey Insider. Bob has covered hockey for 40 years. He was the editor in chief of The Hockey News as well as a hockey columnist for the Toronto Star. His latest book (co-authored by Jim Lang) is called Everyday Hockey Heroes, Volume II.
Originally from the Cree community of Mistissini, Quebec, and now based in Montreal, Angel Baribeau first started through the formation of her early indie folk outfit, Simple Human Tribe. For Those I Love(d) is her first EP which earned a Top 3 spot on Apple Music Pop Canada’s charts soon after its Summer 2020 release.
James Duthie is an award-winning sports broadcaster with Canada's TSN. He is also the author of many books including Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories. James was/is also an aspiring musician and songwriter. Near the end of our conversation you will discover a quirk about James that he shares (kinda) with recent guest Harnarayan Singh. This is Episode #248 of the Welcome! podcast.
James Duthie is an award-winning sports broadcaster with Canada's TSN. He is also the author of many books including Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories. James was/is also an aspiring musician and songwriter. Near the end of our conversation you will discover a quirk about James that he shares (kinda) with recent guest Harnarayan Singh. This is Episode #248 of the Welcome! podcast.
velours is a bilingual alternative pop singer songwriter currently based in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, Canada.
In between recording sessions, GRAMMY Award winning producer and musician, Chin Injeti, popped by for a quick hello with hosts Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji.
Ken Hall is one half of the award-winning 2-MAN NO-SHOW improv duo and has starred in the TBS show People of Earth as well as the Netflix movie, Polar. Currently, he can be seen in the hit Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy as Herb as well as the body for Pogo. Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy starts filming in early 2021.
Ken Hall is one half of the award-winning 2-MAN NO-SHOW improv duo and has starred in the TBS show People of Earth as well as the Netflix movie, Polar. Currently, he can be seen in the hit Netflix series, The Umbrella Academy as Herb as well as the body for Pogo. Season 3 of The Umbrella Academy starts filming in early 2021.
Darby Wheeler is an award-winning television director, producer, and writer, with over 20 years of experience. Some highlights include: developing Canada’s only late-night talk show for the CBC, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight; and producing for on MuchMusic’s The NewMusic, and Canada’s only urban music TV shows MuchVibe and RapCity. Recently, Darby directed the award-winning, Dead Set on Life, for Vice, and directed and produced the Netflix Original, Hip-Hop Evolution, which won a Canadian Screen Award, a Peabody, and an International Emmy.
- Scenario Media
Like the Queen Street strip that has been its home for seven decades, the Horseshoe Tavern continues to evolve. It remains as relevant today as it did when Jack Starr founded the country music club on the site of a former blacksmith shop. From country and rockabilly to rock ‘n’ roll, punk, alt/country, and back to roots music, the venerable live music venue has evolved with the times and trends — always keeping pace with the music.
Over its long history, the Horseshoe has seen a flood of talent pass through. From Willie Nelson to Loretta Lynn, Stompin’ Tom Connors to The Band, and Bryan Adams to the Tragically Hip, the Horseshoe has attracted premier acts from all eras of music. In The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern, David McPherson captures the turbulent life of the bar, and of Canadian rock.
- Dundurn Press
Keda is the founder of True II Soul Network, a collective of professional members and community members that are devoted to recovery, healing and transformation challenging the status quo around trauma. True II Soul is an inclusive online community and sanctuary for individuals seeking support. As an adult survivor of childhood physical and sexual trauma and a Certified Life and Business Coach, Keda lives the message of powerfully authentic living, healing and success that is of benefit to so many people.Keda’s healing journey coupled with her diverse training and professional history is the driving force behind her mission, which is two-fold - to revolutionise the way we perceive and react to trauma and to create safe and inclusive spaces for this work.
Keda is the founder of True II Soul Network, a collective of professional members and community members that are devoted to recovery, healing and transformation challenging the status quo around trauma. True II Soul is an inclusive online community and sanctuary for individuals seeking support. As an adult survivor of childhood physical and sexual trauma and a Certified Life and Business Coach, Keda lives the message of powerfully authentic living, healing and success that is of benefit to so many people.Keda’s healing journey coupled with her diverse training and professional history is the driving force behind her mission, which is two-fold - to revolutionise the way we perceive and react to trauma and to create safe and inclusive spaces for this work.
A few weeks ago, Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji welcomed the Afro-Cuban Jazz duo OKAN (led by Elizabeth Rodriguez and Magdelys Savigne) to the show!
Combining history, heritage, storytelling and spirituality, they share these elements on their new album – Espiral (Spanish for ‘spiral’).
Born in Havana, Cuba, Elizabeth Rodriguez is a classically trained violinist who served as concertmaster for Havana’s Youth Orchestra.
Magdelys Savigne hails from Santiago de Cuba and graduated with honours in orchestral percussion from Havana’s University of the Arts.
Both are JUNO-nominees for their work with Battle of Santiago and Grammy-nominees for their contributions to Jane Bunnett and Maqueque, of which they are former members.
Eric Hicks is an actor. He sounds like Matthew McConaughey. He's a volunteer at a hospice. Ad he's one of the funniest people I've interviewed this year.
Eric Hicks is most widely known for his role as Constable D. Fox in the multi-award-winning detective series Cardinal (CTV). He has also played opposite Kim Coates, Lisa Berry and Brandon Oakes as Detective Ken Tucker for season two of Bad Blood.
Eric Hicks is an actor. He sounds like Matthew McConaughey. He's a volunteer at a hospice. Ad he's one of the funniest people I've interviewed this year.
Eric Hicks is most widely known for his role as Constable D. Fox in the multi-award-winning detective series Cardinal (CTV). He has also played opposite Kim Coates, Lisa Berry and Brandon Oakes as Detective Ken Tucker for season two of Bad Blood.
Darryl Hurs has a 25+ year history in the music business including launching and running one of Canada’s largest indie music festivals and conference, Indie Week.
Recently, Darryl was hired as the director of market development for CD Baby in Canada.
Past positions include design and branding/marketing for Live Nation as a freelancer, retail buyer at HMV, and booker for one of Toronto’s top live music venues.
The creators of Next Stop are Jabbari Weekes, Tichaona Tapambwa, and Phil Witmer. Next Stop is an comedy series that chronicles the lives of Black Torontonians struggling to stay afloat and sane in the sprawling city.
The creators of Next Stop are Jabbari Weekes, Tichaona Tapambwa, and Phil Witmer. Next Stop is an comedy series that chronicles the lives of Black Torontonians struggling to stay afloat and sane in the sprawling city.
Canadian-born, South Asian Toronto artist, Romana, expands global conversation through sound. This past summer Romana released a stunning self-directed video for her single, Melanin. The song tells the story of a person of colour as they shed Eurocentric ideals of beauty, accepting the richness of who they really are.
Romana is an artist at heart who is currently using her musical talents to both grow as a person and share her journey and discovery of self with others.
Kris and Nigel are two of the nicest and funniest people I've had the pleasure of speaking with on this podcast.
Bit Playas is a comedy series on CBC Gem/Amazon Prime created by Kris Siddiqi and Nigel Downer - two friends/actors that met while working at The Second City Toronto. Season One deals with Race, Nerd Culture, Dating, Marijuana and navigating the Canadian Entertainment scene as actors of color. The show originally came out December 2019 and was just released this past summer on Amazon Prime in the US and the UK.
Kris and Nigel are two of the nicest and funniest people I've had the pleasure of speaking with on this podcast.
Bit Playas is a comedy series on CBC Gem/Amazon Prime created by Kris Siddiqi and Nigel Downer - two friends/actors that met while working at The Second City Toronto. Season One deals with Race, Nerd Culture, Dating, Marijuana and navigating the Canadian Entertainment scene as actors of color. The show originally came out December 2019 and was just released this past summer on Amazon Prime in the US and the UK.
STORRY is a singer-songwriter who writes and produces her own music, and is intrinsically involved in all aspects of her career from designing album covers to directing award-winning music videos.
Her debut concept album, CH III: The Come Up, was released on\this past February 20, 2020 to critical acclaim. Since then, she was nominated for a 2020 JUNO Award in the category of Reggae Recording of the Year for her song, Another Man, which was produced by reggae royalty, Sly and Robbie.
Now, with the world in retrospection, STORRY decided to write and assemble virtual collaborations in order to create a new EP called INTERLUDE-19 in isolation. Another conceptual piece with an array of emotions and genres that take her listeners on a journey, marking a monumental transition between chapters. STORRY’s art is raw and honest to the max.
Aixa Kay is an actor originally from Saudi Arabia who now calls Vancouver home. She is the star of the new Canadian movie, Jasmine Road.
Harnarayan Singh is the author of the brand new book, ONE GAME AT A TIME.
Bonino Bonino Bonino!
Video clips of the Hockey Night in Punjabi broadcast of Nick Bonino's goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins immediately went viral, amplifying the profile of Harnarayan Singh, the voice behind the call.
In this conversation with Harnarayan we talk about his love of hockey and Canada while also challenging both to be better. We talked about his relationship with Ron MacLean and his sister Gurdeep. Of course we talked about his journey from calling games with a toy microphone as a kid to calling Hockey Night in Canada games across the country and everything in between.
We also discover the one thing most people don't know about Harnarayan Singh. You will be surprised!
Toronto-born and bred, Indigenous multidisciplinary artist, producer, engineer and DJ, David Strickland – known for his work on some of the most iconic Grammy and JUNO-award winning records by Toronto artists and North American Hip-Hop progenitors alike – released his long awaited album, Spirit Of Hip-Hop, on June 29 via Entertainment One.
David’s perspective, “The DJ is the Drummer; the MC is the Storyteller, the B-boy is the Dancer and the Graffiti Artist is the Sand Painter” is rooted in Spirit Of Hip-Hop, as he emerges from behind the boards to share an embodiment of the teachings, art, traditions, and music of the community, aligned with his Indigenous heritage. Amongst an extensive collaboration roster, the album includes Indigenous rappers such as Supaman, Snotty Nose Rez Kids, Artson, Que Rock, Drezus, Leonard Sumner, Joey Styles, and more, while North American hip-hop legends EPMD, Saukrates, Def Squad (Redman, Erick Sermon, Keith Murray), Maestro Fresh Wes, and a posthumous verse from King Reign, are brought into the fold.
David is passionate about the plight of the Mi'kmaq people and recognition of his family lineage can be traced back by five generations. He is committed to restoring the dignity and respect stripped by an unconstitutional agreement that remove and denied Indian status from thousands of people.
Sami Jo Small is a three-time Canadian Olympic ice hockey goalie (two golds and one silver) and a five-time World Champion. A graduate of Stanford University in mechanical engineering, she now works as a Certified Speaking Professional, delivering messages on how to build successful teams as well as successful teammates. From Winnipeg, Manitoba, she now lives in Mississauga, Ontario.
Conquer COVID-19 was a grassroots, volunteer-driven organization that helped facilitate access to priority products that were in short supply but essential for the healthcare community during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.This episode features an unedited conversation between Conquer COVID-19 volunteers Gregg Tilston, Laurie Dillon-Schalk, Aqeel Wahab, and Sulemaan Ahmed. Hosted by Karim Kanji.
Conquer COVID-19 was a grassroots, volunteer-driven organization that helped facilitate access to priority products that were in short supply but essential for the healthcare community during the initial stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.This episode features an unedited conversation between Conquer COVID-19 volunteers Gregg Tilston, Laurie Dillon-Schalk, Aqeel Wahab, and Sulemaan Ahmed. Hosted by Karim Kanji.
Ebonnie Rowe has been instrumental in supporting the launch of notable Canadian artists including Nelly Furtado, Jully Black, Melanie Fiona, SATE, Melanie Durrant, Michie Mee and many more. Honey Jam is a program that offers mentoring, education, performance and networking opportunities for female-identifying artists, culminating with a stellar Honey Jam showcase to highlight their growth. Annual programming includes Honey Jam artists and alumni engaging in activities including workshops, artist talks, songwriting camps, performance and development opportunities as well as collaborations and travel experiences for the artists to expand their network and fan base outside of Canada.
Jamaican-Canadian musical artist, Lexxicon is the definition of passion and persistence. It is almost impossible for an audience to not become consumed by the intense energy that radiates through his music and the long-lasting impression of his dynamic live performances. With music that sounds like a crossbreed between PartyNextDoor and Swae Lee merged with a strong artistic vision, to push the boundaries of the industry, Lexxicon is quickly rising through the ranks to become a household name.
In this special podcast episode I attempt to answer the question, "Why I started podcasting?"
Latif Nasser is a producer and director of research with Radio Lab, the host of the amazing podcast, The Other Latif and now the host and executive producer of the hit Netflix documentary series Connected.
COUNT KLASSY is an incredible, new age hip hop artist about to burst onto the scene in a big way - with compelling, original music that grabs the listener and gets them grooving before they even realize they are experiencing history.
Yes, this talented artist, a proud member of Canada's LGBTQ community is breaking barriers, helping to smash homophobia in hip hop with his genre busting album (to include guest vocals from Canadian rap star Choclair and the legendary California rapper Tone Loc), coming soon.
Steve Kaszas is the lead actor in the movie Speak Your Mind which as the winner of Best Feature at the 2019 Toronto Independent Film Festival.
Kim Mitchell is a Canadian rock icon. This year he was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. He was the lead singer with the influential rock band Max Webster and has had an outstanding solo career which has seen him earn numerous awards and accolades. His newest single, Wishes, is the first release on his latest album The Big Fantasize.
Guitarist/bassist Kevin Comeau is one half of the dynamic rock duo, Crown Lands. In this episode we talk about the genesis of their unique yet meaningful name, opening for Jack White, playing in an historic studio north of Toronto, their musical inspirations, the future of music venues and touring, and so much more.
Adrian Sutherland comes from Attawapiskat on the remote coast of the James Bay in Northern Ontario. He’s a singer, songwriter, musician, recording artist, and the founder of roots-rockers Midnight Shine.
Adrian and host Karim Kanji talked about: - Cree culture in Attawapiskat - rendition of Neil Young's Heart Of Gold - impact of COVID19 on both his work as a musician and the town of Attawapiskat - the re-mastered album, James Bay - the protest song, Politician Man - performance in June of Lonely Boy - playing with Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - the issues facing Attawapiskat: clean water, housing, drug crisis and youth suicide
On July 10 2020, Karim Kanji sat down with Jesse Thistle . Thistle is Métis-Cree, an author, assistant professor in the Department of Equity Studies at York University in Toronto. He is also the author of the best-selling memoir, From the Ashes. Thistle is an advocate for the homeless.
Ali Hassan (Laugh Out Loud and Canada Reads) and Dave Merheje's (Ramy and Mr D) new album We Ain't Terrorists drops Friday. It's available for streaming everywhere from Howl and Roar Comedy Records. Listen to this spoiler free (not really) episode.
A few weeks ago Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji sat down with the founder and editor of the popular YouTube channel, Rock N’ Roll True Stories.
What is this YouTube channel about? Consider this your one stop shop for all things Rock N’ Roll! They profile cool stories about Rock N’ Roll starting in the 60’s all the way to present. They feature bands like the Rolling Stones, Beatles, Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Nirvana and more!
Sass Jordan has one of the most powerful voices in all of rock and roll.
The Canadian JUNO and Billboard Best Female Rock Vocalist award winner Sass Jordan recently released her new album, Rebel Moon Blues.
Rebel Moon Blues charts a new course in Jordan’s musical voyage while tracing her love of the blues back to its source. All killer and no filler, the album features the inimitably raspy rock goddess jubilantly celebrating the songs, sounds and styles of everyone from old masters like Willie Dixon, Elmore James and Freddie King to younger, louder guns like Gary Moore and Rory Gallagher.
A pioneer of powerful, gritty female-fronted rock, Sass Jordan has worked alongside fellow greats like Aerosmith, the Rolling Stones, AC/DC, and Van Halen, among many more.
She has toured with A Bowie Celebration, the critically acclaimed, one-of-a-kind roving tribute to the late legend, David Bowie, featuring a distinct alumni of former band mates.
Born in Britain and raised in Montreal, Sass Jordan launched her solo career with the single “Tell Somebody” from her 1988 debut of the same name, garnering national acclaim and a JUNO Award for Most Promising Female Vocalist.
Throughout her career, she’s earned three more nominations for Best Female Vocalist thanks to albums like Racine (1992), Rats (1994), Present (1997), Hot Gossip (2000), Get What You Give (2006), From Dusk Til Dawn (2009) and her side project S.U.N.’s album, Something Unto Nothing (2011) — along with singles like “Make You A Believer,” “You Don’t Have to Remind Me,” “Sun’s Gonna Rise” and 1992’s “Trust in Me,” a duet with Joe Cocker from the record-selling Bodyguard soundtrack.
Nadia George is an award-winning actress, and Indigenous Rights and Youth Advocate.
Nadia George works closely with organizations such as The Child Welfare Political Action Committee of Canada; a not-for-profit which advocates for positive outcomes for youth aging out of care and MotiV8 Canada which works collaboratively with Public Figures and Influencers, to shed light around Mental Health and Well-being in Indigenous Communities, through the use of various Art forms and Workshops.
Nadia George stars in "Along the Water's Edge " which is a short lyrical film that addresses the water crises being faced by countless Indigenous communities across Canada. Set in the near future, the film explores the potential impacts these crises can have on Indigenous people's living in these communities should the issues continue to be ignored.
Farah Nasser is an award-winning Canadian news journalist. Farah came on the podcast the week of June 15, 2020. We discussed her career, how her and her family are coping with social distancing during COVID-19, her inspirations, what her favourite stories she's covered are, racism and Black Lives Matter, and why she is still hopeful in 2020.
Zunaid Khan is a nature photographer, conservationist and a VP with the Toronto Field Naturalists.
Brandon Ash-Mohammed is an award-winning comedian and writer. His album, Capricornication, was released on June 20, 2020 on the Howl and Roar Comedy Record Label.
Eric Smith is the radio play-by-play voice for the 2019 NBA Champions Toronto Raptors. We had this conversation the week of June 8th 2020.
Munira Premji is the author of the book, "Choosing Hope: One Woman, Three Cancers - a Story of Inspiration, Resilience and Courage. Munira is also a podcaster and friend. Please visit her blog at https://i-will-survive.org/.
I spoke with Scarborough Walk of Fame inductee Dwayne Morgan less than two weeks after the brutal murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. We spoke about racism, privilege, the impact of COVID-19 on Canada's Black community and why they've been impacted more than others, and why we have measured hope for the future.
Keith McArthur is the co-lead for the CureGRIN Foundation and has developed the amazing podcast, Unlocking Bryson’s Brain. The series tells the story of Bryson, his rare disease and his family’s search for a cure.
On Tuesday June 2 2020 Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji recorded a special episode in solidarity with #BlackoutTuesday. Thank you for listening.
For over 25 years Eric Alper has been doing what he loves: bringing the stories about the music and the musicians to the world. He also hosts a music show on SiriusXM.
Heidi Lynch is an actor, writer and producer. Her new series, Avocado Toast The Series (2020) is out now on OUT TV GO in Canada and Amazon Prime in the US and UK.
Perrie Voss is a creator, writer, actress and producer, known for The Handmaid's Tale (2017), Workin' Moms (2017) and Ape Sodom (2016). Her new series, Avocado Toast The Series is out now on OUT TV GO in Canada and Amazon Prime in the US and UK.
Stephen Fearing is a Canadian roots/folk singer-songwriter. In addition to his solo career, Fearing co-founded Canadian roots-rock supergroup Blackie and the Rodeo Kings with Colin Linden and Tom Wilson. He is one half of the duo Fearing & White, with Irish artist Andy White.
Chelsey Bonser left her career as a fast rising executive in the media and advertising world to pursue a life as a farmer and stay at home mom. Why did she make this decision and what is day-to-day life like for her now? Listen to this fascinating episode!
Vin Rock is one of the founding members of the Grammy award-winning iconic hip hop group Naughty By Nature.
Tanya Talaga is an award wining Anishinaabe author and former investigative reporter for the Toronto Star. Her 2017 book Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death and Hard Truths in a Northern City, won the 2018 RBC Taylor Prize for non-fiction and the 2017 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing. Her latest book, All Our Relations served as the focus for her recent Massey Lectures across Canada.
Who is Kelsi Mayne? With nearly 1M streams on Spotify alone, a debut album on the way, and the viral response to a recent glimpse of her upcoming music video "As I Go" (1.2M streams in just 24 hours), the former sprint-hurdler (once ranked 3rd in Canada) is now arguably the fastest-rising independent country artist in Canada.
Laurie Dillon-Schalk owns a family maple syrup farm, an agency and is a co-founder and a volunteer with the Conquer COVID-19 team. According to their website, Conquer COVID-19 is comprised of physicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and other volunteers who are working together to ensure front line workers responsible for the health and well-being of Canadians have access to masks, gloves, and other supplies that are essential in treating patients and minimizing the spread of the virus.
Vasilios Filippakis is a writer, actor and creator of the online web series, FAK YAASS.
Born in Vienna and raised in Canada, Micah Barnes cut his teeth in the cabarets and jazz clubs of Toronto while still a teenager before joining A Capella Vocal group The Nylons in 1989. Recording & Touring with the guys brought Micah into the global music scene and a busy concert, TV and Media schedule throughout Europe, Asia and North America, introducing Micah’s rich soulful baritone voice to music fans around the world.
Post Nylons has seen Micah launch a busy solo career touring the U.S.A. with his #1 international club hit “Welcome To My Head” and a return to a jazz-oriented style of his earlier years resulting in a series of critically acclaimed recordings including his most recent chart topping “New York Stories” (eOne Music).
Dr. Ruby Alvi is a family doctor in Mississauga and a volunteer with the Conquer COVID-19 team. According to their website, Conquer COVID-19 is comprised of physicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and other volunteers who are working together to ensure front line workers responsible for the health and well-being of Canadians have access to masks, gloves, and other supplies that are essential in treating patients and minimizing the spread of the virus.
Sulemaan Ahmed is a volunteer and co-founder of the grassroots incubator, Conquer COVID-19. According to their website, Conquer COVID-19 is comprised of physicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and other volunteers who are working together to ensure front line workers responsible for the health and well-being of Canadians have access to masks, gloves, and other supplies that are essential in treating patients and minimizing the spread of the virus.
Francis Luta is a Canadian documentary and fiction filmmaker. His most recent films include the upcoming documentary feature "Alone Across The Arctic" about Canadian explorer Adam Shoalts' expedition across the Arctic. "Vivid" (2017) a short horror film produced by Canon Canada.
Perdita Felicien is a 10x Canadian Champion, a 2x World Champion and a 2x Olympian. Please visit http://mykingandbay.com to learn more about #SOYBFaceMaskChallenge. Let's fight COVID19 together!
Tina Jung is an award-winning Korean-Canadian actor, writer, and producer. she stars in the upcoming feature film QUEEN OF THE MORNING CALM which follows her character, a 29-year-old immigrant sex worker and her self-aware 10-year-old daughter Mona, as they embark on a journey of emancipation.
Dr. Greg Wells has a PhD in Physiology, has served as an Associate Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Toronto, and is currently a senior scientist at the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. Dr. Wells is also the CEO and founder of Wells Performance, a global consulting firm committed to achieving the moonshot of helping teams, schools, and businesses become places where people get healthy, perform optimally, and reach their potential.
Helena Marie is an award-winning actor born in Montreal, Quebec and is currently based in Toronto, Canada.
The following episode is from the Welcome To The Music Podcast! Chris Birkett is an award winning producer, arranger, and composer and a talented singer, guitar player and percussionist. His music collaborations with A-list artists like Sinead O’Connor, Alison Moyet, Talking Heads, The Pogues, Bob Geldof, Quincy Jones, Thomas Dolby, Buffy Sainte-Marie, and Steve Earle have sold over 100 million records and earned a Grammy, four Junos, the Polaris Music Prize and three international AMPEX Golden Reel Awards for excellence in the music business.
Jennifer Evans is one of the nicest people in Toronto. She is also a very successful Toronto-based entrepreneur. During our conversation we chatted about her current volunteer work as well as her work with SqueezeCMM.
Ali Hassan is a comedian who has delighted audiences around the world with quick wit and charm. And if you're a fan of Canadian public radio you can also hear Ali on popular CBC Radio shows such as Laugh Out Loud, q, Canada Reads, As It Happens, Here and Now and many others.
Ali Ghafour is former Team Canada Taekwondo member who represented Canada at multiple international competitions worldwide. He is also a former Board member of Taekwondo Canada. Today, Ali Ghafour is the founder and CEO of 20/20 Armor.
The vision of 20/20 Armor is: - To be the standard scoring & training equipment for all martial arts. - Be the foundation technology for and create a spectator friendly professional martial art league
20/20 Armor is backed by sports investors including LeAD (www.leadsports.com) a program founded by the grand children of Adi Dassler, the founder of Adidas.
The following episode is from the Welcome to The Music Podcast. Alex Krotz is a freelance music producer, audio engineer and mixer. He has worked with artists such as Barenaked Ladies, Arkells, Billy Talent and The Tragically Hip. Alex now spends his time in Vancouver and Toronto.
Stand-up comedian Moe Ismail has been touring across Canada and the U.S. for the past decade. His comedic style has often been described as energetic, diverse, and most of all, honest. Moe has been featured on the JFL42 Festival, NXNE Festival, and SiriusXM. His material draws from his experiences as an Egyptian immigrant growing up in Canada, various life struggles, and finding humor in the hardest of times.
My next guest is the author of Toe Blake: Winning Is Everything. This is the first biography of the Montreal Canadiens legend. Paul Logothetis is a former Associated Press sports writer who contributes to The Guardian and Deutsche Press-Agentur. He spent over a decade reporting from the Olympics, F1, World cup and Champions League finals while working as a correspondent in London and Madrid. He now lives in his hometown of Montreal.
Greg Nisbet is the founder of MEDIAZOIC, Canada's artist-friendly music & technology company. Their flagship solution, RadioMogul, is a unique custom radio solution that allows businesses to connect with their customers within a fully-customized music and audio broadcasting space.Greg is also the founder and partner in The Hogtown Hang, a recurring one-day hangout for extraordinary musicians, in one of Toronto's coolest studios.Pre-Show: John Epping is a world class curler and friend of the podcast. Check out his signature brew, Epping Ale at Radical Road Brewing Co. -> www.radicalroadbrew.com/eppic-ale
The following episode was recorded as part of the new podcast, Welcome To The Music. Born and raised in Toronto, country artist Owen Barney has been playing guitar since he was just seven years old, influenced by country heavy-hitters Eric Church, Dean Brody, and Jason Aldean. He has played shows around Toronto from the age of 14, and has spent the last few years honing his skills as a performer.
Patrick Bizindavyi is an author, speaker, coach and the President and Co-Founder of Unleashed Possibilities Inc., a company that helps individuals reach their peak potential by pursuing and achieving their dreams and goals. Patrick was a successful radio host and a top ranked basketball coach in Burundi. He was also the host and project manager at Radio 105.4 CHOQ FM in Toronto.
My next guest is an actress, writer, director and mental health advocate. In 2020, she was nominated for a Forbes 30 under 30 award in the field of education. Please welcome to the show, Shreya Patel.
My next guest is no stranger to my listeners. He is a writer, podcaster and long time contributor to sports radio talk shows across Canada. Please welcome back to the show, Ari Shapiro.
The following episode in part of the Welcome To The Music podcast. Greg Nisbet is a social entrepreneur and music missionary. Since wandering off the path of a young pre-law student at the University of Toronto, Greg earned a living in over 40 different capacities, in jobs worldwide as varied as busker, safari guide, bartender, mergers and acquisitions broker, teacher, private school owner, and actor, before finding his true love - custom radio - about 10 years ago.
Ahmed Bulaleh is part owner of Sport Stacking Canada and a coach with Northern Kings Basketball in Ontario. Part of his responsibilities with Northern Kings includes overseeing all its Junior NBA programs.
This episode is from the Welcome To The Music podcast. Orphan George is a Canadian singer-songwriter and member of the indie rock band “Before the Flood”. He’s played alt-rock, Americana, folk and jazz through his career.
Agon is his first solo indie-folk release, and songs are already taking shape for his second album which he plans to record & release in 2020. He describes many of his songs as social commentaries, and his songs weave seamlessly between larger issues of humanity and personal moments and perspectives.
Thanks to Radical Road Brewery in Toronto for sponsoring this episode.
Ron Tite just might be one of the nicest guys in the advertising and marketing industry. He is thefounder of Church and State, host of the podcast, The Coup, an author, speaker, comedian, host and most importantly a husband and father. Please Welcome back to the show, Ron Tite.
This episode is from the Welcome To The Music podcast. Welcome To The Music hosts, Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston, sit down with musician, singer-songwriter, King Of The Dot videographer and Scarborough legend Joe Cash.
Every once in a while Gregg and I sit down for a chat about Toronto - The city we love...well, the city we believe can be better. Our guest this week loves Toronto. Alot. so much so that he and his son took the TTC to all 100 public libraries in this city. And they lived to talk about it. He's a former Toronto City Council candidate. And I'm sure not for the last time. Please Welcome! to the show, Lanrick Bennett Jr.
Our next guest spent nearly 20 years hosting the midday show at 102.1 The Edge. she's been performing on stage, in one form or another, since she was a 9 year old in the Toronto suburb of Pickering. Today, she hosts the popular morning show on Indie88.
She is a runner, an avid supporter of a number of causes and charities, and is a huge inspiration to many women in TV and radio across the city and country.
Please Welcome to the show, our 200th guest, and mom of two adorable boys, Josie Dye.
Morgan P. Campbell is an award-winning journalist who writes for the Toronto Star. His column, Sports Prism is the Star's weekly look at the intersection of sports and race issues, rights and social concerns.
In this episode we discuss:
- Black basketball players being called out for not playing for Team Canada
- Black NHL hockey players and racism
- Colin Kaepernick's ongoing feud with the NFL
- Why we should all be excited about the Toronto Wolfpack rugby team
- Morgan's infatuation with The 90 Day Fiance
Shobeir Shobeiri recently visited Toronto from San Francisco. He is the Senior Director Business Development for Mintegral. Based out of China, Mintegral is the leading mobile advertising platform in Asia.
In the mid 1990s our next guest was criss-crossing all over the Greater Toronto Area helping to promote hip hop and R&B concerts. After collecting thousands of posters, flyers, t shirts, stickers and buttons he decided to share his treasures with the world. So in 2015 he began scanning and uploading these to the Instagram account, TheFlyerVault Today, TheFlyerVault has over 11,500 followers. Earlier this year, Dundurn published the book, The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History written by Rob Bowman and our next guest, Daniel Tate.
My next guest needs no introduction. He has appeared in almost 40 projects in just 10 years in the entertainment business. Just this past year alone he has appeared in Little Dog, Shadowhunters, Crossword Mysteries, and Frankie Drake Mysteries. Please Welcome! to the show, actor, producer, writer, and director, Romaine Waite!
According to his LinkedIn profile, my next guest has spent the last 4-5 years herding elementary school aged children through their first steps in house-league soccer, ball hockey and ice hockey. In 2015, he was named Sportswriter of the year by Sports Media Canada.In 2016, he joined The Athletic to help build, lead and grow it's Toronto operations.This past spring, Penguin Random House published his book, "Before The Lights Go Out: A Season Inside A Game Worth Saving". Please Welcome! to the show, the senior national writer for Canada for The Athletic, Sean Fitz-Gerald.
His videos have been seen over 500,000,000 times! If you've ever watched one of his videos on YouTube, Twitter, Tik Tok, Facebook or Instagram then you most likely have laughed out loud. And for that, you owe my next guest some cash; as they say, laughter is the best medicine. Please Welcome to the show, the Internet's favourite dad, Stewart Reynolds aka BRITTLESTAR!
My next guest sold millions of albums in the late 80s and early 90s as part of the blues, funk, rock outfit Spin Doctors. He continues to tour and play as a solo act as well as with the Spin Doctors. His latest project, "Who Shot John?" will be familiar to fans who have grown accustomed to his raw and infectious energy. Please Welcome to the show singer, songwriter, and an awesome guitar player Eric Shenkman.
Jeff Teravainen is an actor and former lead singer of the award-winning 90s band, The Life.
Please Welcome to the studio, two of Canada's most coveted Burlesque Stars: Pastel Supernova and Rosie Mae
Aiza is an actor and an award-winning singer-songwriter from Montreal. She currently calls Toronto her home.
Nicole Simone (aka Late July) has been writing songs and performing for well over a decade. She is also the founder of the charity, Redemption Paws that has rescued hundreds and hundreds of dogs from the ravages of climate change and hurricanes.
After our summer vacation Gregg Tilston and I got back in studio for a chat with Girth Radio founder Sammy Younan.
Earlier this year, Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji sat down with comedian Dave Merheje, former Canadian Idol judge Farley Flex and Grammy award winning producer Mark Howard to discuss what their favourite song is.
SATE sat down with Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji to discuss her favourite song. We should have known that nobody puts limits on SATE. Listen to find out her favourite tunes.
Actress Samantha Wan, singer Patricia O'Callaghan, singer LU KALA and movie producer Rama Rau sit down with hosts Karim and Gregg to tell us what their favourite song is.
Ajay Massey of UN Jefferson, Chris Overholt from OverActive Media, and Toronto city councillor Michael Thompson sit down with hosts Karim and Gregg to tell us what their favourite song is.
Mark Howard has been recording music for more than two decades with the likes of Bob Dylan, Neil Young, U2, REM, The Tragically Hip, Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Tom Waits.
Sara Martins is in-between festivals showcasing her latest project, THE VAULT. Just in its first season, it is already a multi-award winning web series.
Sean Sirianni is the Creative Imbalance podcast host, videographer, and hack comedian who loves to eat chicken wings.
Tom Wilson was raised in Hamilton, ON. He is an award-winning musician, singer, songwriter, an author, painter and visual artist.
Patricia O'Callaghan is an award-winning classical singer who grew up in Northern Ontario wanting to be a rockstar or a nun.
Samantha Wan is an award winning actor, writer, director, producer and kick ass martial artist.
Mr. Toilet made its world premiere on April 27 2019 at North America's largest documentary festival, Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival. Nearly 60% of people worldwide do not have access to safe sanitation facilities. Globally, almost a billion people continue to defecate in public which risks the spread of disease. Everyday, 1,000 children die from water and sanitation-related diarrheal diseases. These deaths are preventable. Please welcome to the show Director, Lily Zepeda and activist, Jack Sim.
The World Or Nothing made it's world premiere on April 27th at Toronto's Hot Docs Festival.
Rama Rau is the producer and director of The Daughter Tree which premiered at Toronto's Hot Docs Festival.
MusicForLunch.com said her music leaves you exhausted but leaves a fire burning in your soil that wasn't there before. NOW magazine calls her a tornado of a stage presence. When I saw her earlier this year headlining the Horseshoe Tavern she blew the roof off the historic venue. I am thrilled to welcome to the show, SATE.
Justice Hafeez Amarshi is currently a Judge at the Ontario Court of Justice primarily residing over criminal law cases.
Chris Overholt is the CEO and President of the eSports ownership group, OverWatch Media.
My next guest has worked with Maestro Fresh Wes, help create FLOW 93.5 in Toronto and was a judge on the popular Canadian TV show, Canadian Idol.
Ari Shapiro and Karim Kanji discuss the most recent baseball off season as well as preview your 2019 Toronto Blue Jays.
Award-winning actor Tennille Read currently stars as Bianca in the hit CBC Original, Workin' Moms.
JUNO award-winning comedian Dave Merheje joined host Karim Kanji for a chat about his career and comedy in Canada.
Naomi Snieckus is an award-winning actress and comedian, one of the stars of Mr. D and host of the Firecracker Department podcast.
City of Toronto Councillor Michael Thompson, like yours truly, is a graduate of Scarborough's Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute, a long time resident of Scarborough and has assisted in the creation of the Wexford Heights Business Improvement Area and the popular Taste of Lawrence Avenue East Festival.
In this session, Karim Kanji, Gregg Tilston, Dan Speerin and Ari Shapiro will discuss what impact technology and media will have on the upcoming Canadian federal election.
Matt Elliott is a city columnist for CBC in Toronto is also the publisher of the City Hall Watcher newsletter.
Carrianne Leung is currently the Writer-In-Residence at the University of Toronto's Scarborough Campus and author of That Time I Loved You.
Aparita Bhandari currently uncovers untold stories from the Toronto inner suburb of Scarborough for The Discourse.
Music Hall of Fame musician Ajay Massey is the lead singer and songwriter for the Toronto-based band U.N. Jefferson.
LU KALA’s debut single DCMO (Don’t Count Me Out) was released in September and has gained over 100K streams. The single was added to several official playlists including Spotify’s It’s a Bop, Indie Pop Chillout and New Music Friday Canada. It is also featured on Apple Music’s Breaking Pop playlist, Pure Pop and Pop Deluxe Radio.
Mohamad Fakih is a Lebanese-Canadian businessman and philanthropist. He started Paramount Fine Foods after arriving in Canada as an immigrant. In May 2018, Fakih was awarded an honourary doctorate from Ryerson University.
Aleem Kanji is a strategic leader in government relations, public policy and communications disciplines. Aleem joined Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston in studio to chat about local, provincial and national politics in 2018 and what we can expect in 2019.
Tom Stephen spent the better part of two decades playing drums in and co-managing one of Canada’s top musical trios, The Jeff Healey Band.
Shasha Nakhai is a filmmaker based out of Toronto with Compy Films and Storyline Entertainment. Her award-winning films have screened at festivals and aired on TV worldwide, been released on iTunes, gone viral and been awarded Vimeo Staff Pick and Short of the Week.
Michael Antonakos is currently starring as lead character Alexios in UBISOFT’s highly-anticipated and widely popular blockbuster game ASSASSIN’S CREED ODYSSEY.
Mary Ormsby has been a fixture in Toronto’s media landscape for many years. I first heard her on Prime Time Sports with Bob McCown and then began reading her in the Toronto Star.
Christine Estima has been professionally writing since she was 18. Since then, Christine has continued to write articles, essays, novels and even plays.
Dan Speerin and Vince Kesavamoorthy joined Karim Kanji and Gregg Tilston in Girth Radio studios on October 23, 2018. The day after Toronto’s election that saw the voters return John Tory as the mayor of the largest city in Canada.
If you didn't join Gregg Tilston, Karim Kanji and guests on election day you can now re-live the expereince in all it's audio glory. This is the official independent Toronto 2018 Election Livestream.
Sarah Midanik is the President and CEO of the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund. She is also a member of the Métis Nation of Alberta and current resident of Toronto.
Dai Williams is the Interim Co-chair and Communications Lead for Women Win Toronto. Women Win Toronto is a Toronto-based organization dedicated to train and prepare women from diverse backgrounds (including trans and gender non-conforming individuals) to run winning campaigns for the 2018 Toronto municipal election. Visit them at http://womenwinto.ca/
We decided to pull back the covers on this in-depth and revealing discussion with one of Canada’s top entertainment and lifestyle public relations professionals.
Richard Peddie joins Karim Kanji and co-host Gregg Tilston in studio for a record fourth visit. In this episode we discuss the upcoming Toronto election and the impact Doug Ford continues to have on the city of Toronto.
Stuart Coxe heads up Canada’s largest independent podcast network, Entertainment One’s Podcast Network.
Noordin Kassam in one of 8 children who came of age during the Idi Amin crisis in Uganda. He is also the father of two children who survived two separate terrorist attacks. This episode was recorded in front of a live studio audience in Canmore comprised of family members from across the world who had gathered to celebrate Noordin's 80th birthday.
Sam Reid is a founding member, songwriter and keyboardist with the award-winning Canadian band, Glass Tiger.
Also known as Episode #130, this third episode of Toronto The Podcast Episode #3 features Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Climenhaga. Joining Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji, this roundtable discusses the 2018 Ontario Election and its impact on Toronto
Bif Naked joined Karim Kanji inside the studio to chat about her music, her life, why she’s always so positive, if it’s true that she moved to Toronto to be close to Drake, and so much more!
Dan Speerin joined me in studio to talk everything you wanted to know about the 2018 Ontario election. Listen to this episode before you vote on June 7th.
Jeremiah Brown was part of Team Canada’s Men’s 8 rowing team that captured the silver medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games. He is also the author of the new book, The 4 Year Olympian.
Perdita Felicien was a college, Canadian and world hurdles champion on Canada's track and field team. She is now a freelance sports broadcaster and soon to be published author.
Simon Law is a teacher, producer, musician and member of the Grammy-award winning band, Soul II Soul.
Megan Hutchings is a Canadian actress currently starring in the hit BET show, In Contempt as well as the CBC digital series, Crawford.
Michael Barclay is the author of the current non-fiction bestseller, The Never-Ending Present - The Story of Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip.
Andrew Turner has worked with iconic musical acts such as The Band, Glass Tiger and The Nylons.
Gregg Tilston and Karim Kanji both love Toronto. And maybe they have to because they live here. This is the first in an ongoing series about life in Toronto. What we love about the city. And what we hate.
In his annual visit to Girth Radio studios, Ari Shapiro, of Jays Journal fame, gives his unedited thoughts and opinions on the 2018 version of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Abigail Winter is an actor, writer, and film-maker. And she also used to work at the coffee shop down the street from our studio.
Currently on a cross-Canada tour with Matthew Good, Karim sat down with members of Our Lady Peace.
Terry Fallis is an award-winning Canadian author of six best sellers and co-founder of PR company, Thornley Fallis.
Joe Tilley was one of Canada’s top amateur boxers before beginning a long and successful career in sports broadcasting.
Casey Palmer is a Toronto-based Daddy Blogger. Palmer dropped by the Girth Radio studios to chat about Black History Month, Black Lives Matter, the Black Panther movie, Black culture, and so much more.
Jay Soule, aka CHIPPEWAR, returned to Girth Radio studios for another chat about Indigenous life and culture in Canada. Visit Jay’s new website at www.ReclaimIndigenousArts.com
Morgan P. Campbell drops by the Girth Radio studio again to chat about the new XFL, Black History Month and everything in between.
Georgia Sapounas is the Digital Team Lead for Team Canada. Georgia joined me in studio before she left for PyeongChang, South Korea to give me the scoop on this year's Winter Olympic digital program.
Marc Weisblott of Toronto’s 12:36 newsletter stops by Pacific Junction Hotel’s Girth Radio again. We talk Facebook, Jordan Peterson, Rick Mehta, King Street shenanigans and…RELIGION!
Edward Keenan is a columnist for the Toronto Star and writes about Toronto and city politics.
From Uganda to Ottawa. Arif Virani is a Canadian Member of Parliament for the riding of Parkdale-High Park.
Afraaz Mulji is a talented multi-instrumentalist specializing in percussion and keyboards. At just 18 years of age he's already well on his way to achieving his musical dreams.
David Gray has worked with Rick Rubin (yes, that Rick Rubin) and Daniel Lanois (yes, that Daniel Lanois). David has played music all over the United states with musicians such as Bob Egan, Loretta Lynn, Father Damien, and so many others.
International award-winning actor, writer, singer and producer Kelly McCormack is a woman who wears many hats. Kelly is making waves as a fresh female voice and powerhouse in Canadian filmmaking.
The Godfather of Canadian hip hop. Maestro Fresh Wes is a pioneering hip-hop recording artist. His debut album, Symphony in Effect, was the first album by a Black Canadian artist to be certified platinum. Let Your Backbone Slide is still one of the most successful and influential Canadian songs of all time.
Back in Girth Radio studios for a record third time, Richard Peddie talks with host Karim Kanji about ForABetterToronto.ca
Ari Shapiro of Jays Journal and HabsFan vs LeafsFan deconstructs the Toronto Blue Jays 2017 season with Karim Kanji.
Arujan is my first co-worker to have his own IMDB page. He's a media professional, rapper, actor, producer, director and entrepreneur.
Amrita is a former Art Gallery owner, a world traveler and the Head of Marketing for CrowdRiff.
Jackie Perez is Canada’s fastest rising television host and sports personality currently acting as the digital and in-game host for the Toronto Argonauts Football Club.
Marc Weisblott is the curator of Toronto's 1236 newsletter. On this episode, Marc and I discuss identity politics, why some people are tired of brown men falling in love with white women, cultural appropriation, white supremacy and so much more!
Simu Liu is an actor, writer, producer and stuntman. But you know him best as Jung in CBC's hit comedy series, Kim's Convenience.
W. Ryan Dodge spends his days as the Royal Ontario Museum’s Digital Engagement Coordinator focused on digital content creation, campaign and community management, as well as building digital capacity within the institution. Experienced in building content and digital strategies that have value for communities, Ryan is particularly interested in how best to connect the physical and digital and provide visitors onsite and online with the best possible experience.
Stacey May Fowles is a Toronto-based award-winning writer. Her recent book, Baseball Life Advice, is a collection of essays that looks at everything from bat flips to the politics of booing and everything in between. Fowles currently writes about books for The Globe and Mail, baseball for Jays Nation and The Athletic, and is author of the popular weekly Baseball Life Advice e-newsletter.
Stacey May Fowles is a Toronto-based award-winning writer. Her recent book, Baseball Life Advice, is a collection of essays that looks at everything from bat flips to the politics of booing and everything in between. Fowles currently writes about books for The Globe and Mail, baseball for Jays Nation and The Athletic, and is author of the popular weekly Baseball Life Advice e-newsletter.
Mariah Owen is a Toronto-based actor, writer and producer. She is also an accomplished athlete, becoming a world champion with Team Canada Cheerleading as well as doing both Alpine Ski Racing and Synchronized swimming at the provincial level.
Mariah Owen is a Toronto-based actor, writer and producer. She is also an accomplished athlete, becoming a world champion with Team Canada Cheerleading as well as doing both Alpine Ski Racing and Synchronized swimming at the provincial level.
Jim Lang is the morning man at 105.9FM The Region and co-writer of Bleeding Blue with Wendel Clark and Shift Work with Tie Domi.
Mark Evans is a consultant helping fast growing companies grow faster. In this episode we talked about startups, technology, journalism and urban planning.
In conversation with the hosts of the IWCC - Independent Web Creators of Canada - podcast, Creatortown, Dan Speerin and Vince Kesavamoorthy. Also joining us is world champion cheerleader and Toronto-based actor, producer and writer Mariah Owen.
Adnan Virk is an anchor at ESPN, is one of the main hosts of ESPN’s Baseball tonight, and is also host of his own movie podcast, Cinephile.
Jay Soule aka CHIPPEWAR is an Indigenous multimedia artist from the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation located twenty minutes south west of London, Ontario on the north bank of the Thames River.
Erica Ehm was the first woman veejay on Canada’s Much Music. She is also an award-winning songwriter, an author and the founder of Yummy Mummy Club, YMC and Ehm and Co.
Sameer Vasta is a Digital Anthropologist with the Government of Ontario. Jay Menard is a Content Strategist with Digital Echidna. Both are friends. And both currently call London, Ontario home. I recently met up with both of them in London to talk about London and so much more!
Cindy Pom is a reporter with Global News in Toronto who in her spare times loves to scuba dive.
Dawn Cuthbertson is a Managing Editor for the Global News website. In journalism for nearly 12 years, Dawn started out as a newspaper reporter with stints at The Observer in Sarnia, Ont., The Kingston Whig-Standard and Windsor Star before moving online with Microsoft, AOL and Huffington Post.
Zain Velji is the co-creator and host of the highly-rated political podcast, The Strategists which dissects the strategies of political campaigns, parties and governments and is the inspiration of the CBC Television and Radio panel of the same name.
Raina Douris is the award-winning radio host of CBC Radio 2 in the mornings. In today's episode we talk about Raina's career in radio from Ryerson to Q107 to getting fired from Corus and then leading the start-up Indie88 to now being the morning host on CBC Radio2 national morning show.
Bruce Livesey is a Toronto-based award-winning investigative journalist and documentarian. Currently the lead investigative reporter for the National Observer Livesey has appeared in the Globe and Mail, Report on Business Magazine, National Post, Toronto Star, The Gazette, The Walrus, Canadian Business, Canadian Lawyer and The Financial Post.
Former President and CEO of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment and current Toronto Foundation Vice Chair, Richard Peddie returns to the studio. This time Peddie and Karim talk about how to make Toronto a more liveable and caring city.
Salim Naran and Karim Kanji have been friends for over 3 decades. After years of building technology solutions for companies in various industries, Salim Naran is now the co-founder and CTO of Canadian fintech startup, Borrowell.
Sulemaan Ahmed is one of the parents behind the #NoFLyListKids initiative and the Principal of Servo Annex, which provides hands-on coaching to senior executives on how to use all digital platforms, social media and mobile tools.
Mathew Ingram is a senior writer at Fortune magazine, where he writes about media and the social web. Today we chat about the evolution of media especially with Trump as America's president.
Anna Hill is an American living in Canada. She is also a community builder in Toronto and is a co-founder and Project Director with Together Project.
Today my guest is a former Dragon on CBC’s popular Dragon’s Den, head of Prairie Merchant Corporation and part owner of the NHL's Nashville Predators, W. Brett Wilson.
Today I Welcome Deputy Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party and MPP from Malton and possible future leader of the federal NDP party, Jagmeet Singh.
Brian Jackson is the Editor of ITBusiness.ca and the Social Media Director of IT World Canada.
Cameron Gordon is the Head of Communications for Twitter Canada. He also co-hosts the Completely Ignored Podcast.
Today, I welcome Canadian journalist, author, and documentary producer at TVO, and anchor of TVO's flagship current affairs program The Agenda, Steve Paikin.
Hubba founder and CEO Ben Zifkin and I both have a lot in common. We both live in Toronto and have owned laundry businesses. In today's episode Ben and I discuss his entrepreneurial journey. It started at Western University as a Philosophy Major and now sees Ben lead a fast growing company in the ever changing world of e-commerce.
This edition of Welcome! features the Director of Emerging Technologies of Delvinia and the curator of the popular Friday Rock Debate, Randy Matheson.
Earvin Venzant is my brother in law. He's a black American in Canada. And Earvin has some things to get off his chest about the recent election of Donald Trump as America's next President.
Lindsay Dunn is the lead anchor for the new Global News Durham. She's also a huge basketball fan who grew up in the middle of hockeytown. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Today's episode is a special Remembrance Day episode. Major Adam Saunders is with the Royal Regiment of Canada.
Jim Creeggan is 1/4 of the Canadian pop-rock band, Barenaked Ladies. In this episode we talk about: - his friendship with Gord Downie and The Tragically Hip - the influence The Hip has had on him and Barenaked Ladies - How Jim started in music and ended up with BNL - How Jim almost quit BNL - Why Steven Page left the band - Jim's favourite BNL song and album - Jim's new project with his wife called, The Together Project - Listener questions and so much more!
Trained at Toronto’s legendary Second City, Ron was named one of the “Top 10 Creative Canadians” by Marketing Magazine. His work has been recognized by organizations from The London International Advertising Awards to The Advertising and Design Club of Canada. He is founder and CEO of The Tite Group and Executive Producer and Host of the Canadian Comedy Award-winning show Monkey Toast. He has written for a number of other television series, penned a children’s book, and wrote, performed, and produced the play, The Canadian Baby Bonus. His new book, Everyone’s An Artist (Or At Least They Should Be), was recently published. Oh, he's also a big Blue Jays fan just like me! Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Two Left Feet is an acoustic guitar duo featuring Neil Haden and Mark Caruana. During their appearance they played: Thank You - Led Zeppelin I've Just Seen A Face - The Beatles My Life - Billy Joel Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who
Neil Haden is founder of the Uncle Neil and Friends Toy Drive. Mark Caruana is a high school teacher in Toronto. Neil shared stories about meeting Jeff Healey and Rik Emmett and his wildly popular annual Toy Drive. Mark shared stories about repairing guitars for RUSH and his one of a kind phonograph collection. Join Neil and Mark on December 11th at The Birchmount in Toronto.
Today I welcome Canadian broadcaster and author, Nora Young into the Girth Radio studios. Nora was the founding host and producer of CBC’s award winning show, DNTO, is the founding host and co-producer of Spark and has authored a book called, The Virtual Self. She also hosts the indie podcast, The Sniffer: a podcast about trends in technology. In today’s episode we discuss: – Twitter – Why Nora doesn’t blog anymore – Why Nora is thankful Twitter was not around when she started hosting DNTO – Tracking apps – VR/AR – Listener question – What technology has both changed and not changed since it was invented – And socks! Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Desmond Cole is an award-winning journalist and activist. A former staff writer at Torontoist, his work has also appeared in The Walrus, Toronto Life, VICE, NOW Magazine, and Ethnic Aisle. Cole's work focuses primarily on social justice, equity, immigration, systemic racism, and poverty. Cole currently writes for the Toronto Star and can also be heard on Toronto's CFRB 1010. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Today I speak with the award winning journalist, 2012 Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal recipient and Weekend News Anchor for Global News, Angie Seth. In today’s episode we talk about her early work with OMNI Television, working at CBC Radio, running the Boston marathon, her biggest news stories, and why her Twitter handle is @kateygoalie. Enjoy! Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Today we chat with Global News News Director, Mackay Taggart. First up, he claims to not be related to former Our Lady Peace drummer, Jeremy Taggart. We discussed the Obama inauguration in 2008; the rise of Donald Trump, Newsroom, Canadaland, and the sex symbol that is Justin Trudeau. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Today, we talk with the one-time Toronto mayoral candidate, former Liberal MPP and Ontario’s first openly gay MPP and Ontario cabinet minister, George Smitherman. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
As many of you know I live in Scarborough. Last year we had an election that saw the Federal Liberals, led by Justin Trudeau, defeat Stephen Harper’s Conservative Party. During the election, only one person running for office came to my home: Salma Zahid. I wasn’t going to vote for Roxanne James who was with the Conservative Party. I was actually leaning towards the NDP. But when Salma came to my office one of the things she promised me was that if the Liberals won and she was my MP, that I could count on her to help fix Bill C 51. Here’s my conversation with the MP for Scarborough Centre, Salma Zahid. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
To many Toronto sports fans the name Richard Peddie is a familiar one. He was the President and CEO for almost a decade and a half of Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment. Today Richard Peddie is my guest. We chat about his career before he was in the Toronto sports spotlight, various MLSE events and what continues to drive Richard Peddie today. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
In today’s episode I speak former musician and good friend Gregg Tilston. Back on Episode #7 we chatted about Gregg’s career to date. Today, Gregg and I discuss the recently completed Man Machine Poem Tour. Gregg has a unique perspective on Canada’s favourite band, The Tragically Hip. In the mid to late-80s Gregg was in a new wave pop band called International Boundaries (INB). The management company they signed with also had a new band from Kingston on their roster: The Tragically Hip. Music by Afraaz Mulji. Also features music by The Tragically Hip: Last American Exit and Ahead By A Century.
Today I speak with the award-winning writer from the Toronto Star, Morgan Campbell. Morgan is a returning guest of the podcast. He made his first appearance on Episode #18. Today, instead of talking about how Canada fared against the world’s best we talk about how the media covered these games. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
In today’s episode I speak with the founder of The Real Sports Zone website and podcast, Adam Virani. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Today I speak with the woman behind the popular Blue Jays blog, HumandChuck.com, Joanna Cornish. In today’s episode we talk about the 2016 Blue Jays after 100 games; women reporting on baseball and the issue of athletes and domestic abuse. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
In today’s episode I speak with Warrant Officer, Aly Hirji. I’ve known Aly since we were both in Boy Scouts. I’m speaking with Aly today about his experience as a Muslim in the Canadian Military. He also happens to be gay. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Saul Colt is The Smartest Man In The world. Just ask Google. In this exclusive chat we discussed how Saul went from sideburns to a full beard, how the Pope crashed his bar mitzvah, why Pokemon Go will fail, Ghostbusters and, for some reason, my toes. Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Today’s episode I speak with Chris Jancelewicz. Chris is a seasoned online entertainment editor with almost a decade of experience in the publishing world. He has run multiple websites, contributed to AOL.com, Huffington Post and now is the National Entertainment Online Reporter at Global News. Listen to his thoughts on Pokemon Go, the hit Netflix docuseries, Making A Murderer and much much more! Music by Afraaz Mulji.
Today’s guest is award-winning investigative and consumer reporter Sean O’Shea. Sean is regarded as one of the most tenacious reporters in television today.. He has exposed organized crime figures, scam artists and unscrupulous contractors – at frequent risk (he was once assaulted on air by biker gang members who had attacked him with a fire extinguisher.) I hope you enjoy my conversation with Global TV’s Sean O’Shea.
Today’s guest is a graduate of Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts Program. He started his broadcasting career in Winnipeg, Manitoba before moving to Sacramento, California. Today he has a role on TV’s Saving Hope.
Jackie Redmond is a former host at The Score and is currently with Sportsnet. She is the host of the WWE show, Aftermath and a Sportsnet anchor.
Jon Sinden is the former Director of Marketing + Promotions for CFNY 102.1 The Edge, the former Director of Integrated Marketing for the Toronto’s Leafs, Raptors and TFC and is now VP Marketing for Toronto’s Festival of Beer.
JD Bunkis is the Producer for The Andrew Walker Show on The Fan 590 in Toronto. He is also the host of Free Association, a podcast all about basketball.
Former Scarborough resident Liem Vu joins Karim Kanji to discuss: -Growing up in Scarborough to Vietnamese immigrants -The pressure that children of immigrants face in obtaining a professional designation -How Liem found his passion for storytelling -Liem’s newspaper career -Liem’s broadcast career starting with MTV Canada and now with Global TV’s The Morning Show.
Georgia Sapounas is a former Canadian and World Champion figure skater and current Senior Manager of Digital Marketing for Team Canada (Canadian Olympic Committee).
Arturo Marcano is a Toronto-based author who writes about the problems in Latin American countries caused by the globalization of baseball, specifically Major League Baseball (MLB).
Sonya Gill is a serial entrepreneur, former ad agency owner and executive, author, social media and PR professional, fitness model and Tim Hortons employee.
There is one person responsible for helping to grow the sport of MMA (and the UFC) more than any other person in Canada: Showdown Joe Ferraro. Showdown would host UFC Central on Sportsnet and The FAN radio network. Today, his contribution to MMA is relegated to monthly duties hosting Titan FC shows in Florida. In this episode, we discuss how Showdown got involved with in the fight business, his time covering the sport and what led to him leaving the airwaves in Canada. Showdown also reveals his thoughts on the GOAT MMA/UFC fighters; will GSP ever fight professionally again; the Conor McGregor issue and much much more!
Darrell MacMullin is the CEO of one of Canada’s fastest growing public companies, BitGold. In this hour long conversation we talk about Darrell’s journey from Chapter’s in the early days of e-commerce in Canada to his roles with eBay Canada, PayPal Canada and now BitGold.
On Saturday February 20, 2016 Khadija Cajee joined Welcome’s Karim Kanji at PodCamp Toronto for a special one our interview in front of a live audience. Khadija Cajee’s six year old son, Syed Adam Ahmed, has been on Canada’s DHP (Deemed High Profile) for as long as she and her husband, Sulemaan Ahmed, can remember.
Segun Akinsanya is a motivational speaker and community activist. Formerly the Executive Director of Bright Future Alliance, Segun is now the founder and CEO of Currant. Currant is a co-operative looking to build sustainable businesses and communities. Segun also happens to be a convicted criminal having served time for manslaughter. Listen to this inspiring conversation.
Adam Mintz is the founder, President and CEO of Toronto-based apparel company, Athletes Collective. In this episode we chat about Adam’s foray into entrepreneurship, his background in fashion, why he has always wanted to own his own business, how Athletes Collective began, his failed Kickstarter campaign and how he rose from the ashes to build an advisory board and obtain some seed money.
In the 20th episode of Welcome!, Karim Kanji talks with entrepreneur Romana Kassam about life travelling Europe and Africa, climbing Kilimanjaro, dealing with East Indian parents and their expectations of their daughter, working corporate life and her decision to stop participating in the rat race to start her own business.
In this interesting episode, Karim Kanji and Spider Jones talk about: – Spider’s upbringing in Detroit and Windsor during the heyday of Motown – Spider’s early career in amateur boxing – How the Spider met George Chuvalo – How the Spider ended up sparring with Muhammad Ali and helped him prepare for his first title defense against Chuvalo – Spider’s past and future radio career – Spider’s best-selling book and upcoming movie – Spider’s Believe To Achieve Organization
Morgan P. Campbell is an award-winning sports writer with the Toronto Star. He has written about the Canadian Football League, MMA, Boxing, Baseball and even rugby. In this episode we talk about Campbell’s journey playing football with Northwestern University to writing for Canada’s largest daily newspaper. We discuss racism in sports (specifically baseball), football and the issue of concussions, and even steroids in professional and amateur sports.
Sammy Younan has his own IMBD page, has been nominated for an Oscar (or at least a movie he worked on has), is a published author and has interviewed Dallas Green (City and Colour and Alexisonfire), Gerry Dee, and many others. He is also an entrepreneur and the curator for Girth Radio.
Ian Chalmers is the Creative Director of Pivot Design Group and an avid collector of watches, mobile phones, wearables and a pre-historic hammer.
Steve Hulford has a dream of getting paid for traveling the world. And so far, he’s done a great job of fulfilling this dream. First as a competitive swimmer, then as a filmmaker, and now with Filemobile.
This past week I sat down again with Mark Farmer. For the second time. He was on the show back in Episode #2. In this episode we chat about all things social media. I hope you enjoy this episode.
Dan Demsky is a former intern and producer at Toronto’s CFRB 101 radio station. He is also the co-founder of two successful startups: Biz Media + Hitsu Socks. We both share a love of the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team.
Laura Casselman is a Toronto-based PR professional. She is also involved in local and national politics. Currently, she is the NDP candidate in the federal riding of Scarborough Guildwood. During this conversation we discuss Laura’s entrance in local politics as well as her decision to run for office.
Mike Boon, aka Toronto Mike, joined Karim Kanji in studio for this latest episode of the podcast, Welcome! Mike is a podcaster, blogger and one of Toronto’s most unheralded boosters. We chatted about Mike’s 13+ years of blogging and his 3+ years of podcasting. And we also talked about all things Toronto!
Farid Kassam joins Karim Kanji in studio for this latest episode of the podcast, Welcome! Farid is an active mentor, advisor and angel investor in early stage technology companies. Presently, he spends his time in big data, healthcare and Blue Jays baseball. Many would also call him a rocket scientist.
Kevin Kennedy joins host Karim Kanji in studio on the latest episode of Welcome! Kevin is the creator of Tall Boys Craft Beer House in Toronto and Co-Founder of event marketing company SwingMan Live. He is also the creative brains behind Pitch Talks: A new Speaker Series for Baseball Lovers.
Uncle Neil joins Welcome! host Karim Kanji in Girth Radio studios at Toronto’s Pacific Junction Hotel. Neil and Karim discuss Neil’s eclectic musical background including the time Neil met guitar legend, Jeff Healey.
In early July I sat down with Gregg Tilston just as he was leaving Flight Centre as it’s global head of social media. Gregg is one of my favourite people and, as always, I had a great time chatting with him. Especially about his time as touring musician in Canada.
On today’s episode, Karim Kanji speaks with author and entrepreneur Hessie Jones. You can follow Hessie Jones on Twitter at @hessiejones You can follow me on Twitter at @karimkanji Among other things we talk about: -nude paintings -business school where Hessie majored in Business -One of her first jobs was with the Girls Guides of Canada -Her role in launching the first Air Miles Direct Mail program and Esso Extra loyalty program -How she started playing the cello to bond with daughter -Hessie was employee #20 (ish) with Yahoo! Canada -Launched Yahoo! Answers in Canada -What her former Yahoo boss said when Facebook came into Canada! -What was right (and wrong) with Jugnoo -Her new startup: ArCompany -her co-author Daniel Newman and Hessie write a new marketing book called Evolve! Marketing (as we know it) is Doomed! -The value of mentorship
On this episode #5 of Welcome, Karim Kanji welcomes social media sales professional Andrew Jenkins. During this episode we chat about: The time Andrew worked with Mickey Rooney and also made a phone sex documentary called Telewhore. Andrew worked for a menswear company selling clothes online. e-commerce – 1995 When he discovered e-commerce and helped to create online catalogues for retailers in USA. Went to Rotman to complete his Executive MBA – wanted more tools in his tool kit Worked as head of social at RBC Spends time teaching at OCAD as well as digital strategy at UofT.
A lover of digital and coffee. Asker of good questions. Sleuth of business problems. Identifier of emerging trends, consumer insights, impacts of digital upon consumer behaviours. Laurie Dillon Schalk is my guest in the Welcome! studio.
Mark has worked in digital and social media since graduating school from Canada’s East Coast. He has worked for companies such as Earth Day Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum, Intuit Canada and now York University. We also both teach in the social media marketing certificate program at George Brown college in Toronto.
Back in 2010 I started a podcast called SMS on Perpetual Radio Networks. The show was mostly about social media and featured guests such as Mitch Joel andDave Fleet. Earlier this year I came to an agreement with Girth Radio to launch a new show on their burgeoning radio station. I'm calling the show Welcome! Welcome! is going to be a show featuring many of Toronto's (and anyone who visits Toronto) innovative and creative people. Expect to hear conversations with digital strategists, musicians, entrepreneurs, city builders, artists and many more. As I re-learn my hosting and interviewing skills and learn new production skills I am inviting a number of my friends on the program. My first guest was Karim Awad. Karim is an entrepreneur, designer, teacher, artist and award winning deejay. He's up to some amazing things. Some he was able to reveal on the show. Others you'll have to watch out for.