DIY Spring is back for a 3rd edition!

DIY Spring Festival presents underground and underrepresented music and art to the Ottawa community.

The mandate of DIY Spring Collective is to promote, support and celebrate the work of emerging Black, Indigenous and racialized women and LGBTQ+ artists in the Ottawa area through an annual music and arts festival. The goal is to create a futurist stage that supports the ideas, narratives and performances of developing artists and audiences in our community. DIY Spring Festival is a celebration of the season of rebirth and renewal and its curation focuses on artists with innovative visions.

This years edition will include: Silla and Rise, Rita Carter, Ziibiwan, Sydanie, Lia Kloud, Eyeda Sophia, King Kimbit, Novusolis and more!

For more info: https://www.diyspring.net/

Photo by: Samantha Belleus

Nico Bompadre is in his final year of communication and media studies with a minor in feminist and gender studies. He immigrated from Argentina to Ottawa eight years ago with his parents and little brother. “My parents and brother have since moved back to Argentina to join my other two siblings as my dads work contract ended. I decided to stay in Canada after high school to go to university and have been in Ottawa ever since!” Nico did some program training at Radio Carleton and  now hosts a show called The Tea Party, along with Brianna Gardner on alternating Wednesday nights from 8 to 9 PM. They discuss Queer, Trans, and Femme issues through discussions on popular culture, news, and politics. “We strive to keep a social justice lens while bringing some humour and personal testimony to these very serious topics.” Nico loves CKCU because it “gives us a space to discuss our own experiences, celebrate difference, and question the problems that we and people like us face on a daily basis.”

“Mass media grants very limited access to marginal and dissident voices, and we believe that the conversations that marginal voices bring about are imperative to bettering communities and transforming society as a whole. The work that CKCU and community radio does is important because it remains close to the lives of its listeners and community members.” He finds that preparing a show about a topic that he and Brianna are passionate about requires not only bringing in own experiences but also doing research outside to connect our experiences with others in our communities and beyond. “The space that we have at CKCU has made us strive to be more accountable to the communities and experiences we aim to represent through our show.” He also believes that “Through CKCU we are able to constantly question our own power and greater powers through dialogue and learning.” Nico is a big music fan and is constantly looking for new artists to follow and interesting genres to discover, but he “also loves politics and political debate. I’m the person at the party stirring the pot by bringing up social issues when everyone is just trying to let loose and have a drink. It’s the Argentinian in me.”

Check out The Tea Party here: https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/535/info.html

I’d like to introduce Carlos Felipe Mendoza, known mostly around here at CKCU as DJ Los.  Carlos was born and raised in Ottawa and is Carleton Alumni, having graduated with B.Eng in Mechanical Engineering the spring of 2017.

Los is co-host of Midnight In A Perfect World (MIAPW) on Saturdays with his buddy Aslam Yehia (DJ Slama) who had initially introduced CKCU to him.  Los followed the Programming and Production training sessions that CKCU run regularly and before long, MIAPW was born.  Broadcasting bi-weekly, MIAPW is a late night entertainment show, featuring underground & local talent, interviews, and live DJ mixes. They have consistently had interesting guests on the program since its inception in November 2016.

Carlos wanted to get more involved with DJing and music production, and Radio Carleton turned out to be a great fit for him.  He feels that Campus Community Radio gives real people from all backgrounds a voice, and provides first hand accounts and experiences of what is going on in the city.  It is also the first point of exposure for emerging talent and local artists.

In addition to becoming good friends with his co-host Aslam, valuable connections have been made with other local artists, performers and organizations that are also heavily involved in the local music and art scene, such as Behaviour Collective, & Swoon Studios.  Los also credits CKCU with helping him achieve a lot of personal success, such as improving his public speaking and networking skills, and of course his music recording and production skills as well.

“Getting involved with CKCU and starting the MIAPW program was the highlight of my last year at Carleton University.  I made more friends that year than previous years at the school.” he says.   He also added that: “CKCU is the only radio station worth listening to, everything else is trash!”  Haha! …although we can’t confirm nor deny that, we definitely appreciate the loyalty and vote of confidence.  However more importantly, we appreciate the energy and enthusiasm Los bring to the airwaves!

Check it: https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/496/info.html

Born and raised in Ottawa, Brianna has been at Carleton for 3 years. She is currently taking a couple years off with plans to return as a student in the near future. She is working towards a degree that consists of an undeclared major with a focus in Communications. At CKCU, she runs a fantastic radio show called The Tea Party with her friend and Carleton student Nico Bompadre. “It’s a show for POC peeps and LGBTQ+, discussing our issues, history, pop culture, and successes in the community.”

Brianna found out about Radio Carleton from a booth in the University Centre playing music. “I thought it would be a cool way to get experience on a field of work I was genuinely interested in. Community radio is so amazing to me. It promotes so much individuality, so many voices are given a platform to be themselves. And share opinions and culture that usually get overlooked by mainstream standards.” while working at CKCU, she’s met some dope people! She also says that “CKCU helped me find my voice and helped me materialize my passion, and the most important aspect of CKCU is the community” Brianna’s other interests include TV, films, social media, and pop culture.

Listen into past episodes of The Tea Party by following the link here: https://cod.ckcufm.com/programs/535/info.html

A Message To Students.

CKCU FM, Carleton University’s Campus Radio Station.
In the coming months you’ll have the choice to support student groups across campus or to opt-out of the levies that keep these organisations alive. Providing countless opportunities and services to Carleton students (as well as the Ottawa/Gatineau area), CKCU is your FM and online radio station here on campus!

Providing opportunities with hands on radio skills, podcasting, summer jobs, communications, journalism, music, live bands and more, CKCU is proud to support Carleton students. Your levy means a lot to CKCU FM. To continue to provide radio content 24/7/365, CKCU is asking you to opt-in during registration and take advantage of your campus station now, and into the future.

Your $14.25 once a year makes a big difference in what we do and the opportunities we can provide. Help us remain a part of the Carleton campus and continue to be a part of the student experience for years to come.

Opt In. CKCU-FM, 93.1 CKCUFM.com

 

Born and raised in Ottawa, DJ N/A is actually a student at Ottawa U.  However, the opportunity to host a program at Radio Carleton is open to anyone who is willing to work hard and has a good idea for a show. Therefore, after following the various training sessions we offer to ensure hosts have the necessary tools and skills to be able to produce and present their content, DJ N/A  now does the program White Rabbit, every Thursday from 12:30-1. “I discuss popular topics by investigating unpopular history. Being a historian, my content is well researched and expertly proven.  If you are curious, you can check it out at ckcufm.com” DJ N/A learned about CKCU from friends. DJ N/A states that the most important part of CKCU is that “ It is a non-commercial platform. It is an opportunity for people to express and interact with various cultures, beliefs and artistic tastes in a safe environment, without commercial pressures.” She is always “ looking to expand my team with Journalism students I met at the Production training. My show requires a lot of research, and it would be much easier if I had some help.” DJ N/A goes on to explain that “Not only does it (being at CKCU) look great on a resume, but I genuinely enjoy the historical aspect. It makes me happy!” Continue reading →

I’d like to introduce you to Madeline and Laura. They are both 4th year Carleton journalism students, Laura with a minor in Art History, Madeline in Film.

They co-host a program on CKCU called “The Emotional Rescue Show” on Mondays from 11-noon. Through themed musical selections, personal experiences, news stories, research and the occasional interview, they explore the psychology of a different emotion each episode.

Madeline: “It started with a little idea I had about a year ago for a show. I asked Laur to join me, and we started our journey, attending training in the summer of 2018. We were just buzzing with excitement! We both have very busy schedules, working on-campus and in J-school full-time, so we finally found a slot that works for us this year. Now our radio star dreams are a reality!”

Madeline credits a friend back in her hometown of Calgary (at CJSW!) for helping her catch the community radio bug. When she decided to test the waters here, she was pleased to find such a supportive and welcoming community here.

Laura: “I know a few friends that volunteered for CKCU and it seemed like such a cool opportunity to write, develop and program your own radio show without having any professional experience and just get to have a fun place to learn and not have too much pressure to be perfect.”

Continue reading →

Interview with Mathieu Waterkeyn, drummer for We Stood Like Kings – March 10th  as heard live on Hexon Bogon, with host Adriana Ciccone on CKCU 93.1 FM

We Stood Like Kings are a 4-piece instrumental band from Brussels. They have been together since 2011 and have released 3 albums via Dunk! Records & Kapitän Platte. They describe themselves as playing post-rock on silent movies. Even though their albums were written as soundtracks to silent films, they stand on their own and are thought provoking and moving. They are playing several shows this year across Europe, with one of those shows having occurred last night in Arlon, Belgium with 3-piece giants, Féroces who will actually be in town on April 17th.

Today I have the pleasure to interview one of the members of We Stood Like Kings, the drummer for the band, Mathieu. He is with me on the phone now. He took time out of his busy schedule to do an interview with me and I’m totally grateful.

Adriana: Hi Mathieu, thank-you for being on the show.

Mathieu: Hello Adriana it’s my pleasure, Thank You for having me. Not too early for you?

Adriana: Yes, It’s pretty early! Is it mid-morning where you are right now?

Mathieu: It’s 10 o’clock in the morning. Continue reading →

Please meet Kwabena Oduro, who was born and raised in Montreal, but came to Gatineau in 2013 to play basketball and hasn’t left since. He is a graduate of the Algonquin College television broadcasting course since last April. He did an internship with Rogers Sportsnet as a Broadcast Associate, where he learned a lot about script writing, story development, and researching. After his internship, he secured a job in promotions with Bell Media which has led to work behind the scenes as a technical producer with CFRA radio and TSN 1200 radio in Ottawa.

As an aspiring sportscaster, it is at CKCU where Kwabena is really getting the chance to shine. He has very recently come on board with the program “On The Sidelines” (Tuesdays 2-2:30 PM) which was started by Carleton student Alyson Duffy last year. Its a 30 minute show where they aim to discuss everything Carleton Ravens and varsity sports, sometimes the Senators & 67s but mostly various topics that don’t generally get voiced in the athletic community. CKCU is helping him unlock his potential, and is a great place for him to get the practice and experience to succeed. Kwabena has also become more adept while recording some exclusive interviews with coaches, trainers and other self starters in the National Capital Region. He loves the story telling aspect of sports, doing interviews and making connections with athletes. He is really hard-working and is clearly eager to learn more and work with others in the industry to gain experience.

Continue reading →

Meral is a 2nd year Journalism student at Carleton, having moved here from Dubai, United Arab Emirates for school. She is also currently a news editor at the Charlatan. She was part of the Friday Special Blend team during the winter semester last year and really enjoyed the opportunity. She cites working with CKCU veteran Chris White, and interviewing Amanda Carver—one of the organizers of the Ottawa Women’s March as some of the highlights of her experience. She and her new co-host Temur are eager to get back to the airwaves this fall with their new program/idea “The Nut Graf”, which will provide the inside story, the behind the scenes of the journalist’s headlines.

Meral credits Radio Carleton as providing some practical learning, hands-on experience and helping advance her studies; because the Journalism program’s introduction to radio only happens in the third year, she got a head-start into the world of radio. She learned some valuable interview skills here while having a lot of fun in the process! Although admittedly from a generation that generally doesn’t absorb that much radio, she soon discovered the value and importance of grassroots media like CKCU, the evolving ways that people listen, and the community it benefits and creates. It has introduced her to so many different people and aspects of of the local community. Continue reading →