PART TWO: THE HUNTER/ARGIROPULOS-HUNTER AND WALKER FAMILIES

As the 50th anniversary of CKCU FM is around the corner, we want to celebrate familial ties at the station, highlighting the bond between families and community. Over the past while, I had the pleasure and privilege of speaking with four families contributing to CKCU. In part one of this article, we featured Boba and Mihajlo from Monday’s Encounter, the Asian Sounds quartet. Now, in part two of the article, we will dive into getting to know the Hunter/Argiropulous-Hunter and Walker families. Each of the families offer a unique approach in their broadcasting to CKCU’s audiences, be it through cultural and communal awareness, or by shining light on artists and creative minds that make up Ottawa’s music melting pot and other less mainstream scenes. 

Dylan Hunter has been a longstanding member of CKCU FM, with just shy of 30 years of experience under his belt running his show —aptly named after its eponymous host —The Dylan Hunter Show. His daughter, Zoë Argiropolus-Hunter, began her journey at CKCU as a co-host with her friend Owen Maxwell, sowing the seeds for what would become her current show First Crush.

Having both parties involved at the station has strengthened an already special relationship between the father and daughter duo. “It’s great to be able to connect with and share something”, said Dylan. Her father’s mammoth collection of music and records, alongside her experience with CKCU’s Radio Camp for kids (as an attendee and later in life a staff), were a big part of how Zoë became interested and involved at the station.

Zoë stressed the importance of being ready and open to hearing new music and uses First Crush to play selections that are overshadowed by mainstream radio. “Songs have a strong power to teach and to inform” she added. In contrast to more mainstream channels, community radio plays a central part in community building, which allows listeners to meet with and discover other musicians in the scene. Zoë uses her show to metaphorically ‘pass the mic’ to those who wish to make their voices heard. Dylan leans into playing a large mix of music that reaches far beyond the mainstream into smaller and more obscure record labels and artists.

While both father and daughter use their respective platforms to share the music they love with other people, the main goal for both hosts is to entertain their audiences. The dedication that Dylan and Zoë put into hosting their distinct programs at CKCU has provided them with a sense of purpose focused on community building and uplifting voices within community radio and lesser-known artists. 

Trevor Walker, like Dylan, has been with CKCU since the 90s, and is currently the host of Friday Drive. Trevor encouraged his father to jump on the airwaves with him and speak about issues concerning social justice circa 2010, all the while his father, Gordon Walker continued to stand behind Trevor’s work at the station and passion for delivering soul, jazz, funk, and afrobeat music.

Three generations of Walkers have contributed to the station, including Trevor’s 19- and 23-year-old daughters who have occasionally co-hosted alongside him. Importantly, Trevor wants the family connections to both Gordon and his shows to be natural and uncoerced, rather than roping them into something that they might not be too keen on pursuing. While his daughters’ interest in radio might not be the strongest now, there is always the possibility that it will blossom later down the road.

Gordon’s collection of music from classical, to folk, to music he discovered on the radio while posted in Ghana with the Canadian International Development Agency, was a large influence on his son’s personal music taste. All the music Trevor was exposed to influences what he plays on Friday Drive.

Trevor and Gordon Walkers’ hard work and dedication to presenting quality radio programming has sown the seeds for the family to voice the 93.1 FM airwaves. And while the three generations of Walkers find themselves interested in different aspects of culture and music at times, the family maintains a grounded and ethical basis within community radio, committed to providing a space that will foster the creative minds of the next generation. 

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote “Music is the universal language of mankind”. This certainly holds true more than 100 years after Longfellow’s passing. Music is a pillar for human connection. At CKCU FM, we take great joy in seeing music and cultures strengthen connection. It is a beautiful thing to be able to share in something that has forever been seen as the unifier of cultures, groups, and families alike.

– Ethan Arthorne (supported by Simon McKeown)

On Friday, November 1, at 8:00 PM, the Westboro Masonic Hall will come alive in celebration of CKCU’s own Anne-Marie Brugger, the 2024 recipient of the Spirit of Tony Turner Award. This annual event, featuring an impressive lineup of local talent, invites you to join the festivities as we honour Anne-Marie’s significant contributions to the Ottawa music scene. Tickets are available for $25 and can be purchased online.

As a radio broadcaster, arts reporter, and dedicated community volunteer, Anne-Marie has tirelessly worked to promote local musicians and connect them with audiences. Her journey began nearly 25 years ago at CHUO, where she focused on promoting Canadian new releases and highlighting local artists. Over the years, she has hosted various programs, including the long-running Canadian Spaces on CKCU FM, where she showcases a diverse array of Canadian talent. Notably, she also produced and hosted Hop The Fence, a music interview show that provided emerging artists with a platform to discuss their work and connect with listeners. This program played a crucial role in helping many musicians gain confidence and experience in media.

Anne-Marie has also organized impactful events like the FemmeVox concert series, which celebrates female singer-songwriters and promotes gender equity in the arts.

The Spirit of Tony Turner Award, affectionately known as the SofTTie, recognizes individuals who work behind the scenes to support musicians and improve the broader community. Anne-Marie’s commitment to this mission makes her a truly deserving honoree.

Join us in honouring Anne-Marie Brugger at this unforgettable evening filled with music, community, and celebration. Visit https://rasputins.org/turner/ for more information. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this remarkable tribute.

-Marissa Guido

PART ONE: MONDAY’S ENCOUNTER AND ASIAN SOUNDS

As we near the golden 50th anniversary of CKCU FM next year, we want to celebrate familial ties at the station, highlighting the bond between families and community. Over the past month, I had the pleasure and privilege of speaking with four families contributing to CKCU. Boba and Mihajlo from Monday’s Encounter, the Asian Sounds quartet, as well as the Hunter and Walker families. Each of the families offer a unique approach in their broadcasting to CKCU’s audiences, be it through cultural and communal awareness, or by shining light on artists and creative minds that make up Ottawa’s music melting pot and other less mainstream scenes. 

With a lot of ground to cover, this article will be presented in two parts, the first focusing on the shows that are centered around distinct cultural communities. Monday’s Encounter and Asian Sounds dive into the Serbian and the Indian subcontinent communities. The second part of the article, that will follow shortly, will cover the music-driven shows of the Hunter and Walker families.  

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Baljit Nagpal started with radio back in the 80s, where he assisted the host of CKCU’s Indian Morning. After receiving feedback from listeners who requested to play more modern Bollywood songs, he transitioned to his own show. Baljit said that during the 60s-70s when many Indian immigrants arrived to Canada, Bollywood films and its soundtracks were still in their minds. This is how Aap Ki Farmaish was born, which Baljit says means “your choice.” The show has been on CKCU’s airwaves for nearly 42 years.

However, the weekly Tuesday show is also known to connect multiple cultures throughout Ottawa through its selection of world music and guests that Baljit and his team of hosts bring in. The show’s main goal is to cater to the audience, as he puts it.

“I try to play what the audience likes, and [that is what] people appreciate,” Baljit said.

Baljit says that the listenership of his program has expanded over the years and continues to try to do more outreach for South Asian communities in Ottawa who don’t know about it. To do this, he invites prominent figures in Ottawa, such as members of parliament, and local, international artists and community leaders to interview on the show. He even had the chance to interview Mayor Mark Sutcliffe during his candidacy run. According to Baljit, the show’s main goal is to provide the best music for listeners to enjoy, as well as information that will be helpful.

The program has also connected with members from Ottawa’s West Indian and Caribbean communities, and is looking to also feature those from Aboriginal communities.

To continue increasing Aap Ki Farmaish’s listenership, Baljit says the key is the variety of music and voices that represent it. Through the power of music, Aap Ki Farmaish aims to blend these different cultural communities together and inform them of what they need to know in the capital city.

“Music brings us pleasure and releases our suffering.
It can calm us down and pump us up.
It helps us manage pain, sleep better and be more productive.” 
– Alex Doman (Author of Healing at the Speed of Sound)

– Audrey Pridham

David Dalle was introduced to CKCU FM by his father who would regularly tune in. They both had a strong fondness for music. David’s interest led him to become a Carleton University Music program student, and since he was on the campus, he decided to volunteer with the station. He soon began hosting music programming for overnight programs, and in 1994 he moved on to producing and hosting his own live program, The David Dalle Show, that airs every Thursday afternoon at 2:00 pm. His love of classical music quickly expanded to experimental, industrial tunes, which then led him down a rabbit hole of discovering and spinning tracks from around the world.

“Music is infinite – it’s endless, there’s so much of it. So that’s why I’ve been doing it for 30 years, but I feel like I’ve barely touched the surface of music,” he said. After being on the air for 30 years, Dalle says that discovering the wide range of music he plays on his program allows him to learn more about the major difficulties and history of the state of the world. “I want to be a great champion of multiculturalism. In music, you can see that people are the same everywhere, basically at heart, and they express so many of the same things in music but it’s using different means, instruments, and music theory.”

The David Dalle Show is one of the longest running ones at CKCU, and he admits that throughout his time as a radio host, he has grown and learnt a lot since he first started as a university student. “I’m glad that my programming from 25 years ago was not preserved because I’d be embarrassed about it now,” he joked.

Aside from sharing his love of multicultural music with his listeners, Dalle also has a passion for sheep herding with his Old English sheepdogs. He talked about how his first dog went on to compete in the Agility Association of Canada’s Nationals in 2016 and won 5th place. “My life is music and dogs right now!”

Dalle is still eager to discover more music and share it on CKCU’s airwaves. His show’s main theme of “unity in diversity” through the music he shares is what connects him with his listeners. “I found that in [the past] 30 years, the world seems to be going into kind of a darker path… I want to counter that as much as possible.”

– Audrey Pridham

Night owls rejoice! Luke Kuchar, known by his moniker Mimsey Demon, celebrates the 10th anniversary of his show Interzone on CKCU FM this August. Bringing the latest in electronic, industrial, drum and bass, the local and underground scene, Luke provides the soundtrack for those braving the temptations of Nyx and Morpheus.

Luke’s background in radio can be found in the mid-90s. With growing interest in the industrial scene, he volunteered at CHUO FM in Ottawa, helping with shows and working on his own called Wednesday Night Hangover. Subsequently, this led him to branch out into other avenues and musical genres like sidetrance, electronic, experimental, and hardcore. Mimsey Demon’s show, Interzone, saw its inception when he was offered an overnight slot at CKCU FM by Dave Aardvark, the Program Director; and ten years later, Luke continues to share his passion for music with the city of Ottawa.

Strong connections and friendships that were forged early on in his time at CKCU have kept him going for the past decade. While an overnight show has sparse in-person contact, some members of the CKCU community like the hosts of Heat Wave and Jump Into Sports, frequently ran into Luke before and after doing his program when it was live in-studio from 2:00 am – 6:00 am pre-pandemic. Nowadays, Luke records his vocal segments before he goes live from his apartment, and oftentimes, he is joined by the angry-feathered co-host who rooms with him – his bird.

“Music has been one of the only positive constants in my life, and I want to share it with others who are also helped by it”, says Luke. Interzone fills the demand for electronic music, heavily emphasizing the local scene and events happening in Ottawa. The host has fine-tuned his program to cover the underrepresented genres such as drum and bass, dubstep, trance music, and more.

Over the years, Luke has felt the love of the community from all walks of life. From late night truckers calling in to thank him for keeping them going through long drives, to other night owls who dance the late hours away, Luke spreads awareness about local artists and provides the soundtrack for those who need an outlet to express themselves. Before the butcher, baker, and candlestick-maker begin their day, find CKCU’s friendly neighborhood Mimsey Demon working his magic on the airwaves.

-Ethan Arthorne

In CKCU FM’s vibrant history, Elorious Cain appears as a beacon of community and musical passion, revolutionizing Ottawa’s radio scene with his love for Disco music. Every Saturday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, for the past 45 years Elorious has infused joy and rhythm into the CKCU community with The Groove, Canada’s longest-running disco show.

Over the years, The Groove has become a beloved show reflecting CKCU’s vibrant energy. His first interaction with CKCU started with a submission of poetry to Sacred and Profane, a show where listeners submitted work to be read live on air. After multiple submissions not being chosen, he grew frustrated, leading him to contact the station to inquire about it. This led to a meeting with then-program director, Jim Hurcomb. In a conversation between the two, Elorious shared his opinion on the station’s on-air programming. Agreeing that CKCU was lacking disco, Hurcomb offered Elorious a timeslot to do a prerecorded disco program. He gladly accepted. On July 7, 1979, Disco Radio took to the airways. In 1981, Elorious transitioned to live broadcasting. He renamed the show The Groove in 1982, establishing the well-loved show we know today.

The Groove is more than a radio show, it’s a celebration and exploration of disco. Developing a strong listenership over the past four and a half decades, it has drawn fans in thanks to Elorious’ deep love and passion for the music he presents. On special occasions, once a decade, “The Real History of Disco” marathon has been hosted for 18 hours straight, exploring and showcasing disco’s rich history up to the present day.

As the host, Elorious’ dream for The Groove is to keep it bumping for many years to come, allowing him to continue to share his passion for disco music and its ever-evolving scene with all who care to join his party. He attributes the show’s longevity to not only his passion for the disco scene but also CKCU’s support, giving him creative freedom to create the content he wants. He cherishes the opportunity to share disco’s vibrancy and create a space where listeners can connect and revel in the joy of the music. The Groove reminds us that music, like community, thrives on love and dedication. It infuses positivity into the community and invites us all to dance along.

– Marissa Guido

Michael Houston, better known as “tic”, has been in the community radio realm with CKCU FM for a whopping 35 years. His show, Wednesday Special Blend, is celebrating a major milestone with its 1000th episode on March 13th, 2024. The morning radio program, hosted by tic, started in April 2002, but his involvement at CKCU FM began much before. In 1983, he stumbled across a documentary produced by a CKCU volunteer and it was love at first listen according to the host.  Two weeks later, tic was a volunteer on his journey to become part of the CKCU FM family. The rest is history, as 22 years later, he is reaching his 1000^th episode! 

When it comes to contributing to CKCU and the community, tic leads by example. He has a big heart and likes to share about what people in the community are doing, their stories, local music, events, and the odd opinion.  He has been instrumental in supporting the annual CKCU FM Funding Drive and contributing to community connection.  As well, he is a technically savvy guy who offers support to others with his skills. He’s been an integral part of the CKCU, working hard to make sure Wednesday Special Blend is engaging, entertaining, and informative for the audience. 

Michael absolutely loves being on the radio, but he is especially interested and attentive to the technical side of creating his content. He takes pride in making sure his shows are quality sounding and run smoothly for the listener’s experience. After being live in the studio for many years, since the pandemic, tic prefers to record his shows in his cozy home studio. It allows him to focus on the technical quality by reducing any potential challenges that could happen during a live broadcast. He believes that good sound and production are important and add to listening enjoyment.  

CKCU FM is far more than just a community radio station to tic. He shared that part of its value is its diversity. The station broadcasts in at least a dozen languages and features special interest programming that you won’t find many other places. It’s a friendly place where people can learn about different cultures, music, and community news. As tic says, “Sometimes you just need to mix things up and try something new!”. That is exactly what CKCU FM offers and is a key reason why he loves being part of it. 

– Joy Keke

Love, whether shared, found, grieved, or lost, surrounds us through the melodies of love songs. Vintage Love beautifully displays this essence with its blend of Reggae and Caribbean-centric tunes, offering a tranquil space of positive vibes. Its calming ambiance invites all to unwind, feel hopeful, and embrace the warmth of love’s lasting spirit.

O’shea Adagio brings us this sanctuary every Saturday night from 10:00 PM to 12:00 AM on CKCU FM, and has for the past 20 years. Always having a fascination with music, his mother was a classically trained pianist so his childhood was defined with music. Moving from St. Catharines to Toronto, to Ottawa for school, O’shea attended Carleton for Law and Sociology. While he was attending, he volunteered for CKCU for a short period. Although it didn’t stick, after graduation, with encouragement from his family and friends, O’shea made a demo and pitched Vintage Love to CKCU FM. It was an immediate hit. The show has been loved ever since reaching highs such as winning the Best Reggae Radio Program for Canada’s “Caribbean Music & Entertainment Awards”.

Over the past 20 years, O’shea has built up a community that eagerly awaits his show and it brings him immense joy to provide this. He says “The world has so many unhappy and crazy things going on that it is important to take a break and think of the people you love and the good things in life that helps you get through the unfavourable times”. He aims that his show provides this space to reflect and relax. O’shea and Vintage Love remind us that love and goodness is all around and sometimes we just need a second to see it.

– Marissa Guido