Raina and Dr. Williams
(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- From Montreal's DIY, Indie Rock and Jazz scenes to acclaimed songwriters and producers, World Cafe's Sense of Place: Montreal series explores the Canadian city's rich musical present and celebrated past. Produced by WXPN and distributed by NPR, the nationally syndicated radio show airs on over 300 stations across the U.S. and streams online at NPR Music and XPN.org.
"There is no place like Montreal," says World Cafe Host, Raina Douris. "Canada's second biggest city, located in francophone Quebec, has long been a magnet for creative people from all backgrounds, French-speaking and otherwise. That diversity - and the richness of the art that blossoms from it - is on full display in our new Sense of Place: Montreal series. You'll hear from a Congolese immigrant who founded a DJ collective in the city and has won Canada's most prestigious music prize, from a historian who tells the stories of Black English speaking Montrealers and their role in making Montreal a mecca for jazz – as well as from folks who came up in the famous Mile End community during the heyday of Montreal's indie rock scene. And, of course, you'll get to see Montreal through the eyes of one of its most famous musical exports ever: Leonard Cohen. Bienvenue à Montréal!"
Highlights from the series include:
October 9 – No Joy - Jasamine White-Gluz of No Joy gives a glimpse into how the city's DIY scene flourished in the 2000s and 2010s.
October 10 – Howard Bilerman - The producer and engineer explains how he went from taping live shows as a teenager in Montreal to recording some of the biggest acts to come out of the city, like Arcade Fire and Leonard Cohen.
October 13 – Pierre Kwenders - The Congolese-born producer and DJ shares how he has built a vibrant nightlife community for Montreal's African diaspora.
October 14 – Encore: Chromeo - Electro-funk duo discuss how switching from singing about the single life to singing about monogamy and commitment hasn't dampened their trademark sense of humor.
October 15 – Ruby Roy on Leonard Cohen - A tour guide who grew up in Montreal and specializes in arts and culture tours talks about the legacy of Cohen in the city AND how she eventually met Cohen and reluctantly became a fan.
October 16 – Elisapie - An Inuit musician who has become one of Montreal's brightest advocates for Indigenous culture shares why being in the city is important to her music.
October 17 – Dr. Dorothy Williams on Montreal's Jazz Roots - An overview of how Montreal became a hotbed of jazz during prohibition, what forces eventually undid the scene, and the continuing influence of those days on Montreal's English-speaking Black residents.
Launched in 1991, World Cafe is produced by WXPN/Philadelphia and distributed by NPR to over 300 public radio stations nationwide. Heard by close to 600,000 listeners each week, it's widely recognized as an influential source for music discovery. Hosted by Raina Douris with contributing host Stephen Kallao, the daily two-hour program features artist interviews and in-studio performances spanning indie rock, Americana, soul, world music, and more. Both the daily World Cafe and weekly Conversations from the World Cafe spotlight emerging and established artists from around the globe.
WXPN, the nationally recognized leader in Triple A radio and the premier guide for discovering new and significant artists in rock, blues, roots, and folk, is the non-commercial, member-supported, public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. WXPN produces the Peabody Award-winning Kids Corner which now offers a 24-hour family music streaming service. WXPN produces XPoNential Radio on XPN2 as its secondary radio channel in HD, also available online.
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