Hosted by: David Dalle every Thursday from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Focus: General Music

I have been hosting a weekly show on CKCU FM since 1994 and the Thursday afternoon time slot since 1995.  Over this time the foundation of this program has remained the same: this show is based on the ideal of maximum diversity and an all-encompassing love of music. I firmly believe it is the difference between people and cultures which provides the necessary richness to life. I believe that through examining the apparent differences found in music by highlighting the salient aspects of a piece or a tradition, it is possible to discover common threads which bind disparate cultures and traditions together. (For example, discovering the similar effects achieved through different means by an unaccompanied violin sonata by Bach and a Baluchistani Sufi trance piece played on Sorud). Music is not a universal language, but it is universal. It is my hope that through exposure to the world of music, the listener can come to enjoy and understand the multitude of different musical responses to this shared experience of life, which binds us all together.

The show does have a few prominent trends. Foremost is my love for the piano. I have built up a significant collection of piano recordings and you will probably hear something every week.  Featuring particularly an extensive interest in the music of Franz Liszt, as well as programming rarely heard repertoire and obscure composers of piano music from the 18th century to the present day. Persian, Arabic, Indian, and Central-Asian traditions feature prominently, as well as Roma music from throughout Europe, and the astonishing diversity and richness from all over Africa.

Another important feature is to note that excerpts are rarely heard on this show. Pieces are always played uncut, in their entirety, whether this may mean a 45 minute piano concerto, 70 minute Indian raga, or a 2 hour Sufi ceremony. Live releases, whatever the tradition, are often presented as complete concerts.

In-depth interviews with many first class national and international musicians are also a regular feature. interviews have included Pejman Hadadi, Mehmet Sanlikol, Marc-Andre Hamelin, Giora Fiedman, Shujaat Hussein Khan, Vine Bhide, Lilya Zilberstein, Daniel Gordon, Brave Old World, Houshang Kamkar, Kayhan Kalhor, and many others.

There is music featured from every continent and almost every tradition which exists in sound recordings, and I try to squeeze in as much as I can. Browse through almost 2 years of playlists to get an idea of the music heard on my show.  The world is a much larger place than we can imagine, too large to wrap our minds around it, but your ears can cope, I promise.

If you have any comments, suggestions, requests or questions about music or my show, feel free to email me, I always try to help to the best of my knowledge and abilities.