THE DEPANNEUR: A Catchup on CommUNITY, Cuisine, Culture and a Cookbook!

What an honour to be in The Fold and close out the CommUNITY Catchup series with Len Senater, Owner + Founder of Toronto's The Depanneur, and Photographer, Food Stylist and Chef, Ksenija Hotic, who has been involved with The Dep for 7 years. Len and Ksenija joined me for the final convo of 2020 to discuss bringing people together through food, how small businesses can be a mode of activism, food security and support systems, and how compassion, empathy and dialogue really make for a great recipe.

ANTHONY SIMAS: Accessing CommUNITY - with heART

Anthony Simas is Toronto born and raised and wears many hats – with roots in athletics and work as an electrician, Anthony’s life changed after enduring a spinal cord injury during a getaway at his family cottage, leaving him a quadriplegic. His MO, turning negatives into positives, is fueled by sharing his story with others, where he is able to be a voice for others who live with disabilities, eradicating stigmas that surround their lives to remove the dis and capitalize ABILITY. We discuss disability awareness, wheelchair tips, mindfulness, the communities he has cultivated and those he thrives in through his big contributions.

SUPERDRAMAGO!: A CommUNITY Catchup on Artistry, Change, Compassion and Action

SUPERDRAMAGO! shares perspective, resources and insight after the JUSTICE FOR REGIS RALLY, as well as supportive tools, including his latest track, When You Smile. He waxes poetic on the power of community, his collaborations with local artists and collectives, his experience as an essential frontline worker and how that has impacted him at this time, and how he is carrying a torch powered by resilience, mastery and triumph, passed through family lineage, shaping the incredible person he is today.

SARAH JANE RIEGLER: A CommUNITY Catchup on the healing power of culture and curation

On May 25, my pal Sarah Jane Riegler, joined me for a #CommUNITYCatchup to discuss the power of curation, and what opportunities for healing can occur through artistic connection, events and collaboration, how this work is done via her inclusive series and spaces @afrohausto + @hausorpheus, Sarah’s vast experience as a percussionist and work in ethnomusicology (S/O @johnorpheus), learning about other cultures and identity through collaborative projects, new mixes and what’s in the works. NOTE: The video cut off mid-way - please excuse any technical difficulties.

SYZYGY TORONTO: A CommUNITY Catchup on pause, transitions, and evolution

Syzygy Toronto Co-Founder, Marijke Large (shoutout co-founder Kailah Bharath!) hopped on the line from California to discuss where Syzygy is at today and how they’ve evolved from a thoughtful pause, what diversity, equity and inclusion means in online spaces + workplaces and it’s importance (especially now).

THE ALSHEMIST: A CommUNITY Catchup on practices for cultivating connected creativity

On April 21, I had an awesome #CommUNITYCatchup with Bo Large, aka The Alshemist, into the The Fold to discuss a variety of wellness practices we can incorporate into our daily lives, especially as artists and creatives. Bo shared insight about breathwork, vocal toning, somatic healing and more, as we navigate how to access wellness at home, and methods to get inspired and stay connected with the creative flow of life, within ourselves, and in confined spaces.

ANTIKKA CAFE & RECORDS: Siblings supporting community

It sounds like community at Antikka Cafe & Records in Toronto’s Queen West neighbourhood. Owners Raz and Shaunt Tchakmak are brothers in business who now share their bond with the people around them. Whether local regulars to traveling visitors, all are welcome in their cafe and record shop hybrid that celebrates music and art in a unique, inclusive way. For this episode in The Space mini-series, we discuss the concept around community spaces, the challenges and rewards in running + supporting local businesses, the power of music, family bonding and what Antikka has in the works this year, including a fresh new spot called The Oud and the Fuzz – it’s going to be big.

JOSEPH GALIWANGO (RECORDS WITH MY DAUGHTERS): all in the family

The Fold Podcast heads into a new direction this month as we kick off our mini-series covering music communities with Joseph Galiwango (aka DJ Spin So Nice), Founder/DJ/Dad of Records With My Daughters, who shows us how #ThePlatform can change the way we share art and culture within families to inspire greater connection.

G DAY TORONTO 2019: Unfolding in the ExpressionSpace

On Saturday, October 19, Sonic Fold was blessed by an opportunity to host a podcast recording activation at G Day Toronto 2019. In partnership with Syzygy Toronto, part of our multimedia art-making ExpressionSpace was a Soundbooth, where G Day attendees recorded affirmation notes and words of wisdom for a collaborative audio doc shared with everyone who experienced the event.

Communities, InterviewsOla MazzucaNovember 12, 2019G Day, Toronto, Empowerment, Feminism, Youth, Girls, Womxn, Motherhood, Discussion, Expression, Art, Multimedia

MAKE ROOM | THE SPACE PROJECT : unfolding in the frame

Make Room is a Toronto-based non-profit is holding space for artists, helping them to grow, removing labels and breaking barriers to creativity. In this episode, Ola gets into The Fold with founder, Trevor Twells, to discuss the project’s evolution, his diverse career background, Toronto’s indie art community and how we can foster collaboration with a wider lens.

TANYA MOK: Documenting community with compassion and purpose

Tanya Mok has always been a huge inspiration in not only my career, but my life. The journalist and multifaceted creative from Toronto has always brought innovative vision to the table. Now, she shares this with the communities around her. We get into the Fold of her Toronto upbringing, work ethic and storytelling method, city issues in focus and how we can show up for our community, and one another, with compassion, understanding and a vibrant lens.

CADILLAC LOUNGE: Steering a sonic legacy through Parkdale

Sam Grosso, owner and founder of Cadillac Lounge, in Toronto’s Parkdale neighbourhood, embodies a work ethic and innate ability to connect with others that is rooted in his upbringing. A safe space to enjoy music and friends, the iconic institution takes its final spin down Queen Street West on July 14. We get into The Fold to discuss Cadillac Lounge’s legacy in Toronto and the community that will live on after the engine is turned off.

THE [204] DESIGN COLLECTIVE: building new structures

The [204] Design Collective is an environmental design group that exposes inequality by bringing their own building blocks to the foundation, for the construction process amplifies voices, while engaging with the world. Ola and the [204] get into The Fold for a global chat over Google Hangouts to discuss their alternative approach, project repertoire, educational vacations, and supportive work methods.

ISO RADIO | BARE SELECTION : community at the controls

ISO Radio founders, Jayemkayem and Freeza Chin, unfold to discuss the UK trip that inspired it all, their complementary skills, developing their Bare Selection record label to cross the pond through sonics, and resources that can help bring people and platforms into The Fold.

Interviews, Artists, CommunitiesOla MazzucaJune 7, 2019ISO Radio, Community, Radio, DJs, Collective, Jayemkayem, Freeza Chin, London, UK, Rinse, Toronto, Collaboration, MusicComment

DUAL CITIZEN: for the culture

Ola got into The Fold with Marie Alcober of Dual Citizen, a documentary series exploring the eureka moments of the Filipinx diaspora. We sat down for a meal at Lamesa – a Toronto landmark that has been pushing the diaspora from time – to discuss Marie’s dual citizen upbringing, inspiration for the series, assurance vs. imposter syndrome, asking big questions, and the in-betweens when producing impactful, empowering work for a culture as a whole.

SYZYGY TORONTO: gathering contrasts

Syzygy Toronto is a reflection of its founders. The word, Syzygy, is defined as “a union of opposites.” Attend one of their gatherings and you will witness a celebration of contrasts amongst self-identifying womxn, who seek greater connection, in a space that breaks barriers. For this International Women’s Day episode, the team and I get into The Fold of Syzygy’s special bond, innovative practice and what’s in store for 2019.

Interviews, CommunitiesOla MazzucaMarch 8, 2019Womxn, Toronto, Syzygy Toronto, FeminismComment