Mercedium Stretch

This week on the Mercedium Stretch we speak to Indiana Rotondo, basketball star turned poet, currently crafting his brand Soul Worx. Indy talks to us about his upcoming poetry events, some of the community work he’s involved in, as well as how he first started to write and express himself away from the court. He plays music that inspires his writing and we continue the poetic theme by listening to some hip hop music from around the city. Live at 2pm, Tuesdays, only on CIUT 89.5 FM. 

On the 12th episode of the Mercedium Stretch we speak to the minds behind Class Favourite, a print magazine featuring youth art made right here in Toronto. Mia, Sam, Cami, and Zach talk to us about the launch of their third issue, and we also delve into their creative process and past releases. We play music from mei anima, Hockey Academy, Mad Iris, the neverminds and Superstar Crush showcasing some of the bands they’ve interviewed themselves, as well as some they’ve featured at their past launch events. Catch us Tuesdays at 2pm for more music and interviews, only on the Mercedium Stretch. 

Episode 10 of the Mercedium Stretch features Toronto based jazz vocalist Kalya Ramu. Kalya speaks about how her latest project Trio came to be and teaches us a bit about jazz standards and the Great American Songbook. We play standout tracks from her latest album, along with other tracks from earlier in her discography. Catch us at a new time, Tuesdays at 2, live from CIUT 89.5 FM.

On the 6th episode of the Mercedium Stretch, we take a bit of a rewind to 2023, and air some never before heard footage, back when Seth and Jesse traveled to Mundial Montreal with Tracks From Abroad.
We speak to Huu Bac about his traditional one-stringed, Vietnamese Đàn bầu, hear from Bruno Capinan about fashion influences, and ask Gabriel Evangelista of Andalusyria what exactly is a depanneur.
Jesse MacDougall drops by in person and gives his account of the latest edition of the festival, which took place this past November, 2024. 

On the fourth episode of the Mercedium Stretch, we speak to Kubla. Fresh off the release of his live album ‘Sounds From Deep Down’ Kubla speaks to the process and stresses that went into recording and preforming a whole record in his basement. We also speak about his family’s musical history and play tracks from new and old Kubla projects. Tune in weekly at 3pm on CIUT 89.5 FM and check our Spotify for the playlist of songs featured on the episode.

The third episode of the Mercedium Stretch features writer, producer, and saxophone virtuoso Tony Rosenberg. Tony has been releasing solo music for a few years and also has made music for commercials, film, and most recently a video game. We listen to some of his jazzier tunes, along with instrumental tracks that feature more influence from hip-hop. Head to www.ciut.fm for the full episode and make sure to follow our Spotify account where we post all the songs played in this episode. 
 
Power is the ability to listen. 

On the first ever episode of the Mercedium Stretch, we speak to Toronto based musician Joseph, who has been releasing music under the moniker j ember, since 2018. Joseph speaks about how important visuals are to his music, breaking down some of his music videos, as well as speaking about the opportunity for his songs to be used in movies and TV. After strong releases which showcase his wide range in 2021 and 2023, Joseph released his Ultraviolet EP at the beginning of 2024, and is ramping up for another project titled, Beauty Supply.  We play tracks from across his wide discography as well as some other gems he recommends. You can listen to the Mercedium Stretch live on CIUT 89.5FM at 3pm every Monday.