Welcome with Karim Kanji Karim Kanji

This episode originally aired on the Welcome To The Music Podcast. We spoke about: Listener Questions: Aneez from Whitby – It is said that rock stars want to be athletes, and athletes want to be rock stars… Adam Wainwright sang the National Anthem on Opening Day in St Louis… What’s the most John Gibbons Rock n Roll moment in the clubhouse, or on the road, or at a concert? Joshua from Scarborough – What was your walk up music when you were a Met? What would your walk up song be if you were playing today? Why don’t managers have walk up songs? (Fav song is Simple Man by Lynyrd Skynyrd)Baseball: Two WS rings with Braves and 1986 Mets Getting umps to throw John out World Baseball Classic (Ohtani and Trout)One of John’s good friends, JP Ricciardi – disliked in Toronto among the fan base. Why does JP get a bad rap? Pete Walker, pitching coach with the Jays, played for John Blue Jays new manager Schneider Alex Anthopolous Why John didn’t like the Home run jacket. Music: Garth Brooks at METS spring training Rik Emmett and Gil Moore of Triumph came to games a lot Gil Moore helped John’s daughter, JORDAN, record couple of albums in his Toronto studio Having dinner with Geddy Lee and RUSH and so much more!

This past weekend I spoke with Omer Aziz about growing up in Scarborough and his new book, Brown Boy.

We spoke about:

living in Scarborough
his book, Brown Boy
why he wrote Brown Boy
how seeing Barack Hussein Obama on television altered the trajectory of his life
what his next book will be about
his favourite bookstore
what’s he’s currently reading
and so much more!


Omer Aziz is the author of the book “Brown Boy”. The book is a memoir in which Aziz reflects on his experiences growing up as a Pakistani Canadian Muslim and explores themes of identity, belonging, and family.

In “Brown Boy”, Aziz writes candidly about his struggles with mental health, his relationship with his father, and his experiences of racism and discrimination. He also examines the larger societal and political forces that shape the experiences of people like him, including the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the rise of Islamophobia.

The book has received positive reviews for its honesty, insight, and compelling storytelling. It has been described as a “brave and thought-provoking memoir” that “offers a fresh perspective on the challenges of growing up in a world that often fails to understand or appreciate difference.” Omer Aziz is a Canadian writer, lawyer, and journalist.

This past week John Shannon joined me to chat about his career and new book, Evolve or Die (published by Simon and Shuster).

Topics we discussed:
- His relationship with Don Cherry
- working with Richard Peddie and Sherali Najak
- why he decided to write his first book
- working with Bob McCown
- working at Wayne Gretzky's last NHL game
- and so much more!

Who is John Shannon: John Shannon is a Canadian sportscaster, television producer, and former panelist on Rogers Sportsnet's Hockey Central. He won a Sports Emmy Award in 2003 for Outstanding Live Sports Special for his work on NBC's broadcast of the XIX Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Shannon was named Executive In Charge of Programming and Production for NHL Network in 2008, in addition to being Executive Vice President of Programming and Production for the National Hockey League. In 2009, he left the NHL Network to become an on-air panelist for Rogers Sportsnet and a co-host of sports talk radio show Prime Time Sports on Fan 590 in Toronto alongside Bob McCown. The show was simulcast on Rogers Sportsnet. The show aired for the final time on June 19, 2019, before its cancellation. On August 28, 2019, it was reported that Shannon would be retained by Rogers Sportsnet for the upcoming NHL season. In 2020, Shannon became a co-host of the sports talk podcast, "The Bob McCown Show," alongside Bob McCown, which discusses sports topics of the day and features guests from the sports industry.

From the long time host of The Weather Network comes a behind-the-scenes look at Canada’s biggest weather events and climate phenomena.Chris St. Clair was a weather presenter and journalist on The Weather Network for more than twenty-five years.  He is also a popular speaker on meteorology and climate change. He lives in Kingston, Ontario. Connect with him on Twitter @CStClair1.For more than twenty-five years, Chris St. Clair was on the frontline of Canada’s biggest weather events as a popular presenter on The Weather Network. For the first time, he shares his never-before-told stories covering the country’s most astounding weather events.From the flooding of the Red River in Winnipeg to the ice storm in Montreal, the hurricanes in Newfoundland, the devastating wildfires in Fort McMurray, the hailstorm in Calgary, and the heat dome and horrifying floods in British Columbia, St. Clair recalls these extreme weather events and relays their impact on communities across the country. He also follows Canadian snowbirds south to Florida and recounts their dramatic escape from record-breaking Hurricanes Matthew and Irma.A vivid personal narrative with accessible scientific explanations and meteorological analysis, Weather Permitting tells the story of how the weather has shaped the character and psyche of our nation, and is an homage to the strength and resilience of Canadian communities from coast to coast.

Shenaz Lila is my aunt (my dad's sister) and one of 8 siblings. Her eldest brother is Noordin Kassam whom I interviewed in 2018. I've also interviewed Amin Kanji and Taj Charania earlier this year. This is a continuation in a series of conversations I have with all the KKC siblings. Including my dad.

Gabriela Casineanu is an award-winning author who founded the Immigrant Writers Association in 2018.

The IWA is a non profit organization that assists new Canadian immigrants find support to express themselves through creative writing.

Each year the IWA releases a new anthology featuring short stories and poetry from their members. This past Tuesday the IWA released a new anthology called Finding The Way featuring 12 new Canadian writers. https://immigrantwriters.com/finding-the-way/

Finding The Way features writing from new Canadians that have come from Ghana, Ukraine, Romania, USA, India, Cuba, Senegal, United Arab Emirates, Trinidad and Tobago.