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Ink Issue 2 – May 09
1. Who came up with the concept for ‘Masala Canada’ and when did it first go on air?
I’d been hosting and producing programs for India for years, and RCI (Radio Canada International) wanted me to do a new program that extended the focus to all of South Asia. The actual “concept” of the show is evolving, since I only started the show at the end of last October (2008). I guess, the most important goal for me right now is to have a variety of topics, and to have in-depth conversations with the people I interview.
2. Could you give us a run down regarding the nature of the show and what kind of people you cover?
I guess the best way to describe what I’m aiming for is informed conversation. But, that doesn’t mean always serious. I usually do about three interviews per show. I try to have a combination in which you’ll at least really want to hear one of the interviewees, and then discover the other two are super interesting as well.
As for who I cover, basically anyone who seems to have an interesting story to tell, a perspective to share, or is passionate about the goals they strive towards, whether it’s in their writing, researching, the music they play, or the activism they’re involved in.
3. Which people have you had most fun interviewing so far and why?
That’s a hard question to answer. I have to admit, I almost always have fun interviewing people. It’s like throwing yourself into the unknown and trying to discover what someone has to share with you. And really, you never know. On any given day I, or the person I’m talking to, may have an off day. Or, sometimes the magic is so great, it’s hard to end the interview. You really, never know. I guess what I love most about these conversations is that I get a chance to understand the challenges people face in so many different fields, whether it’s the arts, politics, economics, human rights, theatre, music, and at the centre, there’s this person trying to deal with all the challenges.
4. How do you decide who you want to cover and is there a set criterion in terms of who is eligible to appear on your show?
There are no criteria about who’s eligible to be on the show. I ask myself, will a listener find this interesting? What do I need to talk about to make it even more interesting? There is, as any listener will discover, a tendency towards a South Asian flavour to the show, and there also tends to be a Canadian connection to stories I cover. But if there’s a topic, or person that I think a listener would want to know about, I’ll probably plunge ahead.
5. How do you keep abreast on a constant basis regarding what all is going on in the South Asian circle?
The Internet is obviously one of the most important tools I use, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, or a search engine like Google. I also have access to all the news wires we subscribe to. But there are also a growing number of people getting in touch with me to suggest stories, keep me abreast of events and issues, and that’s also a very important indicator of what interests people.
6. Do you feel it handicaps you at times while asking questions, not being of South Asian origin yourself?
Actually, I think it might make my job easier. I’m pretty aware of issues in South Asia, but as a non-South Asian I don’t take anything for granted. So I don’t mind asking someone to explain something I don’t understand. At the same time, I think I have more freedom to ask things that might not necessarily come to mind to someone from a South Asian background. Obviously there might be situations that I wish I knew more, but I think even some South Asians might not be totally aware of certain things, so why not explore them, or expand on them? I also think that not being of South Asian origin, I can give listeners another perspective on things or people they think they know. As well, I’m not coming to topics from an Indian, or Pakistani, or Sri Lankan point of view.
7. What kind of feedback have you received about the show so far and who are your listeners?
So far, I’ve been quite lucky. People are really appreciating the program, and being quite complimentary about the content, and how I do the show. A lot of the listeners are in India, Pakistan, and elsewhere in South Asia. But there are also people from the diaspora in Canada and elsewhere. And since the program is broadcast about ten times each weekend around the world on shortwave radio, there are a lot of other people, with no connection to South Asia that are getting hooked on the show.
8. Why do you feel it is important for your show to be present online as well?
I think the more ways you can give access to the program the better. The Internet is increasingly a way people can choose what they want to listen to, and when they want to listen to it. And I think that’s why people listen to us on our web page. As I said, we’re also heard on shortwave radios around the world, and in Canada you can hear us on Sirius Satellite Radio, Channel 95. But I’m always looking for other ways to get the program to people, for instance podcasts, which should be available soon.
9. Are you planning on covering more people of Pakistani origin in the future?
Definitely. It’s important for our listeners to get a broad spectrum of stories from Pakistan, and I am always on the lookout for interesting angles and topics.
10. What do you hope to achieve through this show in the long run?
I’d like the listeners to feel that this was a comfortable and stimulating place to hang out. A place where you could hear from a professor, a punk rocker, a politician, a visual artist, a businessperson, a cricket player and a fan of traditional South Asian dances. I’d like people to make the program a habit, because they’re surprised, or intrigued by the way we handle stories, by the respect we have for each interviewee, and the multitude of things they discover, by just sitting back and listening to the show. And that they discover it’s not a program with defined boundaries.
11. How do you plan your questions for any given show? Does some amount of research go into it? Do you have a team to help you?
A lot of research goes into each show. And it actually never stops. Anything that catches my eye, I’ll check into. I like knowing what I’m talking about when I do an interview, even if I tend to ask very basic questions. And the star of the show for me is the interviewee. I want listeners to get to know the person as quickly as possible. As for a team, there’s the wonderful Er Shen who takes care of the program’s web page and answers my web questions. There are also a number of talented technicians who handle the studio recording and other technical details. For the rest, I rely on myself.
12. Who is that one person you would really like to interview on your show that you haven’t had the chance to yet?
The short answer is: the next person I interview. Really! It’s one of the biggest pleasures of doing the show, meeting each new interviewee for the time of the conversation we have. Whether the person is a well-known personality, or someone who’s hoping to make a name for themselves, or someone who’s just so determined to reach their personal goal, the pleasure is getting to know someone through an interview.
13. Is being a radio show host a tough job?
Yes and no. No, because there’s the pleasure I talked about in having conversations with interesting, knowledgeable people. Yes, because an interview, no matter how casual, is a bit of a tightrope walk where my interests, those of the interviewee, and what I think the listener would like to hear, need to be covered, but in a natural way, that appears to have just happened.
14. What do you love about your job the most?
As I said, talking to people.
15. Tell us a bit about your background – What have you studied?
I’m a McGill University graduate with an honours degree in Canadian history. I also did graduate studies in history at the Universities of Quebec and Montreal.
16. Is this your full time career?
Being a broadcaster is definitely a full time career. I’ve been a host and producer of radio programs for many, many years. Before that I was a freelance journalist, both in print and radio, and actually started in radio in my university years.
17. What kind of music do you listen to?
I’ve got really eclectic tastes. Love rock, blues, jazz, tango, but also enjoy classical and pop music. I guess I’m a little bit like a bee going from flower to flower. Some favourites: Canadian rockers like Tom Cochrane and Gowan, jazz greats like Nina Simone, Diana Krall, Keith Jarrett, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, classical pianist Glenn Gould, Eric Clapton both the rock and the unplugged, Joe Cocker, Indian Electronica, Asian Underground, A.R. Rahman – obviously the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire, but also his Mumbai Theme. There’s also the music of people that I’ve discovered through the program like Tariq “Tee-M” Mirza of “Aao Aao Aao” fame, and then of course there are some of those iconic disco songs like Gloria Gaynor’s “I will Survive”…I guess you’re getting a sense of how eclectic…
18. Where all have you travelled?
I’ve travelled across Canada – and it’s a huge, fascinating and varied country, as well as the United States. I’ve been to a number of countries in Europe, some in the Caribbean and Latin America, to Vietnam and Singapore, but still haven’t been in India or Pakistan, or anywhere else in South Asia!
19. Where were you born?
I was born to Polish parents who met in England. So I, and my younger brother, were both born in Manchester. When I was four, my Dad got a job in Montreal, in the predominantly French-speaking province of Quebec in Canada. I only spoke Polish when I started school, was educated in English, but ended up in the French milieu, so speak both of Canada’s official languages, English and French.
20. What’s next on the plate for Wojtek?
Right now, I want to enjoy MASALA CANADA as much as I can, and share that joy with my listeners. There are so many interesting stories and people out there. That will keep me busy for quite some time!
21. What message do you have for our readers?
In life, don’t be afraid to ask Why? What? When? Where? How? The responses can really surprise you. And if you happen to have a moment to share with me by listening to the show, please do. And if you have another moment, drop me a line about what you liked, or didn’t in the program. Basically, live life now and enjoy, as much as you can, given all the challenges we all face.
great work…amazing.
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Thanks for sharing such an informative and useful discussion/interview.
A very detailed and insightful interview. I follow Mr.Wojtek but could not have known so much about him except for this interview. Very good job.