The FOLD

It’s been a while since I connected. I wanted to check in and bring you something special. On July 17, 2022, I had the opportunity to collaborate with my dear friend Sabre to put on an intimate celebration for our friend Rachel Romu – you might remember Rachel from our December 2019 episode featuring their story – the last in-person conversation I conducted before the world in a dramatic way. You can call Rachel a musician, activist and model, yet they are so much more. They’re a friend, confidant and true trailblazer in every definition of the word. This summer, Accessible Media Inc. launched an incredible documentary series called Breaking Character, following the journeys of six performers with disabilities as they hustle to make their mark on the stage, screen and runway. Rachel is one of the featured subjects and shares their story with authenticity, intention, and impact. We dove deeper with Rachel at a screening party of the series, and a special chat between them and I followed. What a beautiful day. Thank you, Rachel, Sabre and all those who attended, watched, and supported this fantastic project from AMI. This interview was recorded live in Rachel’s backyard in Toronto; the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit. Thanks for listening to our conversation and being in the Fold with us! You can connect with and learn more about Rachel via Instagram and Twitter (@rachelromu) more resources, check out their linktree at linktr.ee/rachelromu. To watch Breaking Character, check It out at www.breakingcharacter.tv and follow them on socials via Instagram and Twitter. Special shoutout to Sabre for inviting me to do this and the reminder of how important it is to have these conversations!

What a true honour to be in The Fold and close out the CommUNITY Catchup series with Len Senater, Owner + Founder of Toronto's The Depanneur. Nestled in Toronto’s Dufferin Grove neighbourhood, it is not only a stomping ground for local and visitor chefs alike, and of many Diasporas to gather, cook, share recipes, tradition and conversation, but a place to cook up change. If you don’t know about the Depanneur, they are part of the definition of ‘community’ in Toronto terms and beyond. I have long wanted to have Len on the podcast after reading about The Dep’s incredible initiative, Newcomer Kitchen, many years ago. Len co-founded the initiative, a non-profit that aimed to create social and economic opportunities for newly-arrived Syrian women through food-based projects. From his ever-popular Pick-up Dinners that break barriers beyond borders, pre-pandemic cooking classes, supper clubs, and events, Len’s space is a support system that cooks up knowledge and brings it to your table. Now, Len is asking the people to be the plate and serve support through a new Kickstarter campaign to help fund The Depanneur Cookbook; Showcasing 100 recipes from 100 cooks that have come through The Dep (as it is affectionately known) kitchen over the last 10 years. It has become the most-funded Canadian cookbook ever on the platform (now at 200% of its goal reached, aiming for $50K by December 21st - Len’s 50th Birthday!) Equal parts documentary, manifesto and cookbook, it will feature amazing stories, thoughtful contributions from some of Canada’s top people in food, and photography by Ksenija Hotic, who has been involved with The Dep for 7 years. Len and Ksenija joined me for the last CommUNITY Catchup 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.

Liz Lokre is one of the most soulful and soul-driven artists from Toronto that comes from a line of artists and members of the global entertainment industry – her Dad was a booking agent in his native Dublin, Ireland while her Trinidadian-born mom was a professional Indian dancer and performer, and her grandmother was a progenitor of a signature style of Indian dance. Liz carries this lineage with her in a profound and powerful way as a tool to heal. In this CommUNITY Catchup with the Toronto Artist, we discuss her new EP - FIRE - and how she has been using this element to fuel the EP and other facets of her life and career through heritage, community and collaboration.

Alfred Nomad is an innate poet that hails from Indianapolis, Indiana and is now based in LA, contributing to various communities through an array of initiatives. Influenced by the greats like Jay-Z, Lupe Fiasco, Kanye, Jill Scott, The Roots and Common, to opening for Big Boi, MGK, Trey Songz, T-Pain and headlining his own solo tour to producing an annual festival as part of his culture brand LxVE – LxVE Fest – Alfred does a lot on stage and off. We discussed Alfred’s inspiration behind his latest album, Everything Will Be Alright, mental health in the arts, his podcast and more.

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.

Rhandy Adolphe, Founder and lead Photographer of SambaRanthony, is an incredible purveyor of the arts and multimedia creative I met at a podcast program last year. If you’ve tuned in to CommUNITY Catchup before, you’ve definitely seen his handle, @sambaranthony, in the live chat, engaging with our community members – needless to say, Rhandy is an amazing friend and support system and I am inspired by his unique vision. In addition to being an incredible photographer that captures many subjects and themes in an array of settings, Rhandy has his own podcast and media platform, Lupinore, which showcases Canadian lifestyle and social movements through art and music, and in discussion via the Just Facts Podcast where Rhandy and his partner, Yene, dive into happenings and roots of Toronto’s arts scene through candid, engaging conversations. As well as a branding team member of Toronto-based LOUD.army collective. Rhandy does SO much for his community and beyond, so I brought him into The Fold to discuss what has been keeping him inspired + creative and how he has been adapting his platform model in a meaningful way.

Laylow Brewery Co-founder/Co-owner, Dan Boniferro, and Ola get into #TheFold to discuss Toronto’s smallest brewery with big impact. We chat Hip-Hop, merchandise with commUNITY in mind, being for the people, collaboration, brews, humble beginnings and creative adaptations.

Comeback Snacks Founder, Emily O’Brien, and I delve into the company’s evolution since launching, what she has learned through community connection at this time more than ever, how she has grown as a person, why it’s important to listen to and work with the needs of underrepresented and marginalized communities and all of the good things in development.

Danielle Griscti is the Founder and Creative Director of her own photography brand and company, Fixed In Silver, a talented writer and music journalist – which is where I met her via Hellbound.ca. With experience as an Outreach Coordinator, a Youth Worker, involved in serious roles in the Tech Industry, we discuss her current involvement of cycling it forward with The Bike Brigade to support communities across Toronto.

From a B-Boy breaker between his hometown of Mississauga to Toronto’s OG Hip-Hop scene, a successful medical researcher and clinical project manager, to an accomplished writer covering numerous beats, a published scholar, radio host, and accomplished photographer – all the while crafting beautiful prose in between. In this episode of The Fold Podcast, Photographer and CommUNITY leader, Nabeel Pervaiz, unfolds to share insight about his life and career to date, the inspiration that drives his work, being rooted in many communities, and the inherent values and intention he has to shape them with conscious compassion and fresh ideas.

Esie Mensah is an Artivist that embodies many professional titles; Dancer, Choreographer, Educator, Speaker  and Founder of Afrofusion, Black Stars Collective. We discuss her new project @thebentway, her powerful acclaimed dance theatre production #Shades, allyship over appropriation in the arts and dance communities, support systems, ancestral guidance and more.

Melissa Haughton is a writer, content creator and podcast producer I truly look up to (I urge you to listen to her array of series and docs, all exceptionally well produced and full of insight) but those three titles barely sum up the greatness. In addition to Melissa’s latest series, So What Are You?, highlighting our complicated and evolving relationships to cultural identities, we discussed her past and present projects and various endeavours, and how they have always, and continue to be, action methods to inspire change.

A CommUNITY Catchup with Los Angeles-based Creative Consultant Nora Rahimian about her current work, how she has pivoted her services over the last few months, methods for artists to use their platform to continue conversations and shift cultural/ political paradigms and why it’s more than cool to create your own lane, and cultivate a values-based CommUNITY.

On June 10, I met two incredible pals - Lee Skovsgaard of @elisoriginal and Tanisha Blake (@iamtanishablake) of @tbxstudio for a #CommUNITYCatchup to discuss supporting independent businesses, cultivating creative communities, active allyship, wellness and more.

I caught up with my dear friend and colleague , Marie Alcober - Founder + Producer of Dual Citizen Series and friend of #TheFold (Episode 4!), to discuss how Dual Citizen (a doc series highlighting the eureka moments of the Filipinx Diaspora) has evolved and adapted during this time and since their move to the UK, recent episodes and collabs, how we can establish and strengthen allyship in our own communities, places that help us unfold + connect and more.

Friend of #TheFold (Episode 18!), Joe G, aka DJ Spin So Nice and Founder of Records With My Daughters, connected for a Friday edition of CommUNITY Catchup to send us into the weekend through song. We discussed his new mix, A Song For #GeorgeFloyd, and the powerful array of tracks selected, keeping your spirits elevated through family and community, in addition to other resources and ways we can engage. Visit Sonic Fold's Anti-Racism Resources page here. Listen to A Song For George Floyd here.

Sarah Jane Riegler discussed 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.

On June 1, we began a new month, new week and movement through a potent conversation with my dear friend; artist, event host + producer, and essential, frontline worker, SUPERDRAMAGO! An invitation to listen, to take action, to connect. SUPERDRAMAGO! shares perspective, resources and insight after the JUSTICE FOR REGIS RALLY, as well as supportive tools, including his latest track, When You Smile. SUPERDRAMAGO! 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. Please follow SUPERDRAMAGO’s journey on Instagram (@superdramago) and at soundcloud.com/superdramago to listen and share his music. For a growing archive of Anti-Racism Action Methods, including Resources, Fundraisers, Petitions, Platforms, Bail Funds, Legal Info, and Black-owned businesses, I am engaging with, please visit this page. This list is actively being updated, so do feel free to reach out to me at ola@sonicfold.com BLACK LIVES MATTER. JUSTICE FOR REGIS KORCHINKSI-PAQUET. JUSTICE FOR GEORGE FLOYD.

Syzygy Toronto Co-Founder, Marijke Large (shoutout 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).

On May 13, half of The [204] Design Collective returned for a #CommUNITYCatchup, and it was a real full circle experience. Last year I introduced them on episode 10 stating, “For The [204] Design Collective, the roof is not made of wood - it’s a glass ceiling - and they’re smashing it to let the light shine through.” Founded in Winnipeg (hence the 204 area code in their name) but based worldwide, the 204 is a POC and women-led design studio that challenges and exposes inequality in the built environment, amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and exploring alternative forms of practicing architecture, working towards establishing a more accessible and diverse profession. The Toronto-based crew, Cait Brock and Gaby Perezanta, discussed what the collective has been up to, what has changed for them, and how they are adapting to space and time by bringing The [204] to an expanded, accessible digital realm and what we can stay mindful of when it comes to our environment and design. Much love to the other half, super sisters, Sameera and Saira Abdulrehman who represented via London, UK!