Hi everybody, Happy New Year! I’m stoked to post this chat with my first guest of 2025: Mediterranean artist extraordinaire PAVLO!

Born in Toronto to Greek parents, Pavlo’s amazing journey to touring concert halls around the globe is most impressive. Over his 20-year career, he’s released 17 albums and 4 PBS TV specials, including his latest which was filmed in Santorini! Two of his albums went GOLD, and he had a Top 10 Billboard hit with “FANTASIA.” In 2002, Pavlo won a lawsuit against R&B mega stars R-Kelly and Jay-Z, who sampled his music for their hit song “Fiesta.”

Pavlo has performed for King Charles and worked/toured with artists such as Jose Feliciano, Olivia Newton John and The Tenors. He also recorded/performed a trio album called “Trifecta” with legendary guitarist OSCAR LOPEZ and Hall of Famer RIK EMMETT (Triumph). Their subsequent national tour was sold out, and the album earned Pavlo a Juno nomination!

Playing what he calls “Mediterranean music”- a blend of Greek, flamenco, Latin and Balkan flavours, Pavlo chats about his early childhood, how he went GOLD on his debut album and sold out Toronto’s Massey Hall. We also talk about his continuous growth in popularity by orchestrating the release of 4 PBS specials, allowing him to tour constantly all over North America.

Pavlo has headlined over 3000 concerts so far and, being a born entertainer, will keep performing and performing. This was a fun chat I enjoyed very much! If you like what you hear, please consider subscribing to get more of the Talk Music podcast.

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What a thrill and honour to interview an iconic Canadian music legend to end this season of the Talk Music podcast: BRUCE COCKBURN.

Among his many achievements (including the release of 39 albums), the Ottawa-born artist has been honoured with 13 Juno Awards, an induction into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, Canadian Music Hall of Fame, a Governor General’s Performing Arts Award and has been made an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Bruce is an artist revered around the world. With his repertoire of musical styles and skillfully-crafted lyrics, his songs have been covered by diverse artists such as Jerry Garcia, Chet Atkins, Judy Collins, The Barenaked Ladies, Jimmy Buffett and K.D Lang. His pioneering guitar playing, both acoustic and electric, has placed him in the company of the world’s top instrumentalists. THE NEW YORK TIMES called him a “virtuoso on guitar,” while Acoustic Guitar magazine placed him in the esteemed company of Andrés Segovia, Bill Frisell and Django Reinhardt. Bruce remains deeply respected for his activism on issues spanning native rights to land mines, the environment to third world debt, and he has worked for organizations such as Oxfam, Amnesty International, Doctors Without Borders and Friends of the Earth.

In this episode, I go deep with Bruce as we chat about his early beginnings, his time at Berklee College of Music in Boston, the inspiration behind some of his most memorable songs (Wondering Where the Lions Are, If I had a Rocket Launcher, The Mines of Mozambique), and we chat about his memoir Rumours of Glory. Whilst navigating his entire career, we explore his in-studio relationships with producers Colin Linden, Eugene Martynec, Jon Goldsmith and T-Bone Burnett.

This is a highly recommended must-listen. Enjoy!

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Hi everybody, welcome to another episode of The Talk Music Podcast!

I’m thrilled to announce my guest is LES STROUD! Best known as the producer, creator and star of the hit TV series SURVIVORMAN, Les is also an accomplished musician/songwriter. His music is a rich tapestry of rock, world, prog rock, folk and blues, and it reflects his deep connection to nature. Steve Vai, Bruce Cockburn, Colin Linden and Slash have all lent Les their musical talents for his recordings. Les has guested on stage with Journey, Alice Cooper, Blues Traveler, Steven Stills, Chicago, Randy Bachman, Tommy Shaw, James Cotton, Dave Mason and Slash (who’s latest solo album Les performs on).

Les has always operated in two lanes: his Survivorman and music careers, the latter being his most recent focus. His latest album MOTHER EARTH, produced by MIKE CLINK (“Appetite for Destruction” by Guns N’ Roses), blew me away. Some song clips are sprinkled throughout.

I loved chatting with Les about his beginnings, both our experiences at Fanshawe college, his remarkable journey as a survival expert, and of course his lifelong passion for using music to express his love for our planet.

This in-depth chat took place the day after I saw Les perform as a guest on harp at a truly magical Bruce Cockburn concert. Afterwards, surrounded by nature at his well-hidden cottage, we enjoyed a hot sauna, cold beer and a quick dip in the lake. A blissful time I will always remember.

Enjoy!

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