Cafe International is a radio interview series hosted by Dan Rosenberg. Each episode features conversations with musicians from around the world, exploring folk music and its history. Guests range from artists such as Fatoumata Diawara to Goran Bregovic. The show offers listeners a closer look at global musical traditions and the stories behind them.
Episodes
The Semer Ensemble Documentary
When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they banned Jews from performing music publicly, but two Berlin-based labels managed to record a wide range of music performed by leading Jewish Germans: classical soloists, religious songs, cabaret, and folk music. On Kristallnacht, November 9-10, 1938, the Nazis escalated their violence against Jews, destroying 267 synagogues and over 7500 businesses, includ
Vigüela live session (Recorded in Madrid)
This week’s Cafe International, features a live session with the legendary Spanish folk ensemble, Vigüela, recorded in Madrid.With:Jorge Martinez Juan Antonio TorresCarmen TorresMaria NietoSpecial thanks to engineer Roy Santana at M20 Studios in Madrid, and to Araceli Tzigane Sanchez for all of her help with this episode With host Dan Rosenberg
Kon-Fusion live session
This week on Cafe International , a live session with Kon-Fusion, a Chilean Cumbia-Ska band from Montreal 🙏 To Eli Levinson and to our engineer Neel ModiWith host Dan Rosenberg
Gabriel Palatchi live session
This week in Cafe International: a live session with Argentinian tango pianist Gabriel Palatchi.Gabriel began playing piano at the age of eight, showing from an early age a natural connection with the instrument. He studied classical music in Buenos Aires and trained with renowned masters of blues, tango, jazz, and Latin jazz. After graduating in 2007 from Berklee International School in Argentina
Sara Curruchich live session
Sara Curruchich joins us for a special live session to talk about her album Mujer Indigena, the International Indigenous Music Summit, and she performs live on the show. With host Dan Rosenberg
A live session with Dobranotch
This week on Cafe International, a live session with Dobranotch, a leading voice of klezmer revival from Eastern Europe for newly 30 years. Founded by violinist Mitia Khramtsov, they mix klezmer (Eastern European Jewish), Balkan, Russian, Roma, Middle Eastern, Ukrainian and Caucasian traditional music, using also modern styles and rhythms, but preserving the acoustic sound of a traditional klezmer
A Live Session with The Madalitso Band (From Malawi)
This week on Cafe International Radio, Malawi’s Madalitso Band joins us for a magnificent live session!!!Special thanks to Neil Nayar for all his help with this episode, and to engineers Weajue Mambo and Neel ModiWith host Dan Rosenberg
Voces de Bullerengue live session
This week on Cafe International, a special live session with the Grammy-nominated Afro-Colombian women’s group, Voces De Bullerengue and their producer, Manuel Garcia-Orozco.From the deep countryside of Colombia’s Afro-descendant Maroon Caribbean emerges Voces del Bullerengue, a collective of elder women singers safeguarding the ancestral legacy of bullerengue. This traditional music and dance sty
A live session with Jason Wilson and Ashara
A special live session with Jason Wilson and Ashara, recorded in Toronto at Jesse's Jazz Cafe in Downsview. Jason talks about the history of Reggae music in Canada, his collaborations with UB40, Alanis Morissette, Aswad, Fairport Convention and more - and they perform a magnificent live session.With host Dan Rosenberg
A live session with Keïla (from Reunion Island)
This week's edition of Cafe International features an interview and live session with Keïla, where we learn about Maloya - a traditional form of music from Reunion Island.With host Dan RosenbergSpecial thanks to our engineer Neel Modi
A live session with the Georgian folk ensemble Ori Shalva
This week's edition of Cafe International features a live session with the Georgian-Canadian group Ori Shalva, where we learn about the history of polyphonic singing in Georgia.With host Dan RosenbergSpecial thanks to our engineer Neel Modi
A live session with the Balkan duo, Almir and Daniel
This week on Cafe International - the duo, Almir and Daniel stop by for a live session. Almir Meskovic (accordion) grew up in Bosnia, and Daniel Lazar (violin) grew up in Serbia. They met while studying in Norway - where they formed this spectacular duo.With host Dan Rosenberg Special thanks to engineer Neel Modi
A live session with guitarist Boubé (from Niger)
Guitarist Boubé and his ensemble joins us for a live session where we learn about Desert Blues music from NigerWith host Dan Rosenberg
A live session with Brazil's Suraras Do Tapajos
A live session with the all women's group, Suraras Do Tapajos, where we learn about their work to preserve Indigenous music and culture in Brazil.Suraras do Tapajós is the first carimbó group composed of Indigenous women, formed with the goal to give voice to the culture of the people of the Lower Tapajós region of Pará. It grew from a collective providing training for Indigenous women to hold
A live session with Amir Amir, master of the Persian santur
This week on Cafe International, santur virtuoso Amir Amiri joins us for a live session where we learn about this history of this ancient Persian instrument.Born in Tehran, Iran, Amiri is a master of the santur, a 72-string instrument dating from approximately 500 BCE.Since arriving in Canada in 1996, Amiri has created numerous groundbreaking ensembles including the Amir Amiri Ensemble, inspired b
A live session with Vivalda NDula and the Helsinki Cotonou Ensemble
This week on Cafe International, the world premiere of the collaboration between Angolan singer Vivalda NDula and the Helsinki Cotonou Ensemble from their 2026 Canadian Tour - recorded live at Met Radio in Toronto.With Host Dan RosenbergSpecial thanks to engineer Sean Warkentine
A live session with Haitian singer Wesli
A live session with JUNO winning musician, Wesli, where we learn about the history of Haitian music and his collaboration in West Africa with Mory Kante.
A live session with Di Zhang performing on the yanqin
On this week's edition of Cafe International, we feature a live session with Di Zhang performing on the yanqin. We also speak with Amirali Alibhai is the Head of Performing Arts at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.
A live session with Ethio Jazz legend, Girma Woldemichael
This week on Cafe International, a live session with legendary Ethio Jazz saxophonist Girma Woldemichael.One of Ethiopia's most esteemed saxophonists, and a mainstay of the golden age of Ethio-Jazz, Girma Woldemichael's life story is one of musical triumph over adversity. Born in Ethiopia into circumstances of extreme poverty, with his parents unable to afford to raise him, he was handed o
A live session with the Garifuna Collective
A special live session with The Garifuna Collective recorded at Met Radio in Toronto. The Garifuna Collective has performed in over 30 countries in 5 continents and have been part of the most celebrated Garifuna albums of all time, including the critically acclaimed Wátina, recipient of the Womex and BBC World Music Award and voted by Amazon as the Number One World Music Album of All Time. The gro
A visit to Rome, Italy to speak with Stefano Saletti about his album, Mediterranima
This week on Cafe International, we take a visit to Rome, Italy to speak with Stefano Saletti about his album, Mediterranima - a musical journey across the shores of the Mediterranean to recount the region's common soul, influences and cultural connections. With instruments such as the bouzouki, oud, saz and beating guitar, Stefano Saletti brings to life original pieces inspired by myths, ball
The Klezmatics Live in Studio
A special live session with members of the Grammy-award winning group, The Klezmatics, as they stopped by Met Radio's studio in Toronto for a performance and interview during their 40th anniversary tour.Featuring Frank London, Lisa Gutkin and Lorin SklambergWith host Dan Rosenberg
A Live Session with the Baltic Sisters, recorded at WOMEX (EBU Sessions)
A special live session with the Baltic Sisters, a quartet of vocalists from Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia, featuring:Laurita Peleniūtė (Vocals)Liene Skrebinska (Vocals, kokle)Marion Selgall (vocals)Vineta Romāne (vocals)Recorded in Tampere, Finland as part of the EBU Sessions at WOMEX.With host Daniel Rosenberg
Taiwan's 3 People Music live session from WOMEX
A live session with the Taiwanese group, 3 People Music, recorded live at WOMEX (The World Music Expo) in Tampere, Finland, as part of the EBU (European Broadcasting Union) sessions.3 People Music is a creative trio of three traditional Chinese instrument musicians – guzheng artist Kuo Jing-mu, zhongruan player Pan I-tung, and dizi/xiao performer Jen Chung, is a unique chamber music ensemble that
Estonia's Singing Revolution
On this episode of Cafe International, we look at the role music played in Estonia's quest for independence from the Soviet Union, and its famous "Singing Revolution". We'll speak with Piret Norhanny of Estonian Music Week in Toronto, Ingrid Kohtla Head of PR & Communications and programme curator at Tallinn Music Week in Estonia and singer/composer Kadri Voorand from the awa
A visit to the Hillside Festival in Guelph, Ontario
A Visit to the Hillside Festival, in Guelph, OntarioWe'll speak with the festival's artistic director, Samir Baijal as well as Ecuadoran-American singer Eljuri, hear music from many of the artists performing there including Femi Kuti, Vieux Farka Toure and Maryna KrutWith host Dan Rosenberg
A live session with the JUNO winning calypso band, Kobo Town
Kobo Town joins us live in studio for a performance and interview about the history of calypso music.Founded and fronted by émigré Trinidadian songwriter Drew Gonsalves, Kobo Town is named after the historic neighborhood in Port-of-Spain where calypso was born amid the boastful, humorous and militant chants of roaming stick-fighters. Situated near the fishermen's wharf, the area was a site of
A samba workshop with Grammy nominated guitarist Alfredo Del Penho - recorded live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
On this week's episode of Cafe International: A samba workshop and interview with Grammy nominated guitarist Alfredo Del Penho - recorded live in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.With host Dan Rosenberg
A Visit to the Forde Festival in Norway
A visit to the Forde Festival in Norway. We speak with this remarkable festival's director, Solvie Lien. It's held every summer in the Norwegian fjords, and features artists from across Norway, and around the world. We'll hear music on the show from Trio da Kali (Mali), Mahsa Vadat (Iran), Norwegian artists Kajsa Balto, Marja Morensson and Hekate.With host Dan Rosenberg
A visit to Santiago, Chile to speak with composer Subhira
In this week's episode of Cafe International, we visit the home of composer Subhira Rodrigo Cepeda in Santaigo, Chile. He's a pianist, human rights advocate, professor, radio host and director of the Mundovivo music festival. We will learn about all of this - and moreWith host Dan Rosenberg
The Ecuadoran group Chuskupura in studio live session
A special live session recorded at Met Radio in Toronto with the Ecuadoran ensemble, Chuskupura - who were in town as part of the 2025 International Indigenous Music Summit
Sara Curruchich performs live on Cafe International
Sara Curruchich joins us for a special live session recorded at Met Radio Studios in Toronto to talk about her album Mujer Indigena, the International Indigenous Music Summit, and - a special treat - she performs live on the show.With host Dan Rosenberg
Samba Toure and his band perform live in studio
A special episode of Cafe International with legendary Malian guitarist, Samba Toure and his band performing live in studio: with Souleymane Kane on calabash and Djime Sissoko on ngoni (and talking drum).With host Dan Rosenberg
An interview with Leonard Nimoy about how growing up Jewish shaped the famous Spock character on Star Trek
On this week's episode of Cafe International, we revisit an interview with Leonard Nimoy from 1997 about how growing up Jewish shaped his famous Spock character on Star TrekWith host Dan Rosenberg
A Visit to the Ethnoport Music Fesival in Poznan, Poland
A visit to the Ethnoport Music Festival in Poznan, Poland. We'll speak with Artistic Director Bozena Szota about the history of Poznan, and hear music from some of the artists performing at Ethnoport this year, including Tęgie Chłopy, Abaim, BCUC and Trio Mandili.
With host Dan Rosenberg
An interview with Eve Sicular about music from the Yiddish Silver Screen
An interview with Eve Sicular about music from the golden age of Yiddish cinema plus Chanukah music and more
With host Dan Rosenberg
An interview with Lucas Silva about the Oriental Brothers, Highlife music and more
This week on Cafe International, we feature an interview with producer Lucas Silva from Bogotá, Colombia about Nigerian highlife music and how it has influenced Champeta music in Colombia
Amir Amiri speaks about the santur, and his new album, Ajdad - Ancestors, Echoes of Persia
On today’s show, we’ll learn about the ancient Persian
instrument, the santur – a 72 stringed dulcimer that dates back to 500 BCE with one of its leading masters – Amir Amiri
His latest CD is called Ajdad – Ancestors, Echoes of Persia. One of the themes the album explores is the connection between Persian and Arabic culture.
Those connections between Persian and Arabic
culture were severed in Iran
An interview with Fran and Flora
This week on Cafe International: our guests are Fran & Flora. They’re a magnificent award-winning string duo (cello & violin) from England, dedicated to klezmer and East European folk music. We’ll hear about their new CD, “Precious Collection” and their trip to Romania to research music for the album.
With host Dan Rosenberg
An interview with Marousia Bouvery, from the group Abaim (from the island of Mauritius).
On this week's program, an interview with Marousia Bouvery, from the group Abaim. They are from the island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. On the show, we will learn about how Abaim is using music to fight to preserve the endangered Bhojpuri language, and their work to raise awareness about climate change.
Recorded at the Ethnoport Music Festival in Poznan, Poland
With host Dan Rosenberg
An interview with Oliver Mtukudzi
On this week’s Café International, we look back at the incredible career of Zimbabwe’s Oliver Mtukudzi, who passed away on January 23, 2019 at the age of 66 after being treated for a heart condition. Oliver Mtukudzi was born in 1952 in Harare, in the era of British colonial rule, when it was known as Salisbury, Rhodesia. His music played an important role in Zimbabwe’s fight for independence. In a
Learning to Yodel, with singer Christine Lauterburg, recorded in Bern, Switzerland
On this week's episode of Cafe International, recorded in Bern, Switzerland, our guest is award winning singer and yodeler, Christine Lauterburg. In 1994, she became the first woman to win the Bäredräckpris from the City of Bern.
With host Dan Rosenberg
A visit to Neuchatel Switzerland for the Buskers Festival w/ music from Ayom, Andhira and more!
On today’s show, we visit Neuchatel Switzerland, a beautiful lakeside town – that in the middle of every August, is transformed by a remarkable buskers festival. But there aren’t jugglers or acrobats on unicycles, Instead, its pedestrian zone in the centre of the city becomes a huge global music festival – and on our show, we’ll hear music from Georgia, Sardinia, Syria, and Brazil. Our guests incl
Nani Noam Vazana about writing new music in the endangered Ladino language
On our program this week, our guest is Noam Vazana – or as she’s better known, Nani. She’s one of the very few artists in the world composing new songs in the nearly dead Ladino language – this is the language originally spoken by Sephardic Jews in Spain and Portugal before the time of the Spanish Inquisition in 1492 – and today, it’s spoken rarely, except for some communities in the Sephardic dia
Interview with DakhaBrakha about becoming de-facto Ukrainian cultural ambassadors in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion
On today's program, we speak with Marko Halaneyvich and Iryna
Gorban of the Ukrainian group DakhaBrakha. After Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, DakhaBrakha has performed over 200 concerts around the world in the past 500 days, including six concerts in Ukraine as its cities were being bombed.
We recorded this interview at the Sunfest in London, Ontario – much more than a typica
An interview with Alfredo Caxaj, founder of the Sunfest in London, Ontario
Our guest this week is Alfredo Caxaj, founder of the Sunfest in London, Ontario. We’ll learn how Afredo Caxaj came to Canada in 1985 as a refugee from Guatemala, and founded the Sunfest, Canada’s largest free world music festival. We’ll also hear music from some of the performers at the 2023 Sunfest, including Bejuco from Colombia, The Garifuna Collective from Belize, Sara Curruchich from Guatemal
Interview and samba guitar workshop with Roge
An interview and samba guitar workshop with Roge: He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and now lives in Los Angeles. We'll hear music from his new album Curyman, learn how to play samba on guitar - and how he created "Samba Funk."
with host Dan Rosenberg
Preserving culture, history and music: an interview with members of the Garifuna Collective
On this week's episode of Cafe International, we will learn about preserving Garifuna history, culture and music from Emilio Thomas and Al Ovando – members of the Belizean group, The Garifuna Collective, and how until as recently as the 1990s, Garifuna children were discouraged from speaking their language in school.
The Garifuna are descendants of escaped African slaves – in 1635, a slave shi
Cafe International's series on Syrian music: an interview with qanun virtuoso Maya Youssef
An interview with qanun virtuoso Maya Youssef. She grew up in Syria and has become one of the world’s leading performers of this 78-stringed instrument. On the program, a special radio workshop on how to play the qanun. We will also learn what it has been like for Youssef living in London, England, separated from her family amidst a horrific war and the devastating recent earthquakes.
Syria's Lena Chamamyan on Creating Music in Exile
Host Dan Rosenberg interviews singer Lena Chamamyan about creating music in exile. She was born in Damascus, with Syrian and Armenian heritage. When Chamamyan arrived in Paris in 2011 after civil war broke out in Syria, she was already a star, having performed in many of the world’s top concert halls, her videos had millions of views on YouTube, but none of that mattered, as she, like so many Syri
Anti-Fasicst Klezmer - Daniel Kahn on the consequences of giving White Supremacists a megphone
We look at the question of what is the harm of giving a megaphone to fascists? In the wake of Donald Trump’s dinner with a neo-nazi, with twitter welcoming back white supremacists to their platform, we revisit an interview with klezmer singer and composer Daniel Kahn that we recorded just after the Unite the Right march in Charlottesville Virginia. One of his most powerful songs, originally writte
An interview with Baaba Maal about his 2 year trip across West Africa with Mansour Seck to learn the region's folk music
On this week's show, an interview with the legendary Senegalese singer, Baaba Maal. We will hear how he began his career in West African folk music. After completing his education in Senegal in 1981, Baaba Maal travelled across West Africa with his friend, blind guitarist Mansour Seck, going village to village to learn the region’s folk music. In 2 years, they visited to more that 300 pl
Cafe International: Snorkeling in Belize with Ivan Duran of Stonetree Records
On this week’s Cafe International: “Snorkeling in Belize!”
We revisit a very fun show, when I first met Ivan Duran of Stonetree Records - and we went swimming with the sharks and talked about Garifuna music (they were small sharks)
Interview with Daniel Hamar of the group, Muzsikás about performing Hungarian folk songs in Eastern Europe under communist rule
We speak with Daniel Hamar of the group Muzsikás about what it was like performing Hungarian folk songs in Eastern Europe under communist rule when some politicians feared folk music could be subversive and lead to nationalist revolutions. And later, we’ll hear how Muzsikás travelled to Transylvania in the 1990s to research Jewish music – songs nearly lost to history after Transylva
An interview with virtuoso guitarist, Dimitris Mystakidis (recorded in Vourvourou, Greece)
In this special episode of Cafe International, recorded in Vourvourou, in the Halkidiki region of Greece, we are joined by virtuoso guitarist, Dimitris Mystakidis
A master of rebetiko guitar - Dimitris Mystakidis grew up in Thessaloniki and is a professor of folk and traditional music at the University of Epirus, the author of two books, and numerous critically acclaimed CDs.
With host Dan Rosenb
The Blind Boys of Alabama - an interview with Jimmy Carter
Our guest on today’s program is Jimmy Carter from the legendary gospel group, The Blind Boys of Alabama. Carter was born in 1932 in the segregated south. The group, which was founded at an Alabama school for the blind in the 1940s, has gone on to win five Grammy awards and has performed at the White House for three different presidents. But for decades, they couldn’t eat at white restaurants or st
Lhasa's La Llorona - 25th Anniversary Special
On today’s program, we look back at the remarkable but tragically short career of Lhasa de Sela. Her groundbreaking album, La Llorona – which went on to go platinum in Canada - turns 25 this year. Her music is haunting and captivating - and as fresh as when it was recorded in 1997. We’ll feature an interview with Lhasa from just after La Llorona was released, and hear how she grew up, living on th
Cafe International's series on Ukrainian Music, Episode 8: Professor Maria Sonevytsky
An interview with professor of anthropology and music, Maria Sonevytsky from Bard College. She is the author of the award winning book, Wild Music: Sound and Sovereignty in Ukraine.
We will hear how Ukraine, a country whose culture and very existence have been under attack for centuries, has represented its diversity and musical traditions, often quite politically at the Eurovision Song Contest.
L
Cafe International's series on music from Ukraine, episode 6: Yiddish Glory
What can we learn from songs that describe crimes against humanity from prior times that Ukraine was invaded? On today’s show, we speak with University of Toronto professor, Anna Shternshis about her project, Yiddish Glory, resurrecting long lost songs written during World War II. She tells us how Holocaust victims and survivors used music to document Nazi atrocities with the goal that the perpetr
Cafe International's series on Ukrainian music episode 5: The Yiddish songs of Arkady Gendler
Cafe International's series on Ukrainian music continues with a look at one of one of the giants of Yiddish folk music, Arkady Gendler – who was considered a living Alexandrine library of Yiddish song from Ukraine and Moldova.
Arkady Gendler was born in the town of Soroke in 1921 near the border of Moldova and Ukraine. During World War II, he served in the Red Army and helped liberate Ukraine from
Cafe International's Series on Ukrainian Music episode 4: Julian Kytasty on the history of the bandura
On this program the bandura master Julian Kytasty talks about the history of the bandura, shows how the instrument is played and discusses what we can learn from songs written in prior centuries when Ukraine was attacked. With host Dan Rosenberg
Cafe International's series on Ukrainian music episode 3: Yuriy Gurzhy talks about recording the album Foxtroty and more
On today’s show, our guest is Yuriy Gurzhy, a DJ, music producer and writer who grew up in Kharkiv, Ukraine and now lives in Berlin, Germany. We’ll hear about what it was like recording his album, Foxtroty, in Kharkiv in the weeks before Russia started bombing the city – and much of Ukraine. Foxtroty is based on poetry from the Executed Renaissance - a golden age of Ukrainian poetry in the 1
Cafe International's Series on Ukrainian Music episode 2: The Hudaki Village Band
Cafe International's Series on Ukrainian music continues: This episode features Dan Rosenberg's interview with Yuri Bukovynets from the Hudaki Village Band, speaking about the lives of musicians during wartime, and how they’re helping those who are internally displaced and have lost everything due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Cafe International presents: Mariana Sadovska on "Songs I Learned in Ukraine"
Mariana Sadovska: “If I’m asked to describe what my family and relatives are going through in Ukraine, I actually don’t have words. It’s hell. When I get a chance to have a video conversation and I see their eyes and their faces. They’re tired.” In this moving interview, we will hear about her role as a cultural ambassador for Ukraine amidst Russia's horrific unprovoked war, how she is perfo
