SAY LA VIE Podcast
Guest List
Guests by episode
Episode 10— Local Heroes & Belonging
Samara O’Gorman—an Irish-Canadian, Montréal-based, actress and writer who has now been primarily acting on stage and in film, whilst writing poetry and prose.
Having graduated from John Abbott College with a degree in Professional Theatre, she is now studying Irish Studies at Concordia University. O’Gorman was awarded the 2019 Queen of the Hudson Saint-Patrick's Day Parade, which amplified her involvement within her own Irish ancestry, and community. Through her studies, she will travel to rural Ireland to research Irish poetry, theatre, language, and literature; then exploring how their dialect shapes those forms of art in the area. In June of 2020 Samara founded Your Local Samaritan, an initiative that brings people together through acts of generosity and kindness. The goal is to highlight other "Local Samaritans" that are charitable to their community and inspire others.
Her debut poetry collection What If The Sun Died is an accumulation of thoughts on heartbreak and femininity. With a supernatural flair and hints of Shakespearian, O'Gorman's work shares the liberating, yet delicate side of healing. When asked about grief, Samara articulated how important it is to persevere through the dark in order to reach the light.
Along with her acting and writing, Samara is also a mental health advocate, and with every book sold, a portion is being donated to Jack.org; a Canadian non-profit organization focused on youth mental health and suicide prevention. Website, Personal Instagram, Your Local Samaritan Instagram, TikTok, YouTube.
Emma Ahern—A Local passionate musician with a great love for communication, both in front of the public and in a teaching situation. Being perfectly bilingual, she is always ready to lend a hand in her community, as evidenced by her former job with seniors at Voice of English-speaking Quebec, her many positions in the student associations of the Conservatory, as well as her volunteering with children during the Musical zoo of the Orchester Symphonique de Québec. Aside from music, she is very interested in the history of art, nutritional balance and health. YouTube.
Episode 9— Newcomers & Culture Shock
Maria Castro— Newcomers coordinator at the Voice of English-speaking Québec (VEQ) is dedicated to helping newcomers adjust to life in the Greater Québec City region.
As an active, non-profit organization that currently has over 3200 members, VEQ has played a vital part in the preservation and development of community life for the English-speaking community for over three decades. Currently, VEQ has active partnerships with over 60 community organizations, institutions, and groups in the area.
Dish Pit
Nora Brianna and Jack are three local musicians who create fierce punk and garage rock; all whilst maintaining humility by washing dishes on the side.
Episode 8—The Waves of Our Identity
Guy Rex Rodgers—ELAN Founder, Waves of Change Project Manager
A graduate of the playwriting program at the National Theatre School of Canada, Guy Rex Rodgers has worked in film and television, and has specialized in writing large-scale multimedia productions for museums and special events across Canada, as well as the US, Europe and the Middle East.
He has also interviewed artists for the Montréal International Jazz Festival and writing TV specials. He recently wrote a pictorial history book for Montréal’s Welcome Hall Mission to commemorate their 125th anniversary. He is also a musician and has recently performed in several editions of Tim Brady’s symphonies for 100 guitarists. In 2015, he was appointed to l’Ordre des arts et des lettres du Québec. A long-time arts activist, Guy Rex Rodgers was co-founder of the Quebec Drama Federation (QDF) and the Quebec Writers’ Federation (QWF). He was also a member of the founding board of le Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ) and the Executive Director of the English-Language Arts Network from its inception in 2004 until 2021.
Allyson Mei Music
A young up-and-coming Québec musician. Allyson just released a new cover on her youtube channel. She is a part of the 100 Mile Arts Network, and co-hosted Y4Y’s Song Writing Workshop. Youtube.
Episode 7—Racism Unspoken
Cecilia Marangon
Cecilia is an Italian journalist and podcaster—with a deep interest in contemporary history and a background in foreign language mediation. Co-founder of the University newspaper at the University of Turin (Italy), Cecilia was a radio journalist for Mustar FM, community radio in north Hungary, and currently the producer of the Italian podcast Democrazia Portami Via. Spotify.
Houda Kerkadi
A graduate from Concordia University in Communication studies, Houda has been a proud community worker for the past five years. She is passionate about social equity, language, and education accessibility and loves to write about anything and everything in her free time.
Benjamin Vigny-Pau
Benjamin is an independent musician based in Montréal, citing influences ranging from metal, to pop, to movie scores. As a bassist, pianist, mixer and even dancer, he writes and produces music in a unique way, often letting the instrumentation speak for itself more than the lyrics. Instagram.
Prempeh
Prempeh is a hip hop recording artist from Montréal. His sound is a blend of new school flow & style, and old school lyricism & instrumentation, which he uses to reflect his own experiences with mental health, politics, and spirituality. Spotify.
Episode 6—The Information Pandemic
Liana Cusmano—Parti vert du Canada
Writer, poet, and filmmaker Liana Cusmano, (Luca/BiCurious George) is the 2018 and 2019 Montréal Slam Champion and runner up in the 2019 Canadian Individual Poetry Slam Championship. They are currently the President of the Green Party of Canada and their first novel, Catch & Release, is forthcoming with Guernica Editions. Instagram & Facebook.
Georgette
Georgette is a musical project led by proud québécoise Emily Skahan. Her music is a fresh blend of electronic dance tracks and politically charged battle cries, sung in English and French. Georgette is coming off 8 years in Montréal sweetheart group Motel Raphael. Her most recent release, Bouclier, was produced by, features, and is co-written with DJ Unpier (MIRO), Ken Presse (Franklin Electric), and William St-Laurent. Having played festivals such as Osheaga, SXSW, and the Festival de Jazz de Montréal and opened for the likes of Tegan and Sara, Georgette knows the future is bright. Instagram & Website.
Madelline
Madelline is a rising pop artist from Montréal who is growing her cult fanbase. She also has a background in acting which she uses to produce and create her music videos. Music Inquiries, SoundCloud, Spotify, Instagram.
Episode 5—The Information Pandemic
Renon—Local Singer/Songwriter
Renon is a 20 year old alt-pop singer/songwriter born and raised in Montréal. After graduating from Vanier's Jazz Voice program and posting YouTube covers since 2016, she has finally started to release her anticipated original music. Her vulnerable first single "my love" was written and produced entirely by her and other Montréal artist Ryan Nadin (guitarist/producer). It captures the dark and sultry tone of her artistry and teases her upcoming EP. Instagram.
Episode 4—Covid-19 & the Katniss Generation
Milla Lopes-Luchak—Co-Owner of Friperie Phoenix: A Sustainable Thrift Shop
Friperie Phoenix is location on 5133 Park Avenue, Montréal, QC.
Follow Friperie Phoenix on Instagram.
Episode 3—Québec’s Artistic Identity
Aisha Farid—Québec Born Poet
In 2019, Aisha released Anonymity: The Work of a Poet, a book of poems that discusses freedom, infatuation, fear, emotion, being broken, and hope. With these poems, she takes the reader on a lyrical journey through her deepest thoughts and emotions.
Tyler Morin—Québec Born Musician
If you like the indie/pop music genre, then make sure to check out Tyler’s music on Spotify or SoundCloud.
Ann Lambert—Owner of Théâtre Ouest End (TOE)
In 2019, Ann Lambert, along with her daughter, Alice Abracen, Laura Mitchell, and Danielle Szydlowski launched the Théâtre Ouest End. TOE is committed to making theatrical experiences more accessible to communities and to mentoring young theatre professionals.
Ann is not only the owner of the TOE but is also a published author. She has written the wonderfully descriptive and immersive novel The Birds That Stay.
This book is a mystery/thriller, fiction set in a small village in the Laurentian Mountains of Québec, where an old woman is found strangled and frozen outside her home. Together, Roméo Leduc, the Chief Inspector for Homicide, and Marie Russell, a writer and divorced mother of two, discover that this murder goes back to another crime committed in Hungary at the end of WWII. Are you drawn to the story yet?