A Radio Active Community with David and Sydney Dacks

Join David and Sydney Dacks for a journey back to the heady days of Toronto's campus radio scene in the early 1990s at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre.

David Dacks, a longtime fixture of Toronto's music scene who volunteered at the University of Toronto’s CIUT-FM for 25 years, digs deep into his digitized cassette library of his own and his colleagues’ recordings from all three of Toronto’s campus radio stations. David and Sydney Dacks bring these archives to life in a live audiovisual collage, mixing music, commercials, custom station IDs, interviews, technical bloopers and, above all, the many voices that made radio history by defining and unifying the city’s underground sounds.

A Radio Active Community revisits the "golden age" of campus radio in 1990s Toronto. These stations were experimental, broadcasting new sounds and sharing emerging culture movements including Afrocentric culture, along with new social trends, political ideas, and emerging artists with as many as six million people within a listening range covering both the Greater Toronto Area and upstate New York. 

Following the performance will be a panel discussion hosted by Dooshima Jev, editor of Afros In Tha City, featuring David, Sydney, legendary Toronto underground party promoter/radio host Kwame Younge, and CJSW programmer Kaamil Kareemi. 

This program is co-presented by Afros In Tha City, CJSW-FM, and the Canada Black Music Archive. 

About David Dacks

David Dacks is a Toronto-based advocate of creative music in all its forms. He was a programmer and host at CIUT-FM for 25 years, produced four documentaries CBC Radio and programmed two channels for Exclaim! Radio. He is currently Executive Director of Labyrinth Music Workshop Ontario and was previously Artistic then Executive Director of renowned experimental venue the Music Gallery from 2011-23. Previously, David was an editor of Exclaim Magazine’s coverage of jazz, R&B, experimental music, reggae, and music from around the world. His has also written for Spinner.com, The Grid, Weird Canada, BlogTO, Paste Magazine, The African Drum and Musicworks. As a musician and DJ, he recorded eight albums featuring wild combinations of electronics with dub, cumbia and improvised elements, and ran a record label.

About Sydney Dacks

Sydney Dacks is a Toronto and Montreal-based student and up-and-coming video game developer, graduating this fall with a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Sociology at McGill University. Sydney is passionate about exploring the creative potential of computers, using technology for storytelling, and helping artists bring their creative visions to life. They have developed six video games using the Unity development platform, with another two currently in development. They have participated in several hackathons and Game Jams, winning the best VR Game award in the 2024 McGameJam. They have designed and taught curriculum for childhood coding education, centered on fun and engagement while providing IT support. Sydney is also interested in responsible AI and has conducted research in this area, focusing on algorithmic fairness and data privacy.

About Kimberley Dooshima Jev

Kimberley Dooshima Jev is a British-Nigerian-Canadian journalist, cultural producer and DJ based in Calgary. She is the founder, publisher and editor-in-chief of Afros in tha City, an independent print and digital publication documenting Black arts, culture and community. She is also the founder and an instructor with SheDJs, a music education initiative supporting emerging DJs. A Polaris Music Prize juror since 2020, Kimberley’s work centres music, cultural memory and the stories shaping Canada’s creative landscape.

About Kwame Younge 

Kwame Younge is a music lover who has worn many hats over the past 25 years in Toronto. As a Promoter, a Writer  and a Musicologist  he’s often had a front seat to witnessing and working alongside some of Canada’s best musicians, vocalists and DJ’s. Kwame’s knowledge of the Toronto’s music and nightlife scene is rock solid. He continues to spotlight and honour Canadian Black music figures and the nationwide stories of their successes and contributions. He presently is exploring the world of TV/Film Music Supervision and sits on the board of the Edmonton International Film Festival.

About Kaamil Kareemi

Kaamil Kareemi is a Multimedia Professional currently working as the Podcast Coordinator at CJSW 90.9FM. In his role as Podcast Coordinator, Kaamil oversees and manages the production of Podcast and Spoken Word content produced for CJSW's radio broadcast, website and app. As part of Calgary's only Campus & Community Radio Station, Kaamil onboards and coordinates Podcasts produced by CJSW Volunteers, local organizations, or clubs and faculties at the University of Calgary. Kaamil is also the host and producer of the 2026 NCRA-CRABO Award winning program Sonic Cycle on CJSW 90.9FM, Fridays 10-11AM. Sonic Cycle features the latest Hip hop, R&B, Soul and Funk music released in Calgary, Canada, and around the world, as well as interviews with artists, filmmakers, and community event organizers.