CBC Calgary and CBC Edmonton today announced that Tarik Robinson has been named as the new producer and host of KEY OF A, Saturdays from 5 to 6 p.m. on CBC Radio One and on CBC Listen. Robinson will assume hosting and producing duties Saturday, October 23.
Robinson has lived in Calgary since the age of one and grew up absorbing the sounds of R&B, soul, reggae and gospel his mother would play in the house, which sparked his interest in hip hop. In highschool, Robinson started creating hip hop beats on a keyboard and recording unique, introspective and conscious rhymes over them. In 2002, Robinson, along with DJ Cosm, formed the hip hop group Dragon Fli Empire.
"It’s an honour to be carrying on the legacy of the Key of A, following in the footsteps of Katherine Duncan's amazing work over the years and putting my own spin on it,” said Robinson. “I intend on shaping each episode like the cassette mixtapes I would make growing up, curating journeys through the musical landscape of Alberta every Saturday. I'll be highlighting different musical genres, shining a light on underrepresented communities, staying current with the new releases plus looking back at our shared musical history."
Robinson has toured across Canada, the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Norway and Denmark and shared the stage with many musical icons, as well as playing festivals like the Calgary Folk Music Festival, Edmonton's KaleidoFest and The Works Festival, Yellowknife's Folk on the Rocks Festival, Shambhala, Warped Tour, Rock the Bells and many more. Robinson also releases music as a solo artist, including the 2019 instrumental album Unión Latinoamericana.
“Tarik is a ground-breaker and is hugely respected in Canadian hip hop,” says Senior Director of Journalism and Programming Helen Henderson. “He brings a depth of knowledge across all genres and the respect and admiration of the Alberta Music Community. With more than two decades of creation and collaboration with both established and emerging artists, Tarik is the perfect voice to carry on the legacy that Katherine has so effectively built in this province’s music scene.”
Robinson graduated with a Journalism degree from Mount Royal University in 2004. He has written for several publications on the hip hop scene, and has interviewed artists like Del the Funky Homosapien and the late Gift of Gab from Blackalicious. He has also worked extensively in Information Technology.
"What a fantastic choice,” said Katherine Duncan, Executive Producer of CBC Music. “I'm thrilled for Tarik and can't wait to see (and hear) where he takes the Key of A!”
KEY OF A can be heard Saturday evenings from 5 to 6 p.m. on CBC Radio One and on CBC Listen. The show offers the latest about music, artists and events across Alberta.
CBC Radio One Calgary: 99.1 FM
CBC Radio One Edmonton: 93.9 FM
About CBC/Radio-Canada:
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
For further information, please contact:
Madelaine Lapointe
Senior Communications Officer, CBC Calgary
403-477-6241
Alisha Edgelow
Manager, Communications, Marketing & Brand, CBC Calgary
403-805-8307
