Baba, aka Dilbagh Singh Bhangoo, grew up in Punjab, India. In his village, the only music available came from a record player attached to a speaker in the trees. A local man played records a couple hours a day and young Baba would sit and listen, whenever he could. His father, a schoolteacher, encouraged him and his siblings to seek education and explore the world. Baba studied engineering at a Swiss-run school. When his brother moved to Canada, Baba followed a few years later, in 1971.
In Canada, Baba found work as a machinist but was still searching for a way to combine his passions with a career. When a friend started hosting a show on CJSR, the University of Alberta’s campus station, Baba was intrigued. He started hanging around while his friend recorded. Eventually the station manager offered him a (volunteer) show in 1995. The challenge became: how does one do radio as a career? For Baba, CKUA was the answer. He got himself a job at the station doing technical work on the weekends in 2001.
It never loses its shine, he says. “I know I was made for this. I have always liked different types of music and music trivia, and I have always loved radio,” he says. “So finally, All becomes One and that is where everything comes from.” Known for his encyclopedic knowledge of music and his poetic approach to life, though he’s a CKUA celebrity, Baba’s pleasures and goals are modest. He’s now retired, and says, “I love to cook and wash dishes. My overall aim in life is to grow old and become ordinary.” Listeners will likely agree that while old age comes for us all, Baba has very little hope of ever being ordinary.
What are three go-to songs that inspire Baba?
"The Donut Song" by Burl Ives
"Big Time" by Peter Gabriel
"Fool On The Hill" by The Beatles
What is an interesting detail you might not know about Baba?
Baba can operate most machinist tools.
Mid-Morning Mojo
On Mid-Morning Mojo, CKUA keeps the groove going on Fridays from 9am to noon. Influenced by the program's inventor and original host, Baba, CKUA hosts bring you eclectic blends of rock, blues, reggae, folk, soul, and more. Get ready for some surprises and some Friday morning joy.
