Journeying from toasty-warm Portland, Jamaica to mid-winter Calgary is just one adventure in the story of Leo Cripps’ life. A classically and jazz-trained trumpeter, his appetite for music, travelling and exploring has taken him in many directions. It’s no surprise he named his CKUA show Journeys.
“I will listen to and appreciate any and every music,” Leo says. A product of the Jamaica School of Music, he began his career as a performer and music teacher. He would eventually also receive a BA in Music from the University of Calgary and graduate from Mount Royal University’s broadcast journalism program.
He made his move to radio in 1985, hosting a reggae music show,
Though Caribbean music is his first love, Leo's musical tastes take him everywhere from Inuit throat singers to Gregorian chanting, from classical music to thrash metal. “Music can be found in everything,” he says, “from the wind rustling in the trees or blowing on a wind chime to crunchy steps in the snow.”
What are three go-to songs that inspire Leo?
"Good Day for a Good Day" by Michael Franti
"Small up and Simple Down" by Neal McCoy
"Down at the Honky Tonk" by Jake Owen
What is an interesting detail you might not know about Leo?
The place Leo loves to travel most is Ireland.
Discoveries
Picture yourself in a familiar setting, you’re sure you know where you are, however everything is new and exciting! As you stroll along, even the things you recognize seem to have an urgency of newness to them. Now let’s transfer those visuals stimulations to audio, and that’s Discoveries! The intent is to introduce you to new artists, new sounds, new music, and as we explore the new, we’ll reflect on some foundation music, possibly hearing some of them in a new way for the first time.
