Shayne Giles is CKUA’s newest host, and your guide for a new program on Saturday afternoons: This Music Changed My Life.
“My background is in journalism,” says Shayne. “I’ve been doing community-based journalism since 2016, and broadcasting work since 2019. I worked at CJSR on both Gaywire (2SLGBTQIA+ news) and Acimowin (Indigenous Community Radio) programs, and then I worked as summer production assistant at CKUA.”
Shayne likes blends of punk and folk, and they enjoy getting recommendations about what’s new and good. “I like Amigo the Devil, Amythyst Kiah, and Andrew Bird. My tastes are pretty eclectic.”
When asked if there’s a famous musician they’d be excited to interview, Shayne doesn’t hesitate: “Buffy Sainte-Marie. I feel like the moment I saw her, I would just shut down. She’s done so much to increase the visibility of Indigenous people and Indigenous musicians, and she’s also just a fantastic artist.”
The idea for This Music Changed My Life evolved over time. “I knew I wanted to focus on a different artist each week, and we adapted my original idea for an interview program, to explore each musician’s influences and inspirations. I like focusing on artists who are queer or non-binary, since that’s integral to my identity. It means a lot to see representation—people like me—in media.”
Shayne thanks everyone for the supportive responses to their first few shows, and they’re sending the CKUA audience a song:
