Riding Pine - Episode October 5, 2026

That was, uh, Kenlo, uh, with his version of C'est beau, uh, "It's beautiful".

Uh, Kenlo spelled K-N-L-O, uh, otherwise known as Ikenna Okoko.

Um, sometimes he goes by the name Kenlo Kraknuk.

Uh, he's a rapper and composer, um, originally from Quebec City.

Um, he also is a member of the group À la claire ensemble, which is-- has got some really great, um, uh, songs if you like, uh, rap, French rap from Quebec.

Um, prior to that, we had La vie, which simply means "life", um, from Ishan.

And Ishan is such a remarkable, um, singer from Montreuil in France.

He's now, uh, now continues his career in Paris.

Um, but, uh, that song in particular is just so identifiable.

It's completely undeni-- like undeniably him, and yet it's hard to say like what that genre is.

Um, his parents are from, uh, the Cameroon.

Um, maybe that explains, um, how it sounds different, but it's such a phenomenal song.

And then we started that set with Hawa B from Montreal, um, with, uh, uh, her song, the ver- the French version of End.

Um, so yeah, three, three Francophone artists.

Um, I'm planning on playing some Portuguese artists later in the hour.

It is seven twenty-two here at CJSW.

You're listening to Riding Pine.

Um, John will return next week, next Monday.

But in the meantime, I guess I'm riding pine, um, here in the studio, but I'm also, um, playing some music for you.

Um, seven twenty-two, let's head, head back to music.

Um, I'm going to play, um, Rêver éveillé, meaning, uh, "to be awake," uh, "dreaming but awake", um, by Claude Bégin and Claudia Bouvette, uh, uh, released in twenty twenty-three.

Um, they're, um...

So Claude Bégin is also in the group À la claire ensemble with, um, the singer that we just heard, Kenlo.

Um, but he's doing this collab with, um, um, Claudia Bouvette, uh, who sings more pop and R&B.

So we have a rapper and, but, but they kinda make this, this really interesting pop fusion.