TURN it up!
Welcome to The Universal Radio Network's podcast page, here you can access our interviews, discussions & podcasts. Visit our website at www.theuniversalradio.com or follow us on social media for updates!Instagram: @theuniversalradioTwitter: @theuniversalrad
Episodes
304 episodes
#302 The Mall Ice Rink Where Kids Go Pro
Ravia sits down with Kanwar Sandhu and Sonny Sekhon to explain why the Brick Invitational Hockey Tournament at West Edmonton Mall feels like the loudest, most electric week in youth hockey. We share the traditions, the history, and the new push...
#301 TURNing it up with Councillor Tang, Ward Karhiio
We talk with Edmonton City Councillor Keren Tang about what record rainfall reveals about stormwater capacity, flood response, and what residents can do before the next surge hits. We also connect everyday local issues in Ward Karhiio from scho...
#300 TURNing it up with JR Rhodes
We sit down with Edmonton artist JR Rhodes to unpack the meaning behind Awaiting King and why he’s ready to share a more personal, culture-rooted sound. We talk perfectionism, faith and family, plus the real behind-the-scenes work that turns si...
#299 Climate Anxiety
We talk about climate anxiety as a real, complex response to climate change, and we name the grief, anger, guilt and dread that can come with it. We also focus on why this lands differently for the South Asian diaspora and share practical ways ...
#298 How Music Shapes Memory Mood And Motion
Music is a direct line into memory, emotion, movement, and focus because the brain encodes sound alongside our life experiences. We connect the research to real life tools, from rhythm for rehab to playlists and nature sounds for nervous system...
#297 Mendhi Night
Ravia traces how Mendhi moves from a humble desert plant to one of the most meaningful wedding rituals across South Asia, North Africa, the Middle East, and the diaspora in Canada. I also dig into what modern Mendhi nights look like now, and wh...
#296 The Neuroscience Of Gratitude In Hard Times
We look at gratitude through neuroscience and psychology, and why it can feel like a lifeline when the world gets heavy. We share evidence-backed reasons gratitude works, plus simple practices you can use in minutes to shift attention without p...
#295 Therapy Matchmaking, How to Choose The Right Therapist For You
We talk with registered psychologist Komal Kumar about how to choose a therapist when counselling is new and confusing. We break down credentials, confidentiality, and fit so you can walk into a first appointment with more clarity and less fear...
#294 How Bakra Parties Blend Diaspora Culture With Wedding Week Fun
We unpack the rise of Bakra parties and why this newer pre-wedding event is showing up across Punjabi weddings in Canada and other diaspora communities. We explore how food, sports, social media, and changing gender norms turn one night into a ...
#293 What If Popular Media Is Teaching Us Fear?
We dig into how movies and TV shape what people believe about mental illness, from fear-based villain stories to glossy “tortured genius” myths. We also highlight what healthier representation looks like when shows normalize therapy, medication...
#292 TURNing it up with Blitzkrieg
We trace Blitzkrieg’s journey from a Punjabi household in Mississauga to UK breakthroughs and two decades of work shaping South Asian Canadian hip hop. We also get real about surviving cancer and a motorcycle crash, then turning that urgency in...
#291 What Alberta’s Separation Vote Really Means
We talk with Alberta Opposition Leader Naheed Nenshi about why the proposed referendum is effectively a vote to start leaving Canada, even if it’s framed as “process.” We break down the legal roadblocks, the economic risk, and what a stronger A...
#290 Origins of Jugni
We chase a too perfect story about Jugni’s origins and end up face to face with how misinformation spreads through oral history, newspapers, and diaspora retellings. We also map what Jugni becomes across Punjabi folk music, spirituality, film, ...
#289 Queer South Asian Mental Health
We break down LGBTQIA+ language in plain terms, then connect it to the mental health realities queer South Asian people face in Canada. We talk about respect, heteronormativity, colonial roots of homophobia, family honour pressure, and why cult...
#285 South Asian Weddings Became A Status Show
We break down why South Asian weddings can feel like pure joy and pure pressure at the same time, from the marriage market to the modern wedding economy. We look at how status, community expectations, and social media push celebrations bigger, ...
#283 From Komagata Maru To Modern Belonging In Sikh Canada
We trace Sikh Heritage Month in Canada through the hard parts and the breakthroughs, from early migration and exclusionary laws to the RCMP turban fight and Sikh political firsts. Then we pivot into South Asian wedding culture and lay down a pr...
#287 Edmonton Festival Season- Eat, Play, Laugh!
We sit down with two Donovans to preview Edmonton’s festival season and the big collaboration that connects Taste of Edmonton, K-Days, and the Great Outdoor Comedy Festival. We break down what’s free, what costs money, why affordability matters...
#288 Bhangra Goes Global with Hardy Singh
We meet Hardy Singh in Edmonton during his first Canada tour with Karan Aujla, and trace how a kid raised in Dubai turns family celebrations into a global Bhangra mission. We talk about building teams worldwide, pushing dancers into headline sl...
#286 The Science Of Whimsy
We make a science-backed case for bringing whimsy back into adult life, not as a cute extra but as a real way to train cognitive flexibility and improve wellbeing. We connect play, creativity, and positive emotion to dopamine, brain networks, s...
#284 Imposter Syndrome
We break down why imposter syndrome can feel louder during uncertainty and why it often targets high performers, not beginners. We connect self-doubt to locus of control, anxiety, burnout, and the pressure to keep moving the goalpost instead of...
#280 Asha Bhosle: 10,000 Songs
We pay tribute to Asha Bhosle and trace how her voice became the soundtrack of Indian cinema across eight decades. I reflect on reinvention, the stories we project onto famous women, and why a legacy can outlast the moment a legend is gone.&nbs...
#282 How To Set Boundaries & Deal With"Log Kya Kahenge"
We revisit boundaries through a South Asian diaspora lens and get specific about what happens when limits are too rigid, too porous, or missing altogether. I connect healthy boundaries to the circle of control so you can stop burning energy on ...
#281 Alberta Is Adding Four New Pathways To Become A Certified Teacher
We talk with Alberta’s Minister of Education and Childcare about new expedited teaching certificates designed to bring more certified teachers into classrooms sooner. We press on timelines, safeguards, and what “faster” looks like while keeping...
