Family members : Bert François & Susan Chan

Bert François and Susan Chan, Balearic Brakfast's Family members, are the kind of people you want to get closer to when you look at their many (and excellent) requests. And that's precisely what I did!

1) Hello Bert! It’s so lovely to have you here on the blog! You make so many great requests that I always wanted to talk with you! So tell me, how did you get into music?

Hi Artur, great work on the blog! I have many influences from different genres of music. My family, mainly my father and uncle, were into soul music in the 1970s, and when I came back from the islands where I was brought up, it was the beginning of the disco era, which was played nonstop back then. After that, my uncle got me into jazz fusion music. Then, when I attended my multi-ethic high school, I was exposed to rock, new wave, hip hop, and R&B, house music coming a little later.

2) You’re one of the « die-hard » fans of the show; tell us, how did you discover Colleen?

It was the early 1990s. After coming from the gym in Midwood, Brooklyn, I went to a record shop and met a guy browsing vinyl who asked me about my musical taste; we had much in common. I believe we both had Caribbean heritages. At the time, I was an avid listener of DJ Disciple, who had a house music radio show broadcasted from Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. He told me I should check out this radio show called "Club 89" with "DJ Cosmo", broadcast from the New York University radio station (which I did): it came on at 10:30 pm at night on Tuesdays, and it was really good! I’m an early bird type of guy, so I did tape the show using a timer from 10:30 pm to about 1 am, and from the time I heard that 1st show, I was hooked! It was almost like I was transported to another listening world, a musical escapade with no commercials and the track IDs being announced! Some tracks, like white labels and import tracks, would be hard to find.

Colleen with Bert François and Susan Chan (May 2023)

3) How do you choose the songs you’re going to request for Balearic Breakfast?

Since there is a variety of musical genres to choose from, I first try to vibe with Cosmo’s theme or style in her request posts on Saturday mornings: it may be an artist tribute or perhaps tracks reflecting a change in season; I may feel in a jazzy mood and come up with some jazz requests or request what I call a "Club89" Classic track. I also try to mix my requests, whether old or new, each time because not everyone is into a particular tempo or style of music. So, I try and vibe with the Balearic Breakfast family’s taste as well to help make it a great show!

4) What do you love the most about Balearic Breakfast?

Balearic Breakfast is like a university to me! I learn so much about different types of music genres and artists each week that I can’t afford to miss an episode!

5) What does the sentence « and remember just be Balearic » Evoque to you?

To me, “Just Be Balearic” equals “Just Be Uniquely Authentic”...

6) Hello Susan! I am so happy to have you here too as you’re also a great requester of the Balearic Breakfast show :-) What are your musical Backgrounds (memories from your childhood, songs that impacted you as a child/teenager)?

Thank you! When I was younger (pre-teen), Teresa Teng was being played in our home almost 24/7. She's a Taiwanese pop singer who died at a young age. When I became a teenager, my musical taste was heavily influenced by my uncle, who played Little River Band, Dr Buzzard Original Savannah Band, Bob Marley, The Bee Gees, and Aswad. Not to say that I did not adore New Kids on the Block. I was also into pop music back then. My musical taste buds awakened when my husband took me to Deep Space (Francois Kevorkian's party that ran every Monday at Cielo - NYC).

7) How did you find out about “Balearic Breakfast”? Were you already following Colleen before the show started?

I found out about Colleen when she played at Francois K's Deep Space party many moons ago. I found out about Balearic Breakfast during the pandemic. Honestly, I initially thought she was a bit chatty (laughs!), but that was me not being an active listener and not appreciating the knowledge that she was imparting and the music that she was sharing! One day, it just clicked, and I have been hooked ever since and tried to see her when she had gigs in NYC!

8) What aspect of “Balearic Breakfast” attracts you the most?

The sense of community and people sharing the same love/interest in music.

9) Do you feel the show conveys more than just music ? How has it impacted you personally?

The show is definitely more than just music. Balearic Breakfast has helped me to get through the pandemic. I looked forward to its musical goodness every Tuesday! Music has the power to put me in a better mood!

10) If you had to choose (this one is hard, I know, laughs!) one DJ you discovered thanks to the show and that had a significant impact on you, which one would it be and why? I cannot choose one, but I can choose 2! I choose Colleen"Cosmo" Murphy and Francois Kevorkian because I feel like they play from their heart and they are not about blending/mixing two songs perfectly but about the song that they're playing. Most of all, they are humble and modest; I never felt that I could not ask them for a track ID. They're always willing to share their stories, knowledge, and thoughts!

Thank you so much to both of you for answering my questions!

Thanks for reaching out! Have a wonderful weekend = )