The 1st Half Culture Show

From weddings to the Wu-Tang afterparty, and now the borough ballot. Jason “Jace” Dery, better known as Monsieur Notre Dame, joins The 1st Half to talk about community, creativity, and the real meaning of giving back.

An entrepreneur, entertainer, and now political candidate for Montreal’s Sud-Ouest borough with Futur Montréal, Jace opens up about his journey from raising over $25K for Sun Youth to spinning records for Wu-Tang and b...

From the streets of Cameroon to the Canadian national team, Ali Gerba’s story is pure football culture.Paul Desbaillets sits down with the former striker to talk about his rise from humble beginnings, his time in Europe and MLS, and why he believes Canadian football is still just getting started.Gerba opens up about his foundation work, his training centre Complete Striker, and the resilience that shaped his career , on and off the...

This week on One-Man Midfield, Paul Desbaillets dives into some wild headlines that hit deeper than just the pitch:

• 💰 Cristiano Ronaldo becomes football’s first billionaire player — $1.4B net worth and counting

• 🏟️ Manchester United may be changing hands… again. Rumors suggest a Saudi sale in the works

• 🐐 World Cup mascots unveiled: Maple the Moose (Canada), Zazú the Jaguar (Mexico), and Clutch the Bald Eagle (USA)

• 🌎 20 of 48 tea...

What happens when a football-loving, Tottenham-supporting local runs for city council in one of Montreal’s most dynamic boroughs?

We sat down with Shane Thompson, candidate for city councillor in the Sud-Ouest (Little Burgundy, St-Henri, Griffintown & Pointe-St-Charles), to talk about the intersection of football and politics — and why he believes the beautiful game builds better communities.

In this episode:

• Growing up in MTL...

The First Half Culture Show is back, now with two drops every week.🎙️ Wednesdays: Football Culture with Paul Desbaillets🎤 Thursdays: Special Guest ConversationsThis week’s solo drop? Paul’s sounding off on the biggest stories in the game right now:FC Supra shaking up Quebec footballEA’s $55 billion takeover 💰$6,730 World Cup Final tickets — yep, that’s real 🎟️Canada’s historic FIFA ranking 🏆Early-season chaos in the Premier Le...

From early-morning training to late-night recovery, CFL pro Tyrell Richards ( Alouettes de Montreal ) opens up about the realities of life as a professional athlete—how sleep, food, mindset, and community shape everything from performance to personal growth.Presented by Birckenstock in support of the GOAL Initiatives Foundation, this special episode is about more than just football, it’s about building a lifestyle around wellness, ...

6’7” forward Abdul Mohamed of the Montréal Alliance joins The 1st Half Culture Show to talk hoops, heritage, and how football culture shaped him off the court.

From growing up in a Somali-Canadian household to playing pro basketball across Germany, England, and Norway, Abdul unpacks how sport built his identity, and why football has always been part of his story.

We dig into African influence in the global game, how football showed u...

Canadian media icon and cultural connector George Stroumboulopoulos joins The 1st Half Culture Show presented by Breville, in collaboration with evenko and CULTMTL, for a no-holds-barred conversation about football, music, media, and community.

We talk Spurs heartbreak and Bob Marley, why football supporters aren’t just “fans,” how stadiums tell stories, and what it means to live out your values in a system that doesn’t always care....

Canadian alt-pop artist Emi Jean joins The 1st Half Culture Show to talk about her journey from singing opera at age 7 in Quebec bars to touring Asia, going solo, and performing on the grid at the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix.We dive into her love of football, her Osheaga 2025 stage debut, why storytelling is at the heart of her music, and how discipline and teamwork connect athletes and musicians. Emi also opens up about staying ...

In this week’s episode of The 1st Half Culture Show, we sit down with Italian-Canadian independent artist Gion, a rising voice in North America’s alt-pop and R&B scene. From charting with “Je Ne Veux Personne” to consulting for major brands, Gion shares how football culture shaped his creative outlook, why identity matters in his music, and what it means to tell authentic stories through art.If you’ve ever felt the connection b...

Fabio & Dan of Bossa MTL join The 1st Half Culture Show to share how their modern Italian café and market became a cultural landmark in Montreal. From their fresh take on Italian street food to building a warm, vibrant community hub, they talk about staying authentic while creating something truly their own.

We get into what Italian culture means today, why football and family go hand in hand, and how Montreal’s food scene conti...

From Romania to Montreal, Robert Rositoiu has dedicated his career to developing young football talent and shaping the future of the game in Canada.

As head coach of the Montreal Roses FC, Robert talks about winning in Ligue1 Québec, his time at CF Montréal, and what it takes to build players who can compete on the international stage.

⚽ “Coaching is more than tactics — it’s building people, not just players.”

🎧 Watch the full episod...

From the markets of Haiti to the kitchens of Montreal, Chef Paul Toussaint has never stopped bringing culture, community, and soul to the table. In this week's episode, Paul opens up about why he chose food over football, his deep love for the Haitian community, and how he built a BBQ concept inspired by Texas smokehouses and Caribbean soul.🔥 “When you cook, you should do it with the same love you’d show your family.”⚽ “I love...

🎭⚽ From house league heroics to Netflix screen time — Montreal-based actor, writer, and sketch comic Nir Guzinski joins The 1st Half Culture Show to talk football, acting, and how the city shaped his creative hustle.He opens up about:Getting his start in football with the NDG PanthersDealing with setbacks, including the team not making Triple-AHis dad secretly watching games after being asked not to comeScoring the winning goal in...

From university parties to Paris Fashion Week, Schuyler Mota has helped shape Canada’s experiential marketing scene. As President and Co-Founder of CRUEL, he’s led cultural campaigns and branded activations that stretch across Canada and beyond.In this episode of The 1st Half on TSN690, Schuyler sits down with Paul Desbaillets to talk about building CRUEL from the ground up, launching Sports Illustrated’s Circuit Series during F1 W...

🇨🇦⚽ From Wigan to CF Montréal, Tom Pearce shares the ride: growing up near Liverpool, switching academies, getting capped for England, and embracing the poutine life.

In this exclusive sit-down, Tom reflects on culture shock, surviving relegation, and how Montreal is reshaping his game. From Full English breakfasts to playing in the Toulon Tournament, this convo runs deep.

Plus, we hit him with the fan-favorite "12 Questions"—his t...

Rocco Placentino’s story is a journey through passion, grit, and grassroots football power. From playing professionally in Italy to becoming Technical Director at CS Saint-Laurent, Rocco is now helping rewrite Canadian soccer's trajectory—one player, one pitch at a time.

In this episode of The 1st Half Culture Show with Paul Desbaillets on TSN 690, Rocco shares what it was like playing in truffle towns in Italy, how missing a pe...

This week, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Fred and Marco — the beloved faces behind Montreal’s Satay Brothers. From slinging Southeast Asian street food at the Atwater Market to becoming culinary legends on Notre-Dame Street, the boys dish out their origin stories and how football has been a constant thread in their journey.They talk about the multicultural roots of their football passion, the Impact players who used to swing by, ...

This week, Paul Desbaillets sits down with Emilio Zaga Mendez, the Senior Branding Manager at evenko and the creative force behind Canada's premier Latin music festival, Fuego Fuego. From his Peruvian roots and football heritage to shaping the visual identity of major festivals like OSHEAGA, Emilio shares his journey of blending culture, sport, and music into unforgettable experiences.Discover how his uncle, Nolberto Solano, a ...