Show Notes
Bob Jonkman talks with VEFO, musician and animal rights activist about his social justice philosophy, the alter-ego that VEFO represents, animal liberation, the Plant Based Treaty, producing music, VEFO’s influences and other activities, mainstream music, and the VEFOFEST Popup + Jaqui NDS Tribute this Saturday 29 June 2023 from 4 pm to 8pm at the Arts Quad at the University of Waterloo.
The interview starts at 1m43s.
Online:
- Twitter: @vefovision | Twitter
- Facebook: VEFO | Facebook
- Instagram: @vefomusic | Instagram
- YouTube: VEFO | YouTube
- TikTok: VEFO | (@vefomusic) | TikTok
- SoundCloud: VEFO | SoundCloud
- SoundCloud: GuruuuV | SoundCloud
- Spotify: VEFO | Spotify
- E-mail: vefovision@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
-
VEFOFEST Popup + Jaqui NDS Tribute
- When: 4:00pm to 8:00pm on Saturday 29 July 2023
- Where: Arts Quad at the University of Waterloo (beside Dana Porter Library) Map
- Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/970209694194443/
Podcast
Download: ckms-community-connections-2023-07-24-episode134-VEFO.mp3 (51 MB, 55m32s, episode 134)
Index
| Time | Title | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0m00s | Theme for CKMS Community Connections ccc |
 CKMS Community Connections |
Steve Todd |
| 0m29s | Control the Voices |
 Genre-Bending, Pt. 2 (Beat Challenge) |
VEFO |
| 1m43s | VEFO does perform on Control the Voices, but his vocals are sampled and chopped up. VEFO likes both lyrical and instrumental tracks for balance. | ||
| 2m57s | VEFO wears a mask to create a character, an alter-ego, a new artist profile. VEFO’s music started to promote animal rights activism. In animal agriculture animals are viewed as though they don’t have a personality or a face, and so VEFO was created as an anonymous identity to show that you can turn yourself into whoever you want to, and VEFO is there to support. The mask reduces the ego, and shows how we are all a community of people trying to do better and trying to change the world for a kinder and sustainable future. VEFO has been doing music for six years, the activism for about four years, and hard-core animal rights for the last two years. VEFO draws inspiration from Regan Russell who was killed during an animal vigil in Burlington. Got Your Back was created as a tribute track to Regan. VEFO plays at both musical venues and animal rights rallies. Bob met VEFO at KW Vegfest. | ||
| 8m01s | VEFO tells us about VEFOFEST, this Saturday 29 July 2023 at the University of Waterloo through the UW Animal Rights Society. | ||
| 10m24s |
4 All the Animals (Save The World) Live, On-Air, In-Studio! |
 (single) |
VEFO |
| 13m37s | Talking about the lyrics in 4 All the Animals. Finding VEFO’s motivation in animal activism. Discussing animal liberation, and the trauma that animals experience in industrial agriculture. Are politicians paying attention? Yes, some politicians have endorsed the Plant Based Treaty, and VEFO is trying to get the University of Waterloo to adopt it. This is a world-wide campaign; the UK has had some success, but not so much in Canada. The treaty applies to institutions as well, such as hospitals, jails, schools. But Bob hasn’t seen much uptake in his mom’s long term care home. | ||
| 23m39s |
SHINE Live, On-Air, In-Studio! |
 (single) |
VEFO |
| 26m12s | Talking about VEFO’s production work. He’s been concentrating on sampling vocals. It’s a way to process his emotions, feeling on top of the world when working on one track, then next day your heart is just torn; music is always there for you. VEFO is a big fan of Moby, re-recording his tracks when the emotion strikes. We discuss dancing. VEFO plays guitar as well, will be playing electric guitar at VEFOFEST. VEFO is also a big fan of Prince. He performs solo, but is always open to collaboration. He’s been practicing with the Liberation Choir at the Wishbone Animal Rights Lab in Toronto, as well as practicing drumming. VEFO will be playing snare drum at the Toronto Animal Rights March 2023 on Saturday 26 August. Will there be a march in Waterloo? VEFO doesn’t think there are enough animal rights activists here to hold a march. | 34m40s | VEFO’s music isn’t mainstream; he doesn’t feel that he can make pop music. Is mainstream media ignoring this music because of commercial interests? Not even Moby releases animal rights music, there’s no commercial value. Maybe mainstream fans don’t want to hear social justice music. VEFO started @VeganLove4All on Instagram and Vegan Love 4 All on YouTube to promote animal rights. |
| 38m50s | Talking about V4EVA and the Beat Challenge, creating a new beat and a new genre every day. | ||
| 39m45s | V4EVA |
Genre-Bending, Pt. 2 (Beat Challenge) |
VEFO |
| 42m02s |
MotionRave Demo Live, On-Air, In-Studio! |
 (single) |
|
| 43m21s | Talking about MotionRave Demo. Music or lyrics first? Either way… Recap of VEFOFEST, doing it every month, next at University of Toronto. VEFO tells us how to release music on streaming services. Talking about the Burlington Vegfest (note: not at Spencer Smith Park, but at the Burloak Waterfront Park Map) | ||
| 49m21s | Talking about GuruuuV, an alter-ego that started VEFO’s music story. It combines “groove” and “guru”; the purple comes from Prince. There’s no politics or message with GuruuuV, just music. | ||
| 51m40s |
Got Your Back Live, On-Air, In-Studio! |
 (single) |
VEFO |
| 55m13s | Bob gives the end credits. | ||
CKMS Community Connections Hour One airs on CKMS-FM 102.7 on Monday from 11:00am to Noon, and Hour Two airs alternate Fridays from 3:00pm to 4:00pm.
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Bonus Video
YouTube: CKMS Community Connections for Monday 24 July 2023
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