!earshot Top 200 of 2021

The Irresistible Groove of Funk: Winnipeg Natural Funk Company

By Magnus Thyvold

Funk. When you want to get the party started, there is no better way to get the job done than cranking up the funk. And it works just about as well on Saturday afternoon as afternoon as it does on Saturday night. That's what The Winnipeg Natural Funk Company radio program does every Saturday afternoon from 4 P.M. to 5:30 P.M. MT on 101.5 UMFM. I'm rarely sitting down in the booth�always shaking my buttHost Chris Mulligan doesn't confine himself to just funk. It is, he says, "90 minutes of 60s & & 70s funk, soul, jazz and just a pinch of Disco Fever!"

It sure sounds like a party. When asked what makes funk and soul so special to him his reply is simple, "It's just fantastic music." After a pause comes the real reason. "I'm rarely sitting down in the booth�always shaking my butt." And that's the thing about this music. The groove is almost irresistible. It also provides much of the foundation for modern hip hop and as the show has developed Chris has dug deeper and deeper into the roots of the music. "I started out with my CDs, but lately I've been hunting down vinyl - the more obscure the better," he says. "I love my music collection and enjoy sharing it with my listeners. I really enjoy the people that call in to tell me how much they love the music and enquire about certain songs."

Tracking down the rare gems can take a lot of work, but for fans interested in adding a little old school funk and soul to their collections Chris recommends a few recent compilations; New Orleans Funk, Vol 2 (Soul Jazz Records), What's Happening Stateside Vol.3 (Phamtom Sound & Vision) and MFSB- motherfunkingsonofabitch (Funkadelphia). Or you can just tune into the each. It is available online www.umfm.com or check out WNFC on MySpace (www.myspace.com/winnipegnaturalfunkcompany).

More Grooves

B-Funk on CFMU 93.9FM in Hamilton, ON
Monday from 12 midnight to 2 A.M. ET
Online at cfmu.mcmaster.ca

Confunksion on CHRY 105.5FM in Toronto, ON
Tuesday from 6 P.M. to 8 P.M. ET
Online at www.chry.fm

Lola’s Lounge on CFRC 101.9FM in Kingston, ON
Friday from 8 P.M. to 10 P.M. ET
Online at www.cfrc.ca

These Are The Breaks on CiTR 101.9 FM in Vancouver, BC
Friday from 12 noon to 2 P.M. PT
Online and podcast at www.citr.ca

Quadrafunk on CKUW 95.9FM In Winnipeg, MB
Friday from 9 P.M. to 10:30 P.M. MT
Online and podcast at www.ckuw.ca