ABOUT ME

I was first bitten by the journalist bug at the age of 10 after visiting a television station open house in Winnipeg. My parents took me there because some how they always knew I’d be on tv, even though there was no one out there that looked like me. I still remember that I used to practice announcing the news in front of my family, using a hair brush as my microphone. Later on in my teens, I received a very special opportunity be an exclusive VIP backstage at every single Bollywood concert that travelled through Canada from other parts of the world. This opportunity was on a whole ever level where I met some of the most famous stars in the world. Soon after, curious about my South Asian homeland, I travelled to Pakistan several times to learn more and I fell in love with the music and culture instantly, returning home with over 200 CDs, mixtapes, and DVDs. Flash forward to now, I am the first Pakistani-Canadian in Alberta to work in radio, television, and in print all at the same time. As such, I have made my family, friends, community, and the city of Edmonton very proud.

Hi, my name is Naz Sohni Uppal, I am a media personality.

My first job was at two major stations: OMNI TV and 101.7 FM in Edmonton. I started out as a DJ and producer at 101.7 FM and an entertainment and cultural reporter and producer for OMNI TV. From 2016 until 2018, I also served as City TV’s entertainment and South Asian correspondent, covering entertainment events and topics that affect South Asian Canadians. I very successfully presented both Canadian content and South Asian content seamlessly to peoples’ homes for 14 years.

I even won a Canadian Ethnic Media Award for my news serial, “Ramadan Moments,” a look at the month of fasting for Muslims. My passion for storytelling has also led me to set up “Sumayyah’s World,” a production company where I am making fictional short stories in English about what it is like growing up as South Asian Muslim Canadians and it follows a group of friends just entering high school. The stories are presented and shared in classrooms in elementary and junior high schools, once a month and has reached thousands of Canadian students.

I was born in Montreal, the middle child of 5 children, to two amazing parents. My parents immigrated to Canada from Pakistan in the early 1970’s. They were both the first persons in my family to travel outside and make their home elsewhere. My parents left behind their family, friends, country, culture, their whole life. They hoped for each of their soon-to-be born daughters, to be successful and make their dreams come true in this new country. I grew up speaking English, Urdu and Punjabi. I learned Hindi from the Bollywood films we would watch at home. I was a student of French as well. I was raised in a very multicultural, inclusive, and open-hearted middle class Muslim home. I lived in Montreal, Winnipeg, Colorado Springs, and Edmonton. And I spent my teen years in a smaller town in Alberta called St Albert. While attending elementary and junior high school, I completed the more advanced Enrichment/Challenge program of studies. I attended the Biological Sciences Program at the University of Alberta and did a few associates diplomas thereafter. I am a graduate of the Television Producers Emergence Program and hold an Interior Design Diploma, and a Diploma in Travel. I also did a university internship in Fashion and Design.

HOBBIES AND INTERESTS:

I have a keen interest in meteorology and do online courses on the subject. I enjoy trying new family-owned restaurants and businesses; and I enjoy being adventurous. I have visited multiple countries. I’ve ridden on the back of an elephant and a camel; I’ve been kissed on the cheek by a giraffe; and I have explored all of Canada by VIA Rail train. I also collect music, dance, and play badminton.

WORK EXPERIENCE:

101.7 FM, OMNI TV, and City TV were all a part of the same parent company, Rogers Media. I worked with Rogers Media from 2006 until 2020. That means I was working with the same company, but at multiple stations, having multiple duties and responsibilities all at the same time. I want to clarify that I never job-hopped from station to station.

Here is a brief introduction to what I’ve done:

OMNI Television: I worked on 4 television programs with OMNI Television, a multicultural/multilingual channel based in Canada. I presented news stories for television shows Culture Avenue Alberta, Culture Avenue Ontario, V-Mix Ontario, and I operated and sometimes translated for Focus Punjabi Alberta. Culture Avenue Alberta and Culture Avenue Ontario were programs where I would be invited to a particular holiday or celebration, religious or cultural, and present a story that teaches fellow Albertans and Ontario residents about the holiday or celebration, about the community that celebrates it, and why it is celebrated. We touched on every international holiday and celebration you could imagine. Some of my stories were about: Eid ul Adha; the Hindu Society of Alberta; International Week celebrations; the Toronto Brothers musical act; the Shree Sai Baba Society; the Philippine Students Association; the Kokopelli Choir; and the Sikh Students Society. With V-Mix and Culture Avenue, I presented stories about musicians and artists who were either immigrant Canadians or first-generation Canadians or defined themselves as ethnic artists. I would search out these amazing artists, we would record them playing live, and then l would interview them on their journey and experiences growing up in Canada and becoming musicians and it would air all across Canada. Some of my stories were about: fusion dancer Aasttha Khajuria; singer Josh Sahunta, musician Erica Viegas, singer Dahlia Wakefield, singer Jasmine Singh, tabla genius Ojas Joshi, and artist Nuela Charles. At Focus Punjabi, we would discuss world issues in the language of Punjabi. I would verbally translate the discussion into English for the director to understand as it aired live.

CITYTV: At City TV, I presented as part of the package known as "Entertainment City." Each day, I would share stories about what's it's like growing up as a South Asian in Canada, using entertainment as my platform. I would describe the people and how they live, what's important to them, how they view society, important events and practices, and of course, their culture. My stories also talked about other ethnic communities around the world. Some examples of my stories include: a Bollywood theme park that opened up in Dubai; learning cultural dance moves live on air; international films to watch on Father's Day; partition and what it did to lndia and Pakistan; cultural significance and stamp left by musician Mohammed Rafi; the ancient city of Mohenjo Daro; the history of the Kohinoor diamond; an introduction to wedding songs from the latest international films; Pakistan's version of Sesame Street, Sim Sim Hamara; and lnternational Superheroes abroad. I also presented stories like: is Hollywood changing Bollywood; the Times of India Film Awards held in Toronto, Ontario; the concept of item girls in films; and the purpose of songs placed in Bollywood films.

WORLD FM: I have worked with 101.7 FM Radio from 2006 to 2020. As the name gives away, this is a radio station that broadcasts to multicultural communities in Alberta and all over the world. With my job as radio host and producer, l’ve spoken on everything you can think of during my 14 years there. Some categories include: culture, people, communities, entertainment, relationships, weddings, families, beauty, fashion, health, lifestyle, food, celebrities, music, film, art, multicultural events, celebrations, and practices. I was able to bring listeners international news and topics from their ancestral land, into their homes here in Canada each and every day. My most proud achievements so far: my award-winning radio features, "Ramadan Moments (35 episodes)" and "Hajj Moments (2 episodes)." Ramadan Moments explored how Eid is celebrated; the rules of fasting; why Ramadan is the most holy month for Muslims; is fasting safe on your body; what the community spirit is like; the lunar calendar and why it is used; and historic lslamic events during the month of fast. Hajj Moments was an in-depth look into the Hajj pilgrimage from the eyes of both Muslims born in the faith and reverts to lslam. Both these projects won journalism awards. Since joining the station, viewer ratings soared and I quickly became one of the team’s greatest assets. I also prepared programming for the German shows, Religious Polish, and other South Asian shows as editor and operator. And I set up audio for Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi Edition and FC Edmonton Soccer as well as host their radio on-air pre-game, mid-game, and post-game party shows.

OTHER: My print work includes stories such as: a Nepalese woman who climbed Mount Everest nine times; a mosque in Jurra that's over 100 years old; a Pakistani cardinal appointed by Pope Francis; the popularity of truck art in Pakistan; the artistry behind magnificent mehndi; and Dolce & Gabbana debuting a line of high-end hijabs and abayas. I also created a drama club for young teens to come together after school.

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The job I do is about the people who trust me to share their stories. It is about the communities I get to feature. It is about the lives I change every day. I always wanted to make the audience welcome into my world. Now, everyone in Edmonton knows my name as a person who creates content for all Canadians to enjoy. And my career in media has finally connected my family to everything they left behind in Pakistan. Some lessons I’ve learned along the way: just be yourself, own your truth, and dream big.