Ismaila Alfa is the host of Fresh Air, heard every Saturday and Sunday from 6 to 9 a.m. across Ontario on CBC Radio One and CBC Listen.

Alfa's warm personality and passion for music, art and community makes Fresh Air the show to wake up to every weekend.

Alfa was born in Zaria, Nigeria and moved with his family to Winnipeg where he studied civil engineering at the University of Manitoba. A playwright and musical artist, he toured Canada and the United States as a hip-hop musician for nearly a decade. To Alfa, music has always been his way to connect with various communities and to hear their concerns.

He joined CBC Radio in Winnipeg in 2008, working as both an audio technician and traffic reporter for the citys morning show, Information Radio.

Alfa served as the host of CBC Radio One's Up to Speed, Winnipeg's afternoon news and current affairs program, from 2013 to 2020. He took the show to #1 in the Winnipeg afternoon radio market. From 2020 to 2023, he was the host of CBC Torontos Metro Morning, Toronto's morning radio program.

Follow Ismaila on Instagram @cbcIsmaila and on Twitter @cbcIsmaila.