Saving Somalia’s Sonic Past

In a cramped, air-conditioned room deep within the Radio Mogadishu archive, thousands of fragile reel-to-reel tapes sit silently. These recordings hold not only Somalia’s musical heritage but also its collective memory, news bulletins, speeches, and voices that once resonated across the country’s airwaves.

Abdiqadir Geedi Robleh, an archivist at Radio Mogadishu, threads a reel onto an old tape machine with precision. As Mohamed Mooge Liban’s love song fills the room, transporting him back to his youth, he listens intently. This isn’t just nostalgia; it’s a mission to preserve Somalia’s past before it deteriorates beyond recovery.

Radio Mogadishu was founded in 1951 during the Italian colonial era and was once among East Africa’s most influential voices. It broadcast in multiple languages, reaching audiences from Tanzania to the Middle East. Its pan-African style of broadcasting reminded many of Radio Cairo under Nasser. For decades, Radio Mogadishu served as a key news source and a vital repository of Somali history.

The effort to digitize its archives has gained momentum thanks to a workshop held by Somalia’s information ministry and UNESCO’s regional office for Eastern Africa. The project aims to register the contents with UNESCO’s Memory of the World programme, which catalogues archives of significant historical value. “Protecting this knowledge isn’t just relevant for Somalia,” says Guilherme Canela, a senior UNESCO official overseeing the project, “but it is relevant for everyone.”

The archive contains an estimated 400,000 hours of material since its founding, with over 85% remaining playable. However, approximately one in ten tapes has deteriorated with age, and more than 5% have been destroyed or severely damaged. The archive was recognized for both its size and the uniqueness of its contents, which exist nowhere else.

The digitization drive began as early as 2012 but has been hindered by a lack of resources. Abdi Jeite, Radio Mogadishu’s director, estimates that only about 10% of the archive has been converted so far. “We’ve got some new tools and more training for our archivists,” he says, “but there is still a lot of support needed.”

Radio was uniquely effective at creating a shared public sphere in Somali society, which values orality above the written word. It allowed people to feel connected to one another and a sense of nationhood.

The significance of Radio Mogadishu’s archives goes beyond Somalia’s borders. They hold a piece of Africa’s media history, a testament to the power of broadcasting in shaping public discourse and identity. The archive also serves as a reminder of the importance of preserving cultural heritage in the digital age.

As the world becomes increasingly reliant on digital platforms, we risk losing the tangible artifacts of our past. Radio Mogadishu’s archives are a poignant example of what can be lost when we fail to preserve our history. The efforts underway to digitize these recordings are not just about saving a collection; they’re about safeguarding Somalia’s cultural identity and its place within Africa’s media landscape.

The story of Radio Mogadishu is one of resilience in the face of adversity, from the Italian colonial era to the civil war that ravaged Somalia. Its archives hold not only music but also the voices of those who risked everything to preserve them. As we reflect on this legacy, we’re reminded that the past is a fragile thing, susceptible to loss and decay.

The fate of Radio Mogadishu’s archives hangs in the balance, a precarious dance between preservation and obsolescence. Will Somalia be able to safeguard these sonic artifacts before it’s too late? The world will be watching as the country struggles to preserve its history, one reel at a time.