The secret Somali mixtapes

Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala

Jun 23 2022 • 28 mins

It’s 1988, and Somalis are fleeing the city of Hargeisa. People are trying to get out, trying to save their families and sometimes their things. But in the city’s radio station, staff are packing cassettes and reel to reel recordings into a secret underground bunker. What's on them? A slice of the country’s musical heritage, to remain for years in an underground room—until now. Listen to songs from the episode on this special playlist on Spotify: https://tedtalks.social/3yct0Mj

This story was produced in collaboration with Kerning Cultures, a podcast telling stories from the Middle East and North Africa, and the spaces in between. You can find the podcast wherever you're listening to this.

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