Cultural drift on the airwaves

I was browsing through the list of programmes on Resonance FM, and randomly clicked on “The Out of Language Experience” under the Garden.Something.Meeting section.This accidental choice made me appreciate the unique charm of radio art – its ability to break the boundaries of time and space and achieve a wonderful blend of cultures.

What struck me most about the programme was its presentation of endangered languages.The producers have cleverly mixed and matched recordings of lesser known languages or clips from modern films.Creating dialogues across time and space.This re-creation of sound art allows marginalised cultures to be given a new lease of life on the airwaves.

This is the beauty of radio: it allows the voices of different times and places to resonate on the same frequency.A London listener can listen to African tribal songs in real time or relive historical recordings from decades ago.This time-travelling nature makes radio a medium of cultural exchange.Just like my chance listening experience, through the airwaves, languages and cultures that I might otherwise never have been exposed to came into my life in this way.