In the tapestry of the Somali diaspora, cassette tapes weave a poignant narrative of love, gossip, prayers, and poetry, sustaining connections across continents. Bristol-based artist Fozia Ismail, in collaboration with Dhaqan Collective, embarks on a mesmerizing journey with “Camel Meat and Cassette Tapes,” an art and research project that pays homage to the enduring legacy of letter tapes.
Transported back to the 1980s and early 1990s, before the advent of mobile phones, the living rooms of diaspora families became sacred spaces. Gathered around a humble cassette player, families in north London, Minneapolis, and beyond eagerly pressed play, welcoming the voices of relatives in distant Somalia. For Fozia Ismail, these memories are etched vividly, recalling moments of being beckoned to the living room to connect with a homeland that later became Somaliland.
What was a common method of communication between Somalis in the diaspora and their families back home in the 1980s and early 1990s?
A. Email
B. Letter Tapes
C. Telegrams
“Camel Meat and Cassette Tapes” blossomed from collaborative workshops in 2019, bringing together Bristol-based Somali elders and British-born Somalis. In these gatherings, the cultural and personal significance of letter tapes unfolded. Ayan Cilmi, co-founder of Dhaqan Collective, reflects on the profound impact: “[Young people] ended up finding out so much about them, facilitating conversations they had never really had with their parents, aunts, or grandparents.”
Through the lens of Waaberi Phone, an online archival platform dedicated to preserving Somali art and culture, Ismail and Cilmi wove together a rich tapestry of conversations, music, and poetry. The tapes became vessels of love letters, advice, prayers, and even political messages, becoming a lifeline for the Somali National Movement’s revolutionary spirit against the oppressive Mohamed Siad Barre.
In 1988, amidst the chaos of airstrikes in Hargeisa, Radio Hargeisa broadcasters clandestinely buried thousands of cassette tapes, preserving Somalia’s golden age of music. Today, the Hargeisa Cultural Centre stands as a testament to resilience, housing the largest Somali cassette archive. New York-based Ostinato Records further amplified this legacy by digitizing many tapes, earning a Grammy nomination.
As Somali people are rooted in rich oral traditions, the cassette tape emerged as a natural extension of storytelling and communication. In the poetic whispers of these tapes, love stories unfold, prayers reverberate, and the resilience of a community echoes across time and space. “Camel Meat and Cassette Tapes” invites us to listen, to feel, and to celebrate the indomitable spirit of a diaspora bound together by the melodies of home.
