The Sound of Six Refugee Populations

In our new series, The [Un]Observed on GOOD, we partner with the The [Un]Observed, a radio magazine that brings you candid conversations and beautifully crafted radio and audio pieces from around the world. The magazine explores the intimate, and sometimes surprising, moments of art, culture, and life through the malleable, and often magical, medium of sound. Pieces you will find here have been dug up from the archives of internationally recognized journalists and artists whose work would remain unheard were it not offered a new life on The [Un]Observed. Every other week, we will bring you new works to listen to and explore.

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"Chorus of Refuge" is a sound installation for six radios in which the stories of six refugee populations (Somali Bantu, Burundi, Afghani, Sudanese, Iraqi, and Burmese) from six different cites across the United States (Portland, Phoenix, Amarillo, Omaha, Detroit, and Indianapolis) are transmitted simultaneously to six radios in one space. The voices are harmonized and synced up rhythmically to unite their narratives and the piece engages radios as a medium because this is the way most refugees receive news while in camps.

Chorus of Refuge was created by Jason Cady, Kara Oehler, and Ann Heppermann. To read the original post, and listen to more stories, visit The [Un]Observed.