Sonic Cartographies of Internationalism

Abstract

How does sound chart a different story of anticolonialism? Sound could perhaps draw out another map of space in history. Mirroring the form of sound waves, this article travels across borders, following the way sound waves themselves move. This is partly what makes sound so important, and what made the radio so central to anticolonial movements: Sound waves built new relations of solidarity because they could not be confined within colonial borders. From official state radio stations such as Voice of the Arabs in Egypt to pirate radio stations run by rebel movements, such as the Voice of Palestine, Radio Freedom in South Africa, and Voice of the Free and Fighting Algeria, the sounds of anticolonialism were often broadcast through radio waves. In this article, we draw out the rich landscape of radio broadcasting, from cultural programming to armed struggle and labor organizing.