The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Theory and
conjecture has spoken about the power of social media for years, but it’s only
in the last two months that the world has seen it in practice. The relationship
between Egypt’s January 25th revolution and Facebook and Twitter is
circumstantial at best. So the only way the spirit of the revolution can really
continue to exist in a genuinely effective way is for it to have its own
platform. Enter Radio Ta7rir.

’We’re a rag
tag group of musicians, artists, and friends’ said Wael Omar, an American-educated
filmmaker, as he introduced the Radio Ta7rir team to an eager assembly of
people at Townhouse Gallery of Contemporary Art on Thursday night. Standing
side by side and sporting red armbands, they all took their go on the mic. They
were all bright and succinct, and they all aimed their separate mini-speeches
towards one goal; to carry the spirit of Tahrir Square onwards and upwards.

Like any true
free spirited movement, Radio Ta7rir started as a throwaway suggestion and an
off-the-cuff response, rooted in the middle of Tahrir Square. No doubt the
momentum of the project is owed to word of mouth and Chinese whispers. For the
time being, you can only hear them on Radiota7rir.com, or follow them on
Facebook and Twitter, but everything about the launch party echoed the
protests; the diversity of the attendees, their enthusiasm, and the communality
of the whole concept. There was even the same disorganisation that tarnished
proceedings in Tahrir Square around their drinks and refreshment table.

In regards to
the programming, talk on the floor was exactly what you’d expect. Firstly,
organisers spoke about giving a voice to the revolution. But apart from it
being a pretty decent slogan, what does that even mean? It’s actually pretty
simple. The Radio Ta7rir team are
unanimous in their belief that the revolution is far from over. The protests
have done their part in taking down the regime, but they can’t determine the
future.

One main criticism of those who protested was that they didn’t know
what they wanted; only what they didn’t want. There was no one to speak for
them nor did they have an avenue for their voices. So you could say that Radio Ta7rir will
encourage a real and open political discourse. How they plan to do that is
still unclear. Call-in shows? Studio debates? Broadcasting live events like the
launch party? When you think about it, the options aren’t as broad as you
probably thought after reading the first paragraph. Secondly, organisers spoke
of showcasing local musical talent. As one of the founders, rapper Deeb
performed at the launch party, and his brand of socially aware music seems to
be flavour of the month.    

It’s still
early days for Radio Ta7rir. For all their efforts and enthusiasm, there’s
still a lot that can go wrong. Private backing and fundraisers can only go so
far. They can’t be a big player on the
Egyptian media plane by existing just on the internet. Acquiring a license is
apparently in the works, but it will be by far the most daunting obstacle that
they will face.

In the meantime, the sooner a full-working website hits
monitors, and fixed sponsorship is secured; the better. The momentum is there,
but there’s a fear that this is too much too soon. The launch party and the
selection of shows already on offer have and will continue to garner support,
but that same support will also expect a level of quality befitting the hype.

One thing
that comes across from the team is that they are grounded and realistic in
regards to this project. They know that what they are offering isn’t
necessarily new or unique, but are convinced that it is necessary. Everyone wants this to work, but there‘s
still much ambiguity and hot air around it.

The real innovations of this
project are obscured by a load of over-politicised gobbledegook. Speeches at
the launch party at times sounded like a rally, and the literature found on their
site and on their Facebook page is suited more to a manifesto. This is all fine
and good, but there seems to be minimal talk about Radio Ta7rir as actual radio.
An idea can’t bread a medium, because it will go on to define it, and
ultimately distort it. Radio Ta7rir needs to be media first, rebel second.