LISTENING AND HEARING: THE ART OF REPETITION

This short soundscape was recorded in Boulaq Abou El Ela, a neighborhood in Cairo, during a bike ride on a Friday morning. While moving through the area, a repeating sound gradually became apparent. The voices of Muslim sheikhs speaking through televisions, radios, and loudspeakers could be heard from windows along the street, reappearing every few seconds as I passed.

This repetition raised in me the question: is anyone actually listening? The voices seemed constant and omnipresent, blending into the everyday rhythm of the neighborhood rather than standing out as individual messages.

The soundscape incorporates an archival recording of a sheikh discussing the difference between hearing and listening, adding a reflective layer to the field recording and echoing the question that emerged during the ride.