The Facts

The FN Group conducted a unique relief project for Somali Radio Voice of New Life in which we established a permanent recording studio at an orphange of over 30 Somali refugees living in Harar, Ethiopia.

The Back Story

Shortly after the media exposure of the horrors of Abu Ghraib and the subsequent American beheadings in Iraq, Paul du Coudray & Aaron Straight decided it was a good idea to go to Harar, Ethiopia the 4th Holiest city of Islam, against the recommendations of the US State Department. As the only Americans in a city built in the 12th century, we ate food we still dream of and met generous people beyond all expectations. After the new recording studio was established, we continued our stay to record and co-produce an album of over 20 Somali folk songs which continues to be broadcast throughout Africa and southern Europe. We also trained the orphanage director, a musician himself, and left studio primed for continued use and future albums. This humble mission was truly a strange and wonderful journey that burned its lessons deeply upon us.

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