Who we are
Falafel Frequencies is an inclusive radio station that mainly speaks to the SWANA (South West Asian & North African) diaspora.
The idea is to showcase the hyphenate SWANA diaspora’s arts, cultures, and languages, our minorities of the minorities, and our surrounding cultures that influence us. Think arts and languages such as Kurdish, Tamazight, Assyrian, Armenian, Soninke, Neo-Aramaic, Nubian, Turkish, Somali, Afar, Farsi, Pulaar, Coptic, Wolof, and any others that speak to us.
We talk about all topics with nothing off-limits. Our mandate is accepting, tolerant, and welcoming to all SWANA members of all ages, races, gender expressions, sexual orientations, and religions or lack thereof.
The full story
In 2015, we noticed a void when it came to having a media outlet that represents the SWANA diaspora. SWANA identities went underutilised, underrepresented, and lost in between day-to-day assimilation and cultural belonging.
So we started Calgary Arabia. It was a 2-hour weekly radio show on Red FM 106.7 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Over our 7 years of broadcast, Calgary Arabia evolved into a powerhouse of independent and inclusive broadcasting.
In 2022, we decided to revamp it all, resulting in the birth of Falafel Frequencies.
Falafel Frequencies is a 24/7 online radio for the SWANA diaspora - a sonic journey that transcends borders and cultural nuances. An inclusive radio platform that amplifies voices from the SWANA diaspora and reflects its rich tapestry of arts, cultures, and political landscapes.
With Falafel Frequencies, we aim to not only be a radio station; we want to create a community, belonging, free expression, a voice for the SWANA diaspora, and a deeply valid hybrid identity!
With Calgary Arabia, we had:
5.5M+
Impressions across radio, digital, and social media
7+
Years of broadcasting from 2015 to 2022
13K+
followers across social media platforms
We're an inclusive 24/7 radio platform that amplifies voices from the South West Asian and North African (SWANA) diaspora and reflects its rich tapestry of arts, cultures, and political landscapes.
Mission
Vision
Here’s to a world where SWANA has a distinct voice.
About our Founder, Noha Mohamed
Noha Mohamed is a radio journalist and a writer with a passion for exploring the intersection of culture, identity and representation of SWANA people. Her work focuses on amplifying underrepresented voices and challenging stereotypical narratives, particularly about the Arab world.
She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Calgary, a Multimedia Journalism Certificate from the University of Toronto School of Continuing Studies, and an MA in Global Media & Digital Communications from SOAS, University of London.
“I started this station because I wanted to have a voice and for others in my community to have a voice. I wanted a space where we could thoroughly relish in our arts. I want us to tell our own stories, and enjoy our cultures.
I won’t wait for someone else to ‘represent us’ more accurately. F*ck it, I’ll do it myself.”