Multitrack

Why do we mourn public figures who are effectively strangers? Some have labelled public grief as phoney or performative. But psychologists now believe that these collective outpourings -  ?mourning sickness ? - are genuinely felt, comforting and even necessary. Sochima Iroh wants to better understand this fast growing phenomenon that will only increase as we make more of our emotional bonds online rather than in the physical world.

In the afternoon of January 26, 2020, news began to spread via social media that Kobe Bryant - widely believed to be the greatest basketball player of his generation - had died in a helicopter crash, together with his 13 year old daughter.

Sochima is not a basketball fan. And yet, for some reason he was overcome with a deep sadness. Why? Sure, he was aware of Kobe's dedication as a sportsperson and father, but this felt like more than sorrow. Sochima had a restless night - plagued by thoughts of the lives cut short and his surviving family. He wanted to know, was he the only person experiencing this? Was he losing his mind?

Through conversations with others who grieved Kobe's death, historical research and discussions with sociologists and professors, Sochima embarks on a quest to find out more about public grief and why we're only now hearing more about it.

Recorded at Studio 10

A Vespucci production for BBC Radio 4 in collaboration with Multitrack.

Sochima Iroh asks why we mourn the death of public figures.

Why do we mourn public figures who are effectively strangers? Is it performative? Or is there a sociological explanation? Sochima Iroh explores this fast growing phenomenon.

Cat's Mum is from Austria, but Cat was never taught a word of German. Does she really know her mum at all?

In the early 1960s, Doris grew up in a small village in Austria. After living and working overseas throughout her 20s, she settled in London and started to learn English. She met her husband and they had a daughter, Cat.

Doris chose not to share her mother tongue with her daughter, but brought Cat up in English, a language that was still foreign to her. Cat never thought twice about it. By the time she was at school, her mother was fully fluent in English.

Then, one day, Cat learnt something that made her question whether she knew her mother at all.

So she decides to follow her mum on a trip to her old home town in Austria, to learn more about her family's history and uncover this Austrian side of her mother.

This trip speaks of conflicted nationality and identity, and of stories in families that remain unspoken and submerged underneath the surface of everyday life. It illustrates the bravery and the sacrifices made by migrant parents for their children and the stories of the countries they have left behind.

What we find is a parent who reflects on her desire and willingness to do all she could to assimilate herself into her new country, to become English. Behind the mother wanting to do the best for her own children, we find the story of a woman who broke away from a society struggling to come to terms with its own past.

Producer and Presenter: Cat Gough

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Commissioned as part of the Multitrack Audio Producers Fellowship

Cat's mother is Austrian. Cat can't speak German. Does she really know her?

Cat's mother is Austrian. Cat can't speak German. Does she really know her own mother?

Cat Gough has found that there's a side of her mother's personality concealed by a language barrier.

Cat's Mum is from Austria, but Cat was never taught a word of German. Does she really know her mum at all?

In the early 1960s, Doris grew up in a small village in Austria. After living and working overseas throughout her 20s, she settled in London and started to learn English. She met her husband and they had a daughter, Cat.

Doris chose not to share her mother tongue with her daughter, but brought Cat up in English, a language that was still foreign to her. Cat never thought twice about it. By the time she was at school, her mother was fully fluent in English.

Then, one day, Cat learnt something that made her question whether she knew her mother at all.

So she decides to follow her mum on a trip to her old home town in Austria, to learn more about her family's history and uncover this Austrian side of her mother.

This trip speaks of conflicted nationality and identity, and of stories in families that remain unspoken and submerged underneath the surface of everyday life. It illustrates the bravery and the sacrifices made by migrant parents for their children and the stories of the countries they have left behind.

What we find is a parent who reflects on her desire and willingness to do all she could to assimilate herself into her new country, to become English. Behind the mother wanting to do the best for her own children, we find the story of a woman who broke away from a society struggling to come to terms with its own past.

Producer and Presenter: Cat Gough

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Commissioned as part of the Multitrack Audio Producers Fellowship

Cat's mother is Austrian. Cat can't speak German. Does she really know her?

Cat's mother is Austrian. Cat can't speak German. Does she really know her own mother?

It's an experience rarely talked about. But here, under the protection of anonymity, three mothers open up about their feelings of loneliness, failure, and shame, and the pressure they faced to have children.

Some pursued motherhood because they believed it's the natural path, while others succumbed to societal expectations. They discuss the sacrifices they have made, including their own happiness and well-being. They've had some positive experiences too, but they are worried about how their feelings will impact their children. Was the price they paid for motherhood worth it?

Producer: Riham Moussa

Executive Producer: Eve Streeter

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4, commissioned in association with the Multitrack Audio Producers Fellowship

Three women share their feelings about regretting motherhood.

Three women share their honest, raw feelings about the taboo subject of regretting motherhood.

Women share their honest, raw feelings about the taboo subject of regretting motherhood.

It's an experience rarely talked about. But here, under the protection of anonymity, three mothers open up about their feelings of loneliness, failure, and shame, and the pressure they faced to have children.

Some pursued motherhood because they believed it's the natural path, while others succumbed to societal expectations. They discuss the sacrifices they have made, including their own happiness and well-being. They've had some positive experiences too, but they are worried about how their feelings will impact their children. Was the price they paid for motherhood worth it?

Producer: Riham Moussa

Executive Producer: Eve Streeter

A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4, commissioned in association with the Multitrack Audio Producers Fellowship

Three women share their feelings about regretting motherhood.

Three women share their honest, raw feelings about the taboo subject of regretting motherhood.

Often frustrating, the messy story reveals much but leaves Sagal with perhaps more questions than answers.

This short documentary could not have been made without Multitrack a charity set up with the aim of making the Audio industry more inclusive and accessible. Sagal, who made the programme, undertook the Multitrack Fellowship and this programme is the culmination of that course.

The music for this short documentary came from 'Sweet as Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa' on Ostinato Records and 'Volume 5' on Awesome Tapes From Africa

Written Presented and Produced by Sagal Hersi

Edited by Leon Chambers

Music by kind permission of Ostinato Records and Awesome Tapes From Africa

Executive Producer: Gordon Kennedy

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4

A personal journey to find the story behind a funk inspired 80s East African revolution.

First-time producer Sagal Hersi's personal journey to reveal the part played by revolutionary musicians in the overthrow of one of East Africa's most feared dictators.

First time Producer Sagal Hersi's chance encounter with some funk music from her parents time in Somalia sparks a journey to discover how it was used to unite and strengthen the movement for change in Somalia in the 70s and 80s.

Often frustrating, the messy story reveals much but leaves Sagal with perhaps more questions than answers.

This short documentary could not have been made without Multitrack a charity set up with the aim of making the Audio industry more inclusive and accessible. Sagal, who made the programme, undertook the Multitrack Fellowship and this programme is the culmination of that course.

The music for this short documentary came from 'Sweet as Broken Dates: Lost Somali Tapes from the Horn of Africa' on Ostinato Records and 'Volume 5' on Awesome Tapes From Africa

Written Presented and Produced by Sagal Hersi

Edited by Leon Chambers

Music by kind permission of Ostinato Records and Awesome Tapes From Africa

Executive Producer: Gordon Kennedy

An Absolutely production for BBC Radio 4

A personal journey to find the story behind a funk inspired 80s East African revolution.

First-time producer Sagal Hersi's personal journey to reveal the part played by revolutionary musicians in the overthrow of one of East Africa's most feared dictators.