Sadaa Sound Syndicate: Syria’s overtly disobedient sound collective

Established in 2021, Sadaa Sound Syndicate (SSS) is a collective that serves to preserve and reimagine Syria through sound. The group’s name draws on the Greek root of the word syndikos, which means ‘caretaker of the matter’—deliberately putting their mission into perspective and outlining their commitment to nurturing sonic practices within their communities. At its core, SSS resists the fracturing of Syrian society since the onset of the war in 2011; in doing so, they put the Syrian experience at the forefront, refusing cultural disappearance.

Building on this mission, SSS launched Sawt Syria earlier this year, a two-part project in collaboration with Boiler Room that explored the Syrian underground music scenes in Damascus and Berlin. The story featured broadcasts exhibiting influential Syrian DJs and producers, along with video essays introspecting on what it means to be Syrian, especially with so many now in exile. With that, they also launched a fundraiser through Boiler Room’s first-ever Syria t-shirt, with proceeds going to Ettijahat-Independent Culture, to assist Syrian artists, as well as to Medical Aid for Palestinians. 

Supporting Syrian sound practitioners has been central to the collective since their inception—that is why they have also partnered with Boiler Room to offer grants for Syrian creatives: “SSS was born as a response to a dispersed Syrian sonic sphere,” the group tells Dazed MENA. “We gathered in an attempt to reconnect and explore the possibilities of building a collective space working towards shedding light on the Syrian sonic scene, supporting practitioners at home and abroad.”

Other initiatives include the Mikro micro-grant programme for sound practitioners in Syria, which is supported by Mawrid—a regional non-profit culture resource—as part of its Culture 3.0 programme. They’ve also gained international visibility through the London-based NTS Radio. “We operate from a shared desire to explore and experiment with modes of gathering and assembly formats,” their manifesto outlines. “Our motive is to enact an understanding of care for a cross-border, transnational, and interdisciplinary network of sonic practitioners.” 

The manifesto mentioned here refers to the declaration SSS authored, which lays the foundation for their work. Its creation speaks to the deeply-held conviction of SSS and brilliance; beyond simply stating their beliefs, the manifesto also outlines an innovative internal governance structure—born from an awareness that their longevity and stability depends on an organisational vision. Exploring their formation as a Decentralised Autonomous Organisation (DAO), the group embodies its commitment to a horizontal and anti-establishment form of governance. 

Despite their political discipline, the collective also asserts itself as being “overtly disobedient.” The manifesto reads: “We are anti-essentialist and refuse to restrict and be restricted. We will therefore actively inhabit spaces within and beyond what we are told to remain in. We believe in the sonic’s boundless possibilities. We seek to challenge dominant frameworks and imbalance power relations to reimagine new ways of being.”

The collective credits their synergy to the fusion of individual expertise and shared passion, describing it as the engine behind their collaborative exploration of sound and place. “Our diverse skill sets and experiences, as individuals within a group, create an inspiring and interesting environment where we can learn and experiment collectively towards realising an idea,” they disclose. “That is of course a driving force, along with our deep appreciation of sound and our land.”

“Our purpose is not to force change but to create and nurture new waves of Syrian sonic practices, fragile yet resilient in the face of limited support and a harsh reality,” the collective shares. “We believe in the power of radical collaboration between kindred spirits who hold a deep love for our land and its people. It’s a process of weaving something beautiful together, where the act of creation is as vital and transformative as the final piece itself.”

SSS offers a model for how art can serve as both preservation and evolution. With their projects ranging from archiving Syria’s underground music scene to empowering sound artists on the ground, they show us what is means to our communities: “While our early projects are rooted in and around Syria, a land scarred by immense destruction, our vision extends to the broader geography of Bilad al Sham,” they affirm. “Our future projects will tap into different areas of the Middle East and North Africa region, as we believe that our landscape at large is full of potential and light.”

With an unwavering belief and adoration for Syria and the greater region, the collective hopes to establish an enduring resource for SWANA sound practitioners; a space for ideas to take root and grow. “Sustainability and continuity is key,” SSS declares. “We want to see our syndicate becoming a resource that Syrian and Arab sonic practitioners can lean on and benefit from in the long term. We also want to hold a space dedicated to making and chasing curiosity; where we breathe life into an idea with collaborators across the region across various mediums—print, film, and sound of course.”