Re: Syndicate: inquiry: public loudspeaker systems?

[Andreas Broeckmann <abroeck@v2.nl>]

[the second instalment of responses]


From: "Katrin Kivimaa" <kypsis@hotmail.com>

dear andreas,
talking from my own experience. yes they were on the streets in estonia but
were used as far as i can remember (1970s-80s) only during public events --
organised demonstrations or other celebrations.
i don't really know if there has been any research done on this but i can
ask some people
best
katrin


From: Golo Foellmer <golo@adk.de>

In Dresden I have even heard announcements for public transport passengers
(tram) over these sorts of speakers only 2 years ago. I don´t remember whether
these were new or old.
Then there is the famous city of sounds, which is approximately how sound
artist Andres Bosshard refers to the city of his heart Benares, India, from
several reasons. He talked to the ´Radio Wala´ there, who told him about his
7000 loudspeakers in the city, being used for different purposes.
(Possibly more about this in a text by Bosshard in the german journal
´Positionen´, #26/1996)
Cheerio. Golo


From: "Edi Muka" <ediqnk@albaniaonline.net>

dear andreas,
i do remember very well from my childhood and even until late days in some
places the street loudspeakers. from the beginning of the communist days
those things (a speaker on top of a pole) were called "Qendra e Zërit",
which means "the voice center". in the beginning it was very political but
much more loose, like some kind of radio. of course during certain hours of
the day they were simply broadcasting radio-tirana, but they were having
also reading of breaking news, mainly on the cought of the enemies, or new
achievements of the people led by the party and so on, and even broadcast of
court senteces for the "groups of enemies". later on, from when i can
remember, they hardly existed in the cities. but there were special spots,
like main square of Durres, my childhood city, where big loudspeakers were
installed. but what i remember best is the Durres beach. for a distance of
about ten kilometers, which is about one third of the entire beach, there
were installed loudspeakers on neon poles every 50m, maybe. these were
connected to a place somwhere in the middle of that distance, a two floor
house, called "Qendra e Zërit", which was broadcasting radio-tirana, but
that was informing about many things, especially lost kids and whatsoever.
now that's quite a lost thing, past history already,
best,
edi.


From: Iaroslava Boubnova <iaraica@mbox.cit.bg>

Dear Andreas,

I remember such loudspeakers in Moscow pretty well. I have never heard any
information from them except very official and optimistic texts as well as the
same type of music during state ideological hollidays. I have a feeling that I
hear all that now.

May be I know it so well, because I lived in the center of Moscow not so far
from the Kremlin.

I never heared about such a thing in Bulgaria, where I live now, but in the
film "Canary Season" (early 90-ies, Dir. Evgeni Mihailov), the public
loudspeakers are used for the trainig alarm of the Civil Defence Servise during
late 50-ies.

I'm sure that in Moscow or here in Sofia the only one institution which can be
responcible for such loudspeaker would be this Civil Defence whatever.

I would be glad to take part at any stage of such public project.

Best wishes, Iara Boubnova


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