the radio star

At times I have been a vocal critic of Faroese radio. The stations are few and reception is easily lost 'round the bend. News updates are incessant, and talk-radio is very popular. It's a formula for disaster. Or that is what I thought before I started listening to the radio for seven hours a day. Unbeknown, my problem has been that I wasn't listening to the radio enough. Most Faroese households and businesses have their radios tuned in all day long, and in response to that cultural nugget, stations assemble incredibly diverse programming. For example, in one morning of radio listening at work I will hear: Top-10 pop songs, hymns and a heartfelt devotional, an exercise segment narrated by a smooth-voiced woman giving breathing instructions over remixed Elton John songs, a children's story, the news multiple times, folk chants, and other assorted musical selections. (Blocks of Sting, R.E.M. or the Gaither Brothers. Classical overtures, opera excerpts and the Beatles. Old Tom Waits, new White Stripes, David Hasselhoff.) Faroese radio, in fact, has become one of my most consistent companions. It makes me feel happy when a Ravonettes song comes on, unloved when I must listen to a car dealer advertise his goods for an entire hour, and transported home when an old favorite finds a spot in the eclectic mix. I am befuddled and isolated in so many ways at my job, but I am always anticipating the next song. -a