Badawi Sahrawi Archives (@badawisahrawiarchives) is the first Saharawi music label and archive set up and run by the music producer and DJ Bedouin Sahrawi, a refugee raised in Spain. Currently based in the Canary Islands, his heart is rooted in the Sahrawi refugee camps and in the Sahrawi cause.
“In the past, Sahrawi music was only accessible for a few people that knew about the cause,” he said. “Now, we can promote the music online worldwide and support Sahrawi musicians ... It’s a way to present our music to the world.”

Bedouin Sahrawi has been collecting Sahrawi music for decades. He is in the process of digitising all of it to release through the Badawi label. Sahrawi political folk music dates back to the 1970s and has played an integral role in the Sahrawi struggle for independence, with political anthems creating a national identity.

In 2019, Badawi co-released the standout album ‘Tiris’ by El Wali with Sahel Sounds. Originally recorded in Belgium in 1994, this version of El Wali performed a style reflecting the popular music of the Sahrawi refugee camps. A small run CD was first released through Oxfam Belgium, but it quickly disappeared and is impossible to find. After an arduous search over 8 years, the artists, the studio, and the original recording were eventually tracked down.

“One of the things that can kill us is when we start to forget the things that we have done,” said Bedouin Sahrawi. “Our aim is to keep releasing all Sahrawi music and bring it back to life again.” DJ Bedouin Sahrawi has curated this archive of Saharawi music, some of which is available online free or
to download.