Aural Diplomacy. Listening to Hello Americans (1942–1943) by Orson Welles

In 1942 and 1943, Orson Welles produced the radio series Hello Americans , sponsored by the Office of Inter-American Affairs, as part of his efforts as a wartime goodwill ambassador. The twelve thirty-minute episodes explore various regions of Central and South America – including Brazil, the Andes, the Caribbean, and Mexico – and address themes of history and culture. This article examines the sonic strategies – encompassing music and sound – that Welles employed to promote a Pan-Americanist agenda within Hello Americans , focusing on how radio as a medium becomes a site of transatlantic encounter. How does Welles’s use of sound and music shape and communicate a particular vision of Latin American identity within the broader context of Pan-American cultural exchanges? This analysis explores how sonic elements serve as tools of cultural diplomacy during moments of encounter, illustrating how music and sound can foster understanding while also constructing idealized images of Latin America and the Caribbean.