In this first episode of Conversations with Neighbours, Huda Tayob speaks to Jumoke Sanwo and Ali Al-Adawy on questions of archives, untranslatability and opacity. This first conversation points to archives as an imaginary space of possibility - raising questions around the place of performance and the body, and the epistemological implications of engaging with the untranslatable and opaque. We ponder on the Yoruba word for archive, reflect on the music and lyrics of Alexandrian rapper Wegz, discuss the work of Jelili Atiku and question the implications of the Arabic translation of Thomas Mofolo’s novel Chaka under Nasser’s rule in Egypt.