About Us

The Origin Story of AudioBio

I am Julien Manuguerra-Patten, I am the founder of AudioBio. I am a radio journalist and audio producer by trade. I grew up in Nice, France and later on moved to Canada and the UK, where I live now with my wife and two kids - Jack and Orla. I have founded AudioBio with a deep personal connection to the concept. AudioBio is more than a venture for me; it's a heartfelt mission to honor the lives and stories of our loved ones. 

My journey with AudioBio began as a tribute to my own grandparents, Josette and René Frediani, who left an indelible mark on me. They were incredibly kind and loving people, always fully present for me and my siblings. Sleepovers at their tiny place near Nice's old town were the absolute highlights of my childhood; they were humble, happy people and they both really taught me what unconditional love is. Grateful doesn't even begin to describe how I feel towards both of them. They were beacons of kindness and connection, throughout my entire life. 

Unfortunately - you saw it coming, didn't you? - I lost my grandparents in the late 2000s, within two years of each other. I was living in Canada at the time, far away from France. They were gone before I knew it. 

As we all know, there are few moments in life where you feel as isolated and desperate as in time of deep grief. I missed them immensely, immediately. That void that people talk about... I was feeling it for the first time. 

Then there comes a time when you emerge from the grief, your head just above the water, to try and look for ways to stay aflot. Some kind of lifeline to carry on. I vividly remember wishing that lifeline had been more than a few photo albums and three soundless and souless Super 8 video tapes. 

Fast forward to the year 2017. As my wife and I embarked on the emotional rollercoaster of our first pregnancy, something unexpected happened. I felt disconnected, experiencing an intense feeling of... loss, bizarrely. I was about to become a father but I suddenly realized that I had, yet again, next to nothing to connect the old and the new generation together. I could only offer my soon-to-come children disembodied stories. Nothing substancial and emotionally connected; nothing like the joy of hearing my grandmother cheeky jokes and contagious laughter; nothing like the soothing sound of my grandfather gentle voice. And then it dawned on me - I was actually mourning the death of my grandparents for a second time; not for me this time, but for my unborn children. 

I know this personal journey is one shared by many. It's the same old song and dance: we often take the present for granted, only to find ourselves yearning for something that's now gone, facing the toughest of times with too little to hold on to. 

Hopefully, we don't have to anymore. 

That's moi on the left. My grandparents, middle and right (with a cameo from my twin brother Nicolas, bottom left... or right, I'm not sure!)