The sound of synchronized sisterhood.

The sonic choreography in a nail salon amongst folks who have a shared feminized experience.

The distance between friends in different chairs lowers the voice level but not the depth of the conversation. What is not captured in these sound pieces are the non-verbals.
 The facial expression made between the spa staff and friends when people enter late, wait too long or have a topic they want to bring up to the group and don't know how.
In deep listening you can hear the breeze and ocean agreeing with the commentary.

Black Femme Relationality | Jamaica

In the middle of a deeply intimate and honest conversation with a friend, a moment of release a warm rain washed the patio and foliage around us.
I am always amazing but never surprised by the sonic subtitles of nature. How she always shows herself as part of the conversation. This break was medicinal. Calming after an animated conversation. 

I will be testing the frequency of this specific rain pour for a larger project on timing: how nature always interrupts at the right time.

Palm Woods Rain | Kauai

I had a full drum kit stored in the back of my Jeep for a couple weeks waiting to set it up in my friends studio.

It became my radio. My music. I observed the energy and frequency of each freeway I drove on. Which one activated the bass drum, the high hats. 

The 405 S apparently loves the cymbals.

Sonic Architecture of the I - 405 S | Los Angeles

Staying in a dear friends home, Dominique, if indoors I passed most of my time meditating on the sounds of the community I had joined. 

The resonance between the kids and the kids(goats) was my favorite aspect of listening.

Were they mimicking each other? Mocking? Or are they simply holding the sound of youth. A frequency that is just the same.

Kids Kids Goats | Accra, Ghana

This is what is sound like to float down the Okosombo river with the entire south side of the river on fire.

I was sitting in a small plastic raft with a bottle of wine in the center of the vein and could feel the heat.

River Fire | Okosombo, Ghana

Birds Talk Shit Too
Deeply listening with allows for self reflection. I clearly was projecting and in a state of self criticism as my entire stay I felt like this specific bird was challenging me to present my self. To say something back.

And I never did.

Birds Talk Shit Too on Bompas Road | Johannesburg, South Africa

It seems distinct in all the neighborhoods I have lived in, in California, yard day was Sunday. I never realized the sonic training it had on me.

So on a Wednesday in a tranquil moment in the park hearing a lawn mower next to a meditative creek had me question: What other days have I trained my brain to anticipate sounds? And why does this sound, the lawn mower seem so out of place?

Yard Day At the Park | Inokashira Park Japan

Three young women lead the revolution chant during the Protest marching to the capital during the Sudanese uprising.

Men surrounding them followed their lead unflinchingly. Protected them with their baritone.

Thawra (revolution) | Sudan

Zion Estrada (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist researcher living on Tongva Territory whose work flows between experimental archival filmmaking, sonic collage, narrative strategy/research, and experiential design with an emphasis on discourse and communal dialogue as medicinal tools. She is most interested in the non-verbal qualities of storytelling in Africa and her diaspora and how these sounds hold the spirits of the past and the alchemic power to magnetize communities, movement, moods, and healing.

Zion’s  experimental collage language in film and sonic works often use layering of field recordings, found sounds and carefully curated sound clips that explore a line of discourse that drives self exploration or a realization of positionality within the conversation. She draws on the traditions of Black Trans abolitionists care making, sex worker solidarity,  doula presence practices, design centered purpose  and movement architects love of release.

Zion Estrada

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