audio archive

here we are. we are here. is an alternative audio archive of oral storytelling and cultural preservation. using audio collage assemblage to communicate memories, our living archive illuminates paths forward and holds care for the presence of Black and Indigenous artistic spirituality.

here we are. we are here. is coming together — an honoring of the words + sounds + spaces that hold us. through the legacy of Black, Brown, and Indigenous, music and literature, compositions celebrate and are in conversation with the many influences of our peers and ancestors' work on the spectrum of contemporary Black artistic life in regards to spirit and its place in our society.

here we are.

we are here.

transcript coming soon

here we are. we are here. : pack li.gh.te | recording V

recording v was intentionally made as a sound component of pack li.gh.te, a multisensory installation in collaboration with strange fruit femmes cofounder, glyneisha johnson. this exhibition honored the Black interior and its relationship to the land as a source of self actualized healing by examining truths of Black femmedom, personifying in physical form the customs and rituals we use to let go and make space for anew.

those who held this audio collage: erykah badu , loretta ross, marvin gaye, jamila woods, carrie mae weems, and ntozake shange.

transcript for recording iv

here we are. we are here. : for tonina | recording IV

recording IV of our audio archive celebrates tonina saputo. an accomplished vocalist, bassist, and songwriter based in los angeles, with roots in st. louis, missouri, where her musical journey began. raised in a family of diverse musicians, tonina's musical roots traverse funk, soul, jazz, classical, folk, and rock genres. her upbringing fostered a deep connection to music from an early age, blending her Black and Sicilian heritage.

this recording was a celebration and archiving of her work and participation as a part of because of this, an exhibition and performance series that centered and connected Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists of the midwest. in this recording, the artist answered these three questions and prompt: what brings you back to your practice, when fear happens to creep in? why the midwest? where do you see yourself in 5 years? ”because of this I can…”

transcript for recording iii

here we are. we are here. : “for: pamela conyers-hinson, michael toombs, desiree morales, kat wiese” | recording III

recording III of our audio archive celebrates kat wiese, michael toombs, pamela conyers-hinson and desiree morales who are four Black contemporary artists with roots in the midwest.

this recording was a celebration and archiving of their work and participation as a part of because of this, an exhibition and performance series that centered and connected Black, Brown, and Indigenous artists of the midwest. in this recording, the artists answered these three questions and prompt: what brings you back to your practice, when fear happens to creep in? why the midwest? where do you see yourself in 5 years? ”because of this I can…”

transcript for recording ii

here we are. we are here. : "how do ya love" | recording II

recording II is about releasing negativity, releasing the past + surrendering to the divine.

what daily practices do you commit to every day to release negativity? what stories have made home within your body that no longer align with who you are today? what does surrendering to the divine look and feel like to you?

to the left are the voices along with our own that held recording II. top left to right: lucille clifton, mt. calvary community church choir , bell hooks, imara jones, alice coltrane, adrienne maree brown, lenora, antionette stines, funkadelic, JOULEZY, jay-z, alok vaid-menon, aja monet

transcript for recording i

here we are. we are here. : "we are pregnant with freedom" | recording I; introductions

recording I is joy, relief, and gratitude.

we share background on the origins of the sisters of strange fruit femmes and the birth of here we are. we are here audio archive.

the voices along with our own that held recording one: top left to right: nina simone, sonia sanchez, barbara smith. bottom left to right: master p, solange, abbey lincoln

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