The Surround Sound series features DJs telling the story of a specific neighborhood in Oakland through an interview and a DJ set with an immersive visual component created by the YR Media participants.
Episode 2 features DJ Zita talking about the role the Oakland Redwoods play in her life, and curating the perfect headphones-mix for a walk amongst the trees.
This project is supported by the Oakland City Council and funded by the City of Oakland’s Cultural Funding Program.
Surround Sound Episode 2 – DJ Zita
Full Interview Transcript:
DJ Zita : I am DJ Zita and this is the Oakland Redwoods mix
We are so fortunate in Oakland to have such a beautiful urban landscape, but we also have a beautiful redwood forest right in our backyard in the hills of East Oakland. And as a long time East Oakland resident, I’ve, um. The Redwood Regional Park and Joaquin Miller are five minutes drive away from my home.
Redwood trees are so old they can live up to two thousand years and we, they have been on our planet for two hundred and forty million years. So they hold so much energy. And this mix is not a typical mix that you would hear from DJ Zita. So often my entire career has been about rocking the dance floor, you know, at different clubs or bars and special events. And this mix is completely different. Um, it’s this mix is more for getting in the zone and being uplifted. And it it’s the kind of mix that you’d want to plug in your headphones, push play, zone out and go on a hike in the redwoods. It’s a multi genre mix. And so you’ll hear everything from from reggae to soul, to hip-hop to rock downtempo. And there’s a few artists from Oakland in this mix. It spans all the way from the ’80s up to the present.
For me, whenever life gets challenging, a retreat to nature is healing for me. And, you know, being in nature is a form of therapy. And it supports our physical, our spiritual, our our mental wellness. And it gives me calmness when when I’m able to surround myself in nature. And, you know, recently, with so many life challenges being exacerbated by the multiple pandemics we’ve been having with covid-19 and racism and even the fires with climate change, it’s even more important that, you know, we take care of ourselves and of our health and our wellness.
Appreciate you so much YR Media for for having me. You can check me out at DJZita.com or on social media @DJZita
