- Who is Lady Jah?

Lady Jah is kind of a boss and likes to make things happen and is confident and likes the admiration from the crowd.

So that's kind of Lady Jah's inspiration.

(upbeat pulsing music) I got involved with the drag when I was living in Washington and I was performing as a go-go dancer and I'd perform after the drag queens would do their performance and then I started modeling too, and then my friends started putting me in drag and I think that's what initially started my whole drag career.

(upbeat rhythmic music) Drag is an art form that lets people express themselves in a different way and like a different identity.

It was like really founded as it is today, like in the 70's and 80's when the LGBTQ community had a lot of negative reactions from the public.

So then they kind of used it as way to express themselves in a very like loud way and say like, "no, we're here, we're staying."

(upbeat rhythmic music) It's visual art, you're putting makeup on, you're taking on a new identity and then you're taking that persona and then amplifying it and giving it a whole character.

And then performing as that character.

(funky energetic music) Performing is a lot of funk.

You're no longer you, you take on like a completely new identity.

They're completely different people, like me and Lady Jah, completely different.

So it's fun getting to be someone else and live that life for a second.

(upbeat pulsing music) (upbeat pulsing music) What gave me the idea to have a drag show in the small town of Montevideo was there's a lot of interest from people because I knew I would do drag and at first it was just going to be like in Java River's courtyard and then it was gonna be inside and we kind of just like played with the idea for a little bit and it just got more and more interest.

And then we did it at the Hollywood.

(joyful pulsing music) My impressions from the show in Montevideo.

I thought it was the best time in Montevideo I've ever had.

Just looking in the crowd and like everyone was smiling and having fun.

Obviously like every one of like every like political viewpoint or religion or like sexuality or whatever.

But everyone was just like there having a good time, watching the same thing, having like the same experience.

I thought it was really beautiful.

(joyful rhythmic music) The performers said that that night was one of the best crowds they have had.

They said they'd come back anytime.

Before the show started, I... (laughs) Let's see.

Pure stress.

(laughs) No, before the show started I was mostly spending my time making sure that the space looked the way I wanted it to look and then it just came down to like getting ready.

(upbeat rhythmic music) I'd say like just getting like ready in that moment or for that performance, like typically like on average at least like two hours, it's taken me like three or four hours to put together a look before and then like that whole persona, I mean it's like a lifetime of developing different traits like in yourself and then like amplifying them through that persona that you create.

(upbeat energetic music) Yeah, I'd say performing has helped with my confidence.

It's fun to be on a stage and being Lady Jah gives me the opportunity to be on a stage.

(upbeat energetic music) I think the community of Montevideo was overwhelmingly accepting of the idea of having a drag show in Montevideo.

There wasn't any like protest or very small pushback.

So yeah, I was kind of surprised too.

When I first saw the Hollywood, I literally was like, there's no way this is gonna be full of people.

It felt so big, but then that night, like it felt small cause there was so many people, it was cool.

(slow sweeping music) The importance of having a drag show in a small town.

I feel like it's so, a smaller percentage of people that live here feel seen and accepted.

I think that is super important for any small town.

I think a lot of times in smaller towns, people that are like part of the LGBTQ community don't feel seen or accepted or they can feel like kind of scared to like be in that space.

So I think a night like that where they're being celebrated for their difference makes a strong impact on the community, makes it stronger as a whole.

What I want people to know about drag is I guess it's not as explicit as people think.

It's more about just having a good time with people and mostly just art.

(slow energetic music) (slow energetic music)