Bonhomme invited a new kind of royalty to his 69e Carnival. No more duchesses, now place for drag queens and the drags kings ! Their flamboyant art is in the spotlight this year, celebrated on an allegorical float for the very first time in the history of the famous Quebec parade.
Exuberance, pomp and style being an integral part of the ingredients that spice up their performance, the marriage between drag and the Carnaval de Québec was almost self-evident.
Almost, since the glam and glitzy pageantry of these queens and kings is often better suited to the heat of summer and Pride parades than the biting cold of February.
Last Saturday, the mercury indicated -36 degrees Celsius during the carnival parade in the lower town. A temperature certainly freezing, but which did not know how to cool the ardor of the queens and kings come to put a little rainbow in the gel.
“We had the mandate to seek out the flamboyant and extravagant side of drag,” explains Barbada, artistic director of the tank. At the same time, I wanted to put drag in the spotlight, without making people feel like they were watching a pride parade. »
It is therefore at a gala with red carpet, trophies and paparazzi included, to which the drag tank invites the public. On the rolling stage, queens Dory Ladrag, Scarlett Schatzi and Stevie perform the idols of the song from here, namely Céline Dion, Marie-Mai and Ginette Reno. Flexi Rider, a drag king embodied by an Australian recently landed in Quebec, enters the skin of the troublemaker Hubert Lenoir. Conductor of this merry band: Adriana, famous for her remarkable appearance on the show Canada’s Drag Race.
“It’s a tribute to big names from here who reach all generations, underlines Barbada. It allowed us to show the talent and range of our drag artists in lip sync, an area in which we excel! Every artist I asked said yes instantly. »
A Carnival of its time
The Carnaval de Québec has adopted a policy this year to celebrate diversity, both sexual and cultural. On his float, Bonhomme is accompanied by carnivalists from all walks of life, including Aboriginal people.
“We are trying more and more to highlight diversity,” explains Florent Tanlet, director of communications, marketing and commercialization for the Carnival. Already, the co-designer of the Bonhomme float, the one that opens our parades, is a Huron-Wendat from Wendake. »
In the past, the Carnival honored Quebec folklore. Lumber camps and log cabins have now given way to hip-hop or electro evenings. The Carnival evolves with the times, explains Florent Tanlet, and it is intended to be a mixture of “Quebec traditions, modernity and breaking convention”.
The event is intended to be open to everyone, underlines the director, in particular to all family realities. Traditional families, single-parent families, blended families or families with same-sex parents: all now have a caravan attached to the campsite to be able to change clothes, breastfeed, warm up, etc.
“Carnival is an inclusive event, open to everyone, maintains Florent Tanlet, whether the person comes from cultural or sexual diversity, or both. »
Taking the art of drag out of the ghetto
The Carnival parade offers a dream showcase for the art of drag, according to Barbada. “It’s an opportunity to reach an audience that may know little or nothing about what we do,” she continues. It’s a way to make it accessible and to show that drag shows can be adapted for all audiences. »
For the Carnival, the artists have put aside the olé olé aspect which seasons certain performances reserved for a more informed public. The skirts, sometimes short, have also lengthened — to preserve the family character first, so as not to tease frostbite more than necessary later.
“This is the element for which I have almost always campaigned, adds Barbada: trying to democratize the art of pick-up, to make it accessible and to ‘deghettoize’ it from bars and cabarets. The Carnival, by inviting drags to participate in their very first winter parade in Quebec, allows us to do so. »