“Procuram-se bonecas pretas”: arte e resistência das drag queens negras de Salvador

Abstract

Salvador is considered the blackest city outside of Africa and the City of Music by UNESCO. Among the various options for entertainment and Afro-diasporic art that it provides, one in particular has been growing and gaining media prominence: Drag Queen art created by Black individuals. In this study, I investigate the intersectional markers imprinted on these artists and the art they perform, examining the dynamics of locality and how urban textures impact their experiences and performances. Through music, makeup, and vibrant events, we can understand how the city nurtures this art and how it, in turn, nurtures the city's spaces. We explore the impact these bodies have on the urban landscape and the ways in which these spaces of sociability interfere with the local cultural scene. To comprehend these spaces and these artists, I conducted ethnography in various LGBTQAPN+ sociability spaces in Salvador, observing how these bodies and the audience behave, as well as how this art and these artists express themselves.