Afro Drag is taking drag performance to another level in Montreal

CBC Quebec is highlighting people from the province's Black communities who are giving back, inspiring others and helping to shape our future. These are the 2024 Black Changemakers.

Since 2019, Afro Drag has been showcasing Black performers in a range of disciplines from drag, to ballroom, to spoken-word, to live music and dance.

Carlin Holmes, also known as BiG SiSSY, created the event after they realized they were one of just two Black drag performers they saw onstage in the city.

But the show became more than a platform for drag, it became a multidisciplinary performance to highlight forms of Black art that mainstream culture is known to borrow and even steal from all the time. 

"I feel like any art can be expressed through drag," said Holmes, speaking to CBC News inside Café Cléopâtre, where the first Afro Drag was held.

The venue holds significance, not only for Afro Drag, but also as a historical queer landmark in Canada. The strip club which regularly hosts drag shows on its second floor is thought to have been the first business in the country to hire a trans person. 

It's also where Holmes drew inspiration for their own drag and musical persona, BiG SiSSY, a green-wig-toting, bodysuit-wearing vixen.

"I've been able to create a whole world in which the songs can exist and I can explore a lot of different topics and say things that might not get received as well if it was just coming from me," said Holmes. 

"I get to take a lot of risks through my character." 

Douglas Martins Costa dos Santos, also known as Muz'Emma, performed for the first time at the most recent Afro Drag showcase earlier this year and says it was an emotional moment as a newcomer to the drag scene. 

"It was, like, creating love," said Muz'Emma. "Performing there with the entire cast being Black … I almost cried during my performance."

Martins is from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and incorporates elements of Black Brazilian culture into her drag, including samba dancing and carnival elements in her costumes. 

Holmes says they make sure to not only include a diversity of acts in Afro Drag, but also a diversity of body types, skin shades and abilities. 

"I only have my own perspective to speak from, so it's important to have a variety of experiences and different people in the show," they said. 

You can watch the short doc CBC Montreal made about Afro Drag above.

The Black Changemakers is a special series recognizing individuals who, regardless of background or industry, are driven to create a positive impact in their community. From tackling problems to showing small gestures of kindness on a daily basis, these Changemakers are making a difference and inspiring others. Meet all the Changemakers here.

For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.