They claim themselves lovingly as a gender witch, but audiences know the reigning Venezuelan drag king and burlesque beauty as Brujo Mars, or Minx Latinx (also known as Monika). When they started performing in April 2022, they set out to represent Latinos on stage and share an important story.
“I am extremely proud to be Venezuelan,” they say. “I want other fellow Latinos, no matter where they are from, to also be proud and celebrate our culture.”
They aren’t just active on stage: hairstyling is a passion and love of Monika’s. By providing love and confidence to others, they have also been able to find it in themselves.
“Being a performer has absolutely influenced my day to day,” they say. “I’m more confident and less afraid of being in new spaces where there’s people I don’t know.”
Performance has influenced their life as much as their family has influenced the performances they put on. Carrying their dad’s memory with them, they embody the love and spirit of their father in the persona of Brujo Mars. After losing him they found a perfect way to celebrate the memories that will always carry on. ColourVision is a great production produced by local king Noah Lott that has given POC performers a place to show their heritage and represent their culture and themselves on a stage that’s filled with support for another and the audience that attends the show.
“[One that stands out is] my ColourVision [number] dedicated to my dad,” says Monika. “I lost [him] to suicide almost three years ago.”
Another influence on their drag has been none other than their wife and drag king Chelsea (Fierce Brosnan). By being a regular attendee and supporter of Chelsea, they saw the awe of the crowd and knew it was time for Latino representation to be centre stage. With the support of Chelsea and experience in the drag community, there was no better time than now. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t nerves involved.
“I’m pretty nervous regardless of if I’m doing drag or burlesque. I eat… Have a coffee,” they say. “Make sure I have everything I need ready to go and listen to my songs a few times. Nap if I can.”
It’s been an up and down couple of years with the loss of local venues, which has impacted communities on so many levels. While we have our chosen families and ones we can count on, there’s always a reminder that we need to be good to each other. These times are tough, and the pushback in politics try to stand against who we are as individuals.
“I think more community solidarity in general would be amazing,” Monika says, looking at the future of performance through all of this. “Ask each other questions and holding space.”
There will always be spaces where white voices and colonially educated voices will take the forefront, but we need to be listening to those who are marginalized and spoken over. People who say they are true allies need to stand up and support.
With the US taking a stand on immigration that hopefully will not pour over into Canada, it’s worth noting that our voices unified can create change and hope for the future of others. Monika has worries for fellow Latinos and immigrants who may be in danger of deportation and harm. With administration ending the protection of Venezuelans, it’s worth taking a moment and recognizing that we are all deserving of kindness, equal opportunities, and love.
You can follow Monika on Instagram at @brujo.mars and @minxlatinx.