Blend

Most of the album is in Vittar’s native tongue, but she’s made a serious effort to include her Latino and English-speaking listeners. Set to perform at the postponed 2020 Coachella Music Festival, she wants nothing more than to sing with her fans in their native tongues. Interviews like this one make for good practice. Her translator, who kindly waits on the line, ready to step in and help whenever the difficult pronunciation of an /ō/ vowel creeps up, is always welcomed by Vittar’s enthusiasm to learn. “English lessons today!” she exclaims.

Following the sudden leak of 111, and in anticipation of her debut Coachella performance, office spoke with Brazil’s most popular drag queen about San Paolo’s drag culture, her breakout performance, and her idol, RuPaul.

What compelled you to start performing?

I always wanted in my heart to sing and perform. My dream has always been to be on stage, like my icon RuPaul, my diva. She's an icon. She's my queen. I do drag today because of her. When I went into the neighborhood to play with my friends, I would always be a singer and performer. I had always wanted to be a star, like Britney Spears, and do my moves and choreography. I have always had these things in my heart. It's my destiny. I believe so much in this because God has a plan, and his plan for me is to sing, share my message, and make other people happy. To do what I do.

When did you begin calling yourself a drag queen? When did you start taking on that persona?

I took for myself the name Pabllo Vittar on my eighteenth birthday at a halloween party. And since that day, I never changed my name. I’m always recording my demos and albums with it. I'm here!

What attracted you to drag in the first place?

RuPaul's Drag Race. I'm obsessed with this show. I love that drag queens can be singers, can be models, can be whatever she wants to be. I always knew that I was gender fluid, and when I watch the show, I see all the other queens signing and modeling and I'm like, "Oh my god, I do this. I can do this." My eyes were opened, and I met another world. 

Can you talk more about your fist performance as a drag queen? 

I remember my first performance at a club in my hometown [San Paolo]. It was pretty amazing because all my friends sang with me my own song, written by me. The memory never went out of my head because it was like a dream come true. 

When you were first starting out, what were the venues like that you performed at? 

When I started performing the clubs had amazing energy. All my friends would go out with me in drag to these small clubs that didn’t have many people. 

What’s the drag queen culture like in Brazil?

It's amazing. There are so many drag queens, so many people who are fighting for this message. I feel so grateful to be Brazilian and be part of this culture. It's hard to be LGBTQ in Brazil, but at the same time, I'm still happy because I have my sisters and my brothers, and we are family. 

Was it always like that? 

When I started to do drag in San Paolo, I didn't do myself up in drag, I didn't call myself drag. I was a young, gay boy. An androgonous guy, trying to be someone. Trying. Only trying. 

How would you describe "Pabllo Vittar," your drag persona? 

My drag persona really, really embraces the queer message. I always be trying to tell my fans my truth. My drag queen is one-hundred percent brazen and sexy and feminine. I love to be a fashion girl, I love to be a queer figure. Not only just a drag queen. 

Who would you say has had the biggest influence on your music? 

The biggest influences on my music are actually the new producers right now. Music electronica and Brazilian rhythm, especially. I love Baja, I love Samba, I love Bossa Nova. I love everything that sounds Brazil. I'm so proud to be Brazilian and work with this rhythm. 

How'd you go about promoting yourself before you achieved commercial success? 

I promoted myself, like everybody, through the internet, on my facebook page and social media. I always posted videos. This way I was able to meet other people, other drag queens. Social media has helped me from these days til now. 

You broke onto the world stage when you performed the Whitney Houston classic, "I Have Nothing," on a Brazilian TV show. How'd you get that gig? 

It was a small TV show that did a game on the streets. They said, "People, if you can sing, come on and sing for us to show your talent." And I said, "Oh my god I can do that and show my voice to the world." From this day, so many people in my city noticed me. 

So your mom raised you and your sisters by herself for many years. Are you close with her? 

So much. She always supports me and embraces me. She gives me a lot of love and kindness. My mom is my hero. I owe her everything. 

Your mom was a nurse right? 

She was, but she doesn't work anymore because I have worked a lot and give her everything she needs. She don't need to work anymore. And I feel so grateful for this! She carried me for so long. 

What can drag do for the LGBTQ community in Brazil? 

I think it can do so much. I'm a drag queen, and I'm one of the voices that's screaming into the world, "We are here. We need our rights." We fight for this. The drag queens in Brazil have an important role, and I feel so blessed to be one of these voices.

I would say you're probably the voice. What does drag mean for you? 

Drag means everything for me. It's my job, it's what I do, It's my passion. I can't imagine my life without drag. In these days, during quarantine, I feel so sad to not be able to do this. Not to be close to my fans. But I'm still hopeful. 

You've cited anime and comics as influential to your aesthetic, what is it about a show like Sailor Moon that you want to emulate? 

My style is based in anime, video games, and old fashion magazines. I feel so gamer, and I love to introduce this world into my world—I love sailor moon hair. I love all the cute stuff in her clothing. I love to be sexy, but I love to be cute too. Anime represents 100% of that. 

Why did you want to incorporate three different languages in your new album? 

I wanted my album to be trilingual because I talk to so many people around the world. I love my North American fans, I love my Latino fans. I'm so happy about my first song in english with Charli XCX, "Flash Pose," because this song represents me and my passion. I wanted to make something for my english speaking fans. Now we have a song to sing together at Coachella. And the same with my Spanish fans. This album represents so much of me. Like my Brazilian culture when I work with rhythms like reggaeton. I always wanted to work with the rhythms of Brazil. At the same time, I'm so connected with other rhythms of the world, like trance and house music. I like to mix it up with the songs. And I think it says a lot about me, about my identity and personality. I think my fans will eat it up. 

What do you hope for the future? 

I expect these days will be gone and we will be born like a Phoenix. I expect beautiful days, festival days, and to drink so much with my friends and my fans! Thank you so much baby! Sorry for my English. I'm learning and trying!