Today we’d like to introduce you to Pinche Villa.
Hi Pinche, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was always amazed by the drag shows and loved being part of the audience. I was always very intrigued by the art form, but as a lesbian never saw myself represented by it. Every time we think of drag we think of men impersonating women and I always wondered if there was such a thing as women impersonating men. My best friend and I went on a trip to San Diego, CA where we stumbled into a drag show at a local bar.
For the first time ever I saw a Drag King, a female impersonating a male and my whole world was turned upside down. It was possible! When I came back home to San Antonio I decided to look into our drag community and search for Drag Kings in town. I found Los Mentirosos. They are a local Drag King Troupe of performers who would host a show called Rey for a Day at La Botanica. I decided to go check out one of these shows. I was excited to see Drag Kings and decided that I was going to do the next Rey for a Day show.
On March 16th, 2019, Pinche Villa was born at a Rey for a Day show at La Botanica. I was blown away by the crowd’s response, the amazing feeling of being on stage and performing. I had always been so scared of being on stage and being in front of people, but drag has helped me overcome a lot of that fear. I grew as an entertainer and molded my persona as time has passed. My goal has always been to be able to represent others who aren’t always showcased or seen in our community.
My drag is very much influenced by growing up in the U.S. as a child of immigrants. I draw from all the music that I grew up listening to and love that represents my Honduran and Mexican cultures but also intertwined in the pop culture of the United States. I represent the other side of what is usually thought of as Drag.
I love what I do especially when I have people come up to me telling me how great of a job I did, that I introduced them to Drag Kings and to something that they had never seen or heard before. There’s no better feeling than to stand in front of a packed room and to have the whole audience dance and sing with you.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As a Drag King, it is a lot harder to get booked because Drag Queens are more mainstream. When we think of drag we always think of Queens with wigs and heels. Kings do not have much representation and it is harder for people to see us as equal to Queens.
A lot of times they don’t think that our drag is valid, or that it is as good as Queens. Because of this, I decided to create my own space to showcase Drag King performers and created my own Drag King Troupe named SA Papis.
We are a Latin Fusion group of drag performers who strive for visibility of Drag Kings and of a wider variety of Latin flavors. We are all from different parts of Latin America which makes our shows very diverse.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Latin Drag King in San Antonio. I am a female that impersonates males on stage. I perform a vast diversity of music genres and styles. I transform myself into a male with makeup, clothes, and with my overall personality and demeanor. I’m very proud of how much I’ve grown in the past two years.
I am proud of being able to host a monthly show at 2015 Place with all my friends who are Drag Kings and that we have created a safe place for people to just come out and have fun. That’s why I do this, to create a space of positivity, diversity, and fun for everyone who sees us perform.
I’m also very proud of being runner-up Best Drag Performer of 2020 by SACURRENT MAGAZINE after doing drag for just a year and being nominated alongside so many talented Drag Queens. That I know of, I’m the only Drag King that has ever placed Top 3.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
For me, social media has been a huge help in connecting with other Drag Kings and performers that I didn’t know existed before. I have also found so many other people who are curious about doing drag themselves. I am always available to help anyone who has questions and wants to try it for the first time.
Everyone that I’ve ever contacted about advice from makeup to different outfits or ways of performing through social media has always been very nice and helpful. Local performers are always a great resource too.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: https://linktr.ee/PincheVilla
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/pinche_villa_?utm_medium=copy_link
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pinche.villa.169
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCTk0QZVaUpST20zGTwKCkTQ
- Other: https://linktr.ee/PincheVilla
Image Credits
Robert Salcido and Stephanie Salinas
