Non Fiction – Page 6

Dolly Ma Brigitta: Queer babydoll mythography in Trinidad and Tobago carnival

by Amanda T. McIntyre
Photos by Kwame Boatswain, Kelly-Ann Bobb and Cynthia Betancourt

This is a love story and centuries old grief.

I am a Black, queer femme Caribbean woman navigating the challenges of working in the traditionally male dominated and traditionally heteronormative arena of Carnival and therefore I contrive for my performances to have clear queer feminist solidarity in work that subverts the continued systemic oppression of marginalized populations in the Caribbean. I have been working in Trinidad and Tobago’s Carnival for just over 10 years, beginning in 2011. In these years, I utilized the Baby Doll masquerade for my art practice, creating narratives that explore communal and individual memories, myths, folklore, oral histories and new narratives. The Baby Doll is a traditional Carnival masquerade in which the performer carries a doll child and identifies male spectators as being the father of the child while scandalously demanding financial support. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries this masquerade was performed mainly by men in parody performances meant to ridicule single mothers for having children outside of marriage and for not knowing the paternity of their children. In 2020, I created the Dolly Ma persona as an embodiment of my work in advocacy and activism. In 2021, I split the performance to accommodate two characters, Dolly Ma and Dolly Ma Brigitta. With these two, I use the plural Dolly Mas or Dolly Mas to describe the work. In this essay, I will discuss Dolly Ma Brigitta (2021).

Dolly Ma Brigitta is a cross-temporal masquerade performed through photography, film, and theatre. The timeline begins with Brigette Delamar and Cynthia Betancourt in late 19th century Trinidad experimenting with Vodou in the Lapeyrouse cemetery. In one of their attempts, they summon the goddess Maman Brigitte (a lwa who operates as an intermediary between the living and the dead and, the guardian of cemeteries) who opens a portal and guides them through it and allows them passage to other periods, operating mainly between the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Several times in these travels they are separated. They experience spatial and temporal displacement when relocated in other places and times. The experience of the portal is described sometimes as sailing in the ocean, falling overboard, swimming against the tide, drowning and washing up on another shore to live another life. At other times it is like climbing to the top of a tree and being lifted up and away by a great wind then dropping violently then floating gently like a feather to the ground. A complication of passage through the portal is that there is uncertainty of the physical form of the traveller emerging on the other side. The passage changes the traveller. On the other side, the traveller may be a different gender. Dolly Ma may be a jumbie bird, a black rooster, she may be a woman, a man, a young person, an old person, a doll. In this work, gender is not related to physicality but is instead treated as an embodied performance, in solidarity with transgender politics.

This story is about the journey of a woman across time and space as she searches for her lost lover. In their travels, they sometimes meet. In one location, a child is created from the union. The doll child is a shape-shifting entity; a familiar spirit and a critical item in Dolly Ma Brigitta’s Vodou. My exploration of Vodou was inspired by my mentor and friend Allan Vaughan who has for years represented Vodou lwas through a utilization of the Moko Jumbie masquerade. He has designed costumes and performances of Baron Samedi, Mama Brigitte, Baron Cemitere and Baron LaKwa for his band Moko Somokow. This prize winning and critically acclaimed work greatly influenced me in 2020 when Alan invited me to perform with Moko Somokow.

This concept builds on my For Cynthia reading installation and photography series in 2017 that was shown at the inaugural Pride Arts Festival in Trinidad and Tobago. It comprised a reading table, stool, suitcase, and a handwritten journal with roses that dried as the exhibition time passed. Patrons were invited to sit at the table and read my journal. The For Cynthia photographs were ephemera from a romantic relationship between two women. It addresses how such a relationship is affected by distance and how love changes over time. I repurposed and extended the For Cynthia concept for the Dolly Ma Brigitta work. Cynthia is Dolly Ma’s left behind lover who had taken the photographs. Brigette Delamar/ Dolly Ma Briggita is searching for Cynthia. This is a love story and centuries old grief. Dolly Ma Brigitta is a Black femme queer feminist intervention that reflects on the Caribbean’s past, comments on its present socio-political conflicts, and imagines Caribbean futures focusing on the possibilities of Carnival as a platform for social intervention and social justice. The story is unambigously queer and in conversation with the work of other artists. In 2021, I invited Nyugen Smith for the first collaboration. We are working on a traditional Mas film installation that intersects feminist and diasporic themes to advocate for refugees, migrants and asylum seekers in an artful illustration of possible meanings of separation, home and citizenship. It is the working through of aestehtic subjecthood in performances that engage an inter-generational Caribbean feminist ethos that began formalising into a social movement in the 1980s and in which I now contribute as an advocate and activist. And in which Dolly Ma and Dolly Ma Brigitta also participate. In 2021, Dolly Ma Brigitta joined the Women’s March that took place on Carnival Monday in a performance entitled Monday Mourning: Cortege. Then later that day danced at Once Upon A Fete, an exhibition by Bruce Cayonne.

This performance challenges the construct of the traditional masquerade and offers suggestions for its development, with consideration of contemporary socio-political movements in the Caribbean. It was important for me to resolve two conflicts I found in the traditional masquerade, the begging for money and the search for a man. Dolly Ma is not looking for a father for the child but for her partner who may be presented as a man, a woman or a spirit. This mas explores fluidity of gender, sex and sexuality. Additionally, it works through the complexities of the possible meaning of home, displacement, embodiment and dislocation. I wanted a persona who was triumphant, a vindication through mas, not just for myself but for women everywhere and in all times. The traditional masquerade is a problematic heteronormative construct that relies on stereotypes of Black family life. The father’s abandonment and disinterest in taking care of the child that he has to be shamed publicly. To resolve these conflicts in my concept, I suspended the idea of the father, decentering the male focus of the traditional performance of the masquerade and constructing a queer relationship that includes gender transitions and secure family life. The work addresses the psycho-social problems in the traditional performance that have been to a large extent unchallenged or uncritically reflected.

The work also engages nuanced public and private discourses on gender, sex and sexuality in the Caribbean.

This work confronts static images of Black women in Victorian and Edwardian Caribbean ephemera and challenges this stasis with a complex story that is not limited by or to the social restrictions of those periods and that is captured by multiple photographic and cinematographic lenses. The work also engages nuanced public and private discourses on gender, sex and sexuality in the Caribbean. In this work, the global diaspora discourses as well as the phenomena of migrations and displacement are used to develop themes and discussions of geo-political movement. This is illustrated in the resourceful partnership between Brigette Delamar and Cynthia Betancourt that survives distance and changing times, that produces a child and supports a family and challenges erasure. It is also the development of an original narrative and the placement of aesthetic codes within photography and film installations shared in-person and through virtual platforms.

February 21, 2022 By admin Comments Off Read more...

Miss Diva: an artistic, cultural and political space for the trans* community in Togo

A conversation with Kyky Da’Silveira

Interview by Claire Ba. Photos by YTV Photography

Q-zine had the privilege to speak with Kyky Da’Silveira, the first winner of Miss Diva, a prestigious trans* beauty pageant in Togo. By welcoming us into her world, Kyky not only shares her experience of a space that is as cultural as it is political, but she also invites us to imagine a world in which the cultural and artistic expression of the LGBTQIA+ communities of Africa and the diaspora is free and celebrated.

What should we know about Kyky Da’Silveira ?

My name is Kyky, I am a Togolese human rights activist. I am the founder of Big Mama, an association that works for change in areas such as the criminalization of homosexual behavior and gender non-conformity, arbitrary arrests, discrimination, etc. We also fight against the non-recognition of transgender people, violence, restrictions on the right to freedom of expression and association, family rejection and stigmatization within communities.

In 2010, I participated in Miss Diva, the first trans beauty pageant in Togo and I became the very first winner of this prestigious event in the community. Since then, I have become a mentor for Miss Diva and for each edition, I support contestants during their preparation. I am also the artistic director of this event.

The first time I attended a fashion show, I was 6 or 7 years old. I remember the models, the lights, the excitement. So I can’t even imagine the atmosphere of the first edition of ***Miss Diva*. How would you describe the atmosphere, the emotions that were present?**

Beautiful! The first edition was truly special. The atmosphere backstage was rather serious but on stage there was a lot of emotion. We finally had a space of our own. That evening was both a beautiful show for spectators and an important challenge for the 14 contestants who came from all over the west African region. The contestants were beautiful, each more so than the one before her. Stylists, hairdressers, poets, dancers, technicians, all were present to play their part. Costumes, music, choreography, contemporary dance, we had everything! The various performances were a tribute to cultural diversity, unity and inclusion of all communities. It was truly a night of pride!

How does one prepare for an event like Miss Diva?

There was excitement until the very last second. Once the call for contestants was launched, the organization spent months running around so the competition could take place. We had to invent, readapt and above all, never give up. There were catwalk classes taught by the brilliant Gerard (may he rest in peace) who taught contestants how to strut and practice all sorts of poses. Quite an art! There were girls who had never walked in heels. We had to master choreographies, memorize speeches, and be ready for the general knowledge quiz. Rehearsal was intense [laughs]. Each contestant was graded on her punctuality, her etiquette, her spirit of comradeship and the way she carried herself. All of this was important because the young woman who would be elected would represent the entire community.

The organization Espoir Vie Togo would let us use its premises for rehearsal which could last for hours. And I don’t need to tell you how difficult it was for the organizers to gather funds and find a space that would accept hosting such an event. It was a real challenge.

The creation of queer cultural spaces like this is important because it . . . contributes to the social and artistic recognition of members of our community.

What motivated the organization of this event? Who is behind it?

I would say that commitment, a desire to advocate for the social recognition of a group stigmatized by society were part of the motivations. It was a way to reach political objectives but it was also very symbolic. It was a way to build a cultural space far from prejudices and hostility; an affirmation of our identities; a space for self-esteem.

At the origin of this space is the organization Men’s which was headed at the time by a young ambitious and talented activist named Gerard who unfortunately left us too early. I’d like to take this opportunity to pay him tribute. I am sure he is proud of the work that we, activists of his generation, have been able to accomplish.

What impressed you the most during this experience?

The announcement of the results! Minutes before I was crowned, just as the president of the jury was about to announce me as the winner, the whole audience was chanting my number and the stage was quickly invaded by audience members who hoisted me up [laughs]. I will always remember this.

I gained a lot of maturity thanks to this experience. You meet so many people, people of all ages, people for whom I had become a role model. It was a valuable life experience. I can see how I have improved in certain aspects of my life and I also have a lot more self-confidence. This title definitely strengthened my activism.

How has Miss Diva influenced the creation of similar artistic and cultural spaces in the LGBTQIA+ community in Togo?

It is true that there are other similar cultural spaces in Togo, within the gay community for example. I can cite as examples fashion design, cooking, hair styling, and many other contests that are held within the community but these events are on a smaller scale. I think that to date, Miss Diva is the most anticipated and followed event in the community. I can’t say if the other spaces that have emerged since then have been influenced by Miss Diva exclusively, but they do exist, and thankfully so! The creation of queer cultural spaces like this is important because it brings together differences, opens people up to a plurality of identities, all the while contributing to the social and artistic recognition of members of our community. In order to acknowledge diversity within a society, we must first be willing to see and hear it, and we are determined to continue to make our voices heard. In 11 years, we are already at the 4th edition of Miss Diva and we can only hope that it will continue to grow.

Let’s talk about the future then. What are the perspectives for ***Miss Diva*? What dreams and ambitions do you have for this event?**

One of my personal ambitions for Miss Diva is that this contest be broadcast on TV one day and that it be acknowledged as any other artistic and cultural event in Togo. And why not give it a pan-African dimension?! My biggest dream would be that it becomes an annual event that brings together members of the community from all over Africa; that the contest takes place in a different country year after year. That would really be great! Of course, the current social context doesn’t allow for this yet and there is a lot of work to do before we can get to that level. But in the meantime, I’m holding onto this dream.

A last word for our readers?

Beloved, despite the pain, let’s not give up. Let us be strong. We are beautiful people, let’s not let anyone make us believe otherwise. Let’s not isolate ourselves. Let’s embrace our differences despite the glances; despite those who, without any legitimacy, do not accept who we are. And to homophobes, know that love always conquers!

February 15, 2022 By admin Comments Off Read more...

Miss Diva: un espace artistique, culturel et politique pour la communauté trans du Togo

Une conversation avec Kyky Da’Silveira

Propos recueillis par Claire Ba. Photos par YTV Photography

Q-zine a eu la chance de s’entretenir avec Kyky Da’Silveira, la première gagnante du prestigieux concours Miss Diva, un concours de beauté qui réunit des femmes trans* au Togo. En nous accueillant dans son monde, Kyky Da’Silveira partage non seulement son expérience de cet espace qui est aussi culturel que politique, mais elle nous invite également à imaginer un monde dans lequel l’expression culturelle et artistique des communautés LGBTQIA+ d’Afrique et de la diaspora est libre et célébrée.

Alors qui est Kyky Da’Silveira ?

Je suis une activiste togolaise militante des droits humains. Je suis la fondatrice de l’association Big Mama, une association qui promeut le changement face à d’importants obstacles comme la criminalisation du comportement homosexuel et la non-conformité de genre, les arrestations arbitraires, la discrimination, etc. Nous luttons également contre la non-reconnaissance du genre des personnes transgenres, la violence, les restrictions du droit à la liberté d’expression et d’association, le rejet familial et la stigmatisation au sein des communautés.

En 2010, j’ai participé au concours Miss Diva, le premier concours de beauté trans* au Togo et je suis devenue la toute première tête couronnée de ce prestigieux concours pour la communauté. Depuis, je suis l’une des marraines de Miss Diva et à chaque édition, j’accompagne les candidates dans leur préparation. Je suis également la directrice artistique de cet événement.

La première fois que j’ai assisté à un défilé de mode, je devais avoir 6 ou 7 ans. Et je me souviens de l’effervescence, des lumières, des mannequins. Alors je ne peux même pas imaginer l’ambiance de la première édition de ***Miss Diva*. Comment décrirais-tu l’ambiance, les émotions qui étaient présentes ?**

Magnifique! La première édition était particulière. L’ambiance dans les coulisses était plutôt studieuse mais sur scène, il y avait beaucoup d’émotions. Nous avions enfin un espace qui était le nôtre. Cette soirée était à la fois un beau spectacle pour les spectateurs-trices et une grande épreuve pour les 14 candidates qui étaient venues de part et d’autre de la sous-région; des femmes toutes aussi belles les unes que les autres. Stylistes, coiffeurSEs, poètes, danseurSEs et technicienNEs étaient touTEs présentEs pour jouer leur part. Costumes, musique, chorégraphies, danse contemporaine, tout y était! Les différentes prestations ont rendu hommage à la diversité culturelle, à l’unité et à l’inclusion de toutes les communautés. C’était vraiment une soirée des fiertés!

Un événement comme ***Miss Diva*, ça se prépare comment ?**

Jusqu’à la dernière seconde, l’effervescence y était. Le casting lancé, l’organisation a passé des mois d’acrobatie pour que le concours puisse avoir lieu. Il a fallu inventer, se réadapter et surtout, ne jamais baisser les bras. On a retrouvé les cours de catwalk, enseignés par le brillant Gérard (paix à son âme) qui apprenait aux candidates à défiler et pratiquer la fameuse pose tranche… Tout un art ! Il y avait des filles qui n’avaient jamais défilé sur des talons. Il fallait maîtriser les chorégraphies, les messages de sensibilisation, les quizz de culture générale etc. La préparation était énorme [rires]. Chaque candidate était notée sur sa ponctualité, sa bienséance, son esprit de camaraderie et sa manière de se tenir. Tout ceci était important parce que la jeune femme qui serait élue représenterait la communauté entière.

L’ONG Espoir Vie Togo nous prêtait ses locaux pour les entraînements et ceux-ci pouvaient durer des heures. Je ne vous fais pas dire les difficultés pour les organisateurs de réunir des fonds et trouver un espace qui accepterait d’abriter un tel évènement. C’était un vrai challenge.

La création d’espaces culturels queer de ce type est importante car elle permet de . . . contribuer à la reconnaissance sociale et artistique des membres de notre communauté.

Qu’est-ce qui a motivé l’organisation de cet évènement ? Qui en est à l’origine ?

Je dirais que l’engagement, le besoin de revendiquer pour la reconnaissance sociale d’un groupe stigmatisé par la société faisaient partie des motivations. C’était une manière d’atteindre des objectifs politiques, mais aussi de construire un espace symbolique, un espace culturel loin des préjugés et des comportements hostiles, une affirmation de nos identités, un espace de grande estime de soi.

À l’origine de cet espace, l’association Men’s avec à sa tête en ce temps-là, un jeune militant ambitieux, talentueux du nom de Gérard qui malheureusement nous a quitté très tôt. J’en profite pour lui rendre hommage. Je suis sûr qu’il doit être fier du travail que nous, activistes de sa génération, avons pu accomplir.

Qu’est-ce qui t’a le plus marqué durant cette expérience ?

La proclamation des résultats! Dans les minutes qui ont précédé mon couronnement, au moment où la présidente du jury devait prononcer le numéro de la gagnante, c’était toute l’assemblée qui criait le numéro du brassard que je portais, et la scène fut vite envahi par le public qui me hissait vers le haut [rires]. Je m’en souviendrai toujours.

Pendant cette expérience, il y a eu une évolution. Et je dirais que j’ai beaucoup mûri aussi car on est amené à rencontrer tellement de gens, à côtoyer des personnes de tout âge, des personnes pour qui j’étais devenue un modèle. C’est vrai que c’est une bonne formation pour la vie. Ça nous fait mûrir et évoluer. Et puis, j’ai beaucoup plus confiance en moi. Ce titre à renforcer mon militantisme.

Quel est l’influence de Miss Diva dans la création d’espaces artistiques et culturels de ce type dans la communauté LGBTQIA+ du Togo?

C’est vrai qu’il y a d’autres espaces culturels similaires au Togo, au sein de la communauté gay par exemple. Je peux citer en exemple des concours de stylisme, de cuisine, de coiffure, et bien d’autres qui se font au sein de la communauté mais ces événements sont à plus petite échelle. Je pense qu’à ce jour, Miss Diva est l’événement le plus attendu et le plus suivi dans la communauté. Je ne saurais dire si les autres espaces qui ont émergé depuis ont été influencés par Miss Diva exclusivement, mais il n’en est pas moins que ces espaces existent, et heureusement d’ailleurs! La création d’espaces culturels queer de ce type est importante car elle permet de rassembler les différences, de s’ouvrir à une pluralité d’identités, mais aussi de contribuer à la reconnaissance sociale et artistique des membres de notre communauté. Pour reconnaître la diversité au sein d’une société, il faut d’abord accepter de la voir et de l’entendre, et nous sommes déterminéEs à continuer à faire entendre nos voix. En 11 ans, nous en sommes déjà à la 4ème édition de Miss Diva et on ne peut qu’espérer que ça aille en s’améliorant.

Justement, puisque tu fais allusion au futur, quelles sont les perspectives pour Miss Diva ? Quels sont les rêves, les ambitions de ce projet pour Demain?

L’une de mes ambitions personnelles pour Miss Diva est que ce concours soit un jour diffusé à la télé et qu’il soit reconnu au même titre que tous les autres événements artistiques et culturels qui ont lieu au Togo. Et pourquoi pas même lui donner une dimension panafricaine?! Mon plus grand rêve serait que Miss Diva devienne un événement annuel qui rassemble des membres de la communauté de toute l’Afrique; que le concours arrive à être délocalisé d’année en année. Ce serait vraiment super! Bien entendu, le contexte social actuel ne le permet pas encore et il y a énormément de travail à faire avant de pouvoir arriver à ce niveau. Mais en attendant, je m’accroche à ce rêve.

Un dernier mot pour nos lectrices-teurs ?

Bien aiméEs, malgré les douleurs, restons debout. Soyons fortEs. Nous sommes de belles personnes, que nul ne vous fasse croire le contraire. Ne nous isolons pas. Embrassons nos différences malgré le regard des autres; malgré celleux qui, sans aucune légitimité, n’acceptent pas qui nous sommes. Et pour les homophobes, sachez que l’amour triomphe toujours face à l’intolérance!