Meet the Haus of Ebonii: Alberta's 1st all-Black drag and burlesque group
'It feels like we are creating a legacy right now,' says show producer
The cheers were deafening at the Foundry on Whyte as members of the Haus of Ebonii took to the stage to perform some of their best drag and burlesque numbers to electrifying dance beats and a full house in late September.
The Haus of Ebonii was started more than a year ago when performer GabiiByMinorah approached Black peers in the drag and burlesque scene in Edmonton to form a performing house.
"When I started drag, I noticed that most of the members of the Haus of Ebonii would always come to my shows, and I would go to their shows, and I just felt like there's not a lot of us out there," Minorah told CBC News in an interview.
The group's four performers are established powerhouses in Edmonton's drag scene and have performed at venues across Alberta and Canada such as the Edmonton International Fringe Festival this past summer.
"When we first started, some people said they didn't believe in us, and they don't think we're gonna make it because we didn't have some favourite Black performers in the house, and look at us now," Minorah said.
The September show, dubbed The Blackening, is a nod to the movie which was lauded for the ways it pays homage to the horror genre while also challenging historic tropes around Black characters.
"I watched the movie during the pandemic, and was like, wow, that would make a fabulous cabaret," performer and show producer Kaneesha Ross-Baird, also known as CallMeKeeks, said about the inspiration for the show.
"It's been about two years in my head as an idea, and about three to four months of full planning to bring the other house here ... scoping out venues, locations, making sure I got enough money to pay everybody," Ross-Baird said.
"It was a labour of love, but we made it."
The Blackening show was part of three events held during the weekend which also saw drag and burlesque performances by Haus Bukuru, who describe themselves as "Vancouver's Blackest, Transest, Haus."
Tickets sold out in five days.
"It feels like we are creating a legacy right now," Ross-Baird said.
"It's not very often you see four performers of colour, specifically Black performers, not only do we all get along and love each other, but it just it feels monumental like it's a very big deal, especially here in Edmonton, Alberta."
Beyond being able to perform together, the house has also become a family.
"Haus of Ebonii has been such a joy and a delight and a privilege, and the word that comes to mind is family and community," said Saint, also known as Mx. Jackson (If Ya Nasty!).
"We all care about each other so much and support each other and all the art and endeavours that we do. And it's just a real honour."
Sol, also known as Saint Solstice, debuted as a drag performer at Evolution Wonderlounge more than a year ago.
"Gabii reached out to all of us at the same time, and she just had this idea where she wanted all of us to be a collective ... so there wouldn't be like a drag mother, there wasn't like a hierarchy, it was fully just like a family where we're all like equals."
Solstice said being part of the Haus of Ebonii has soothed some of the isolation felt by being one of a few Black drag and burlesque performers in the city.
"I just get to be around Black people that get it and are my fam, and we're super close."
For Mx. Jackson, performing has been deeply empowering.
"Performing feels exhilarating. It feels empowering. Something that has been my intention going into performing is really to feel sexy, to feel a sense of autonomy," they said.
"Black performers are often underestimated, undervalued and underrepresented, and us being on stage and taking that space is really showing everyone out there what we can do."
Ross-Baird, who has performed for almost two decades, said there has been some progress in the industry in elevating Black performers but that the work to do so often ends up falling onto performers themselves.
"I do think there's a little bit more work that needs to be done in the Edmonton drag burlesque scene when it comes to booking Black performers, paying us what we are deserving to be paid," Ross-Baird said.
Tickets selling out in just five days indicates an appetite for Black talent, Ross-Baird said.
"I think that there is a very large gap and want for good music, talented Black performers, a welcoming space for people to just be able to hang out, chill, enjoy some drag or some burlesque ... or a mix of both."
All the Haus of Ebonii members hope that when audience members leave a performance, they leave inspired.
"I hope I meet my people out there and just showing representation in general, like as a Black, trans, plus-sized person," Minorah said.
Ross-Baird said, "I hope people leave knowing that they want to do better, that they can do better.
"But more importantly, I hope when Black performers, other Black performers in the city, specifically see us performing and as a house, they can see themselves in us and know that there is space and there is room in this city for you to be loud and unapologetically yourself."
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from features on anti-Black racism to success stories from 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.
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