Indigenous Drag Excellence XXL is this year’s commissioned work at Riddu Riđđu, and a world class show and representation of culture interpreted through the art of drag.
The artists are Aunty Tamara, Feather Talia, Randy River and Ritni Tears. Each of them bring their unique approach to drag, which is unapologetically queer and Indigenous. They serve Indigenous drag excellence and bring the ancestors with them with the new story telling form of drag. Experience the first ever drag show with an all-Indigenous line-up in Sápmi!
About the performers:
Ritni Tears is a Deanu river Sámi drag artist, storyteller and all-around gay™ superstar. He started his career as Ánde Borga in the Berlin-based fuckboizband Hot Compost in 2022. He is extremely happy to finally máhccat, come back home and do his debut drag show in Sápmi with this amazing team! Ritni Tears is an alter ego for Máret Ásllat Ivvár Ovllá Nilla Ritni Ráste, Ritni Ráste Pieski – who appears mostly as a drag king, even more gay, exxxtra & brave superstar.
Aunty Tamara is fierce, ferocious and fabulous all in one. A true power house performer, bringing the classics of soul and RnB like a true diva! Aunty pulls performance inspiration from her ancestral roots of Aotearoa, New Zealand – bringing that cultural flame to drag, unapologetically! She stands proud in her culture as a Māori, whilst standing tall in her 8″ heels. Get ready to feel all the emotions as you witness the power and combination of DRAG x CULTURE!
Randy River is a drag king from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and is a registered member of Couchiching First Nation in Treaty 3 territory. Randy satirically shines a light on toxic masculinity in the late 90s and early 2000s, and his favourite pastimes include (but are not limited to) wheeling around town on his Heely’s, listening to nü metal, and drinking Monster energy drinks for breakfast. He’s the uncle we all love to hate!
Feather Talia is the pride of Muskowekwan First Nation and a well-known drag artist and advocate for her kin. Feather, being Two-Spirit, shares her storytelling and fun humour on and off the mic. She has a fire that no one can tarnish and dance moves that are… ok. When you come to a Feather Talia Show, you will get beauty, grace, stupidity and most of all… a fun auntie who thrives and does her own thing!
Project coordinator is Sage Broomfield.
Indigenous Drag Excellence XXL can be expierenced at Riddu-sletta in Manndalen, Kåfjord Saturday 13 July at 18:30.
More information about the performance and the festival can be found on Riddu Riđđu’s website.
Riddu Riđđu Festivàla is an international Indigenous festival, which takes place annually in Manndalen, Kåfjord municipality, Nord-Troms county.
For more than 30 years, Riddu Riđđu has worked to create a stronger awareness and pride about the Sámi. The festival has an international Indigenous profile and in 2009 the festival got national hub status.
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Indigenous drag excellence XXL is supported by The Finnish Cultural Institute in New York and the Finnish-Norwegian Cultural Institute as part of the pARTir initiative funded by the European Union – NextGenerationEU. The project has also received funding from the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Culture and Art Programme.
‘PARTir – Creating a Cultural Roadmap Towards Responsible International Mobility’ is a collaborative project between the Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes Association and ten Finnish cultural and academic institutes during the years 2024–2025. The project aims to promote sustainable and long-term internationalization of art by implementing approximately 30 art and culture projects and developing sustainable practices within the institute network. PARTir is funded by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU initiative.