On Friday (June 19), Puerto Rican drag collective Haus of Vanguardia debuted a virtual tribute to Regresa, the debut LP of Buscabulla, and it is everything—multiple shares and comments from the Puerto Rican synth-pop band show they agree, too.
“Every time they commented we would scream in the group chat,” Ana Macho of Haus of Vanguardia tells Remezcla. “I feel as though they really enjoyed what we did, and I’m sure that as artists they felt very flattered.”
Many of the house members have had Regresa on repeat throughout the government-mandated quarantine in Puerto Rico, which began in mid-March. (A 10 p.m. curfew remains, but many restrictions have since eased up.)
Each performer chose their own song and helmed their own performance clip.
“We put in a lot of work, especially our overall editor Machín Gunzalez, into making something that felt genuine to us as a haus, and a tribute to the great work of Buscabulla,” adds Ana Macho.
In eight numbers during the half-hour show, Haus of Vanguardia and friends traverse the island, delivering scenes set in the West coast town of Mayagüez all the way to Old San Juan in the east.
Performers on the lineup hail from all over; Ana Macho calls their haus an “intermunicipal” one.
Anti-colonial and pro-resistance messaging is peppered throughout the show and, in general, the act of drag itself, especially alternative drag, is a political act. Since forming last year, the group’s goal has been to “elevate Boricua drag,” with an emphasis on combining art with activism.
They’re calling Haus of Vanguardia’s inaugural phase #LaVenida2020.
“I just hope this could signify more future collaborations between queer artists and local artists and musicians,” says Haus member Misandra Bolac.
Ana Macho adds, “I feel like stuff like this could start making people see that drag performers are artists with the same validity as mainstream or even popular indie groups. I mean, our haus is our band!”
Watch Haus of Vanguardia and friends pay tribute to Regresa: