Quanah Style
Photos by Zuleyma Prado
Quanah Style is a trailblazing 2 Spirit Cree recording artist, actress (Trans Scripts, Firehall Theatre) and drag performer most recently featured on Season 2 of CBC’s Canada’s a Drag. Quannah is from Moberly Lake in Northern BC.
Tansi Quanah!
So to get started, I’m curious to know what is the inspiration for your business - which I suppose is your entire brand - so what inspires you?
What inspires me is music, really. I grew up around music, it was always second nature to me, and it's part of what helped me find my voice and come out of my shell.
How is your brand and music making a difference in the community?
I’d like to help that by being such a visible -- everything I do I share very openly, very publicly because I want to be a part of breaking down gender barriers and creating a better acceptance and understanding of what it means to be trans and two spirit.
How is your culture reflected in your creativity or your business?
I don’t really showcase my culture through my art a lot because of the type of music that I make is very mainstream pop music so it’s hard to reflect my culture in the genre/style of music that I make, but I think my culture is definitely a part of who I am. Both of my parents were raised by their grandparents and had a lot of a strong cultural upbringing with the language and traditions.
So, I grew up very traditionally. I didn’t go to church, I went to sweat-lodge ceremony, Sun Dances, and since I was a kid I’ve been dancing Sun Dances with my parents and we still hold to our culture as close and tight as we can.
What is some advice that you would give to an Indigenous creative, artist or entrepreneur who is just starting out?
The advice I would give to somebody starting off is to never give up. There are many highs and lows with what we do, a lot of lows...you have to experience the lows to really enjoy the highs. So, enjoy the process and never ever give up.
Anything you wish you’d known before starting out?
I wish that I started off with more confidence. I feel like confidence is something that was gained for me over the years; and the stronger I have been within myself, the stronger my products have been. So, I think the main key is confidence to success, in really anything that you’re going to do.
Who is another Indigenous artist or business person that you admire?
Buffy St. Marie is a huge icon for me. I haven’t really seen anybody do what she’s been able to do in her career and her lifetime since her, so she’s goals for me [*snap?].
What’s coming up and where can we find you?
This coming Thursday I’m performing at celebrities on davie street in Vancouver @ 5pm for Canada’s Drag Race viewing party with my sis @scarlettbobo and @bambambabi!”
Nēhiyawēwin! Thank you!
Quanah’s current club banger album Quanah Style is now available in all streaming services and her branded merchandise is available at www.quanahstyle.com
Follow @QuanahStyle on instagram and Facebook for updates.