EsTitties is Coming to Sarnia’s Mosaic
Get ready to meet the fabulous Salina EsTitties, star of RuPaul's Drag Race Season 15! Hailing from Los Angeles, Salina is not just a drag queen but also a talented musician. She’s known for her energetic performances and captivating presence on stage.
Salina will be gracing Sarnia with her presence at a very special event called Mosaic on Friday, July 12, 2024, at Refined Fool Brewing Company. Presented by Sarnia-Lambton PrideFest, this event promises a night of spectacular entertainment with performances from Jada Shada Hudson of Canada’s Drag Race, London’s songstress Galaxy, Tammy The Brown, The X Wife, Kamilla Flores, Kara Melle, and Sarnia’s own Brenda. Best of all, this event is FREE! Don’t miss out on this incredible celebration of drag and music.
DRAG MAG: Have you ever performed or been in the Sarnia area before?
Salina EsTitties: No, it'll be my first time. I've been to Calgary a couple times, but never past that. So I'm very excited to see a new side of Canada.
DM: Is there anything that you're looking forward to doing while you're here?
SET: Well, I've never been, so I don't know what to expect or anything. So I always just love showing up and seeing what happens.
DM: What was the most memorable moment for you during your time on the RuPaul’s Drag Race?
SET: I think just getting to be with RuPaul at any point was like the best thing in the world. It just felt so unreal, you know what I mean? You see them on TV forever, and then here you are talking with them about your drag. So I think that was definitely the best part about it.
DM: As a musician and a drag queen, how do you blend these two passions in your performances?
SET: I find that drag allows me to create music in the way that I probably wouldn't be able to if I didn't have drag. It gives me like a vehicle to express all my talents and all of who I am, where outside of drag I probably don't feel as confident. I don't feel as seen. I don't feel as respected. Being in drag, it just kind of demands that power and allows for me to create and express myself in a way that people actually pay attention.
DM: What inspires the themes and styles of your shows?
SET: My shows are very theatrical. I'm a musical theater major at the end of the day, so I feel like that combined with my street smart, street wise persona, it's the blend of musical theater and then like, hoodrat, you know. The two complement each other very well in a way that people have not experienced before. It's not just a hip hop dancing girl. It's also that combined with acting and emotion that allows for an exciting experience.
DM: Can you share the story behind your drag name?
SET: So Selena is a play on Selena Quintanilla, which is a Latin music artist who was tragically murdered when she was very young. And she is huge in the Latin community. So I wanted to pay homage to my queen and the Latin queen for a lot of Latinos. So, Selena's my first name. And then I was creating my name. My friend was asking me, what would your drag name be? And I said, I don't know, but if I were a girl, I'd probably have really big titties and, Es Titties. The Es in front of is kind of an homage to my mom with her accent. She used to say stuff like instead of stop sign, she would say es-stop. Instead of a Sprite. She would say es-Sprite. So I just kind of added the Es because it gives how my mom would say it.
DM: Who are your biggest musical and drag inspirations?
SET: My biggest drag inspirations has to be Robin Williams and Mrs. Doubtfire, John Leguizamo in To Wong Foo, Eddie Murphy as Rasputia in Norbit. These male actors who just do drag for comedy purposes, these comedians, that's really where my drag stems from. Mary Katherine Gallagher from Superstar. SNL type skit characters and MADtv. That's kind of where my comedy and drag persona comes from, those are very big influences. As far as drag goes I have a very hyper feminine look that is a little clowny but not too clowny. So I like blending the two together. And I think that I don't really have a drag queen that I'm inspired by like that. But I would say that I'm definitely inspired by like pop stars like Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez. And as far as the vibe and esthetic go... the essence of EsTitties combined with the comedic actor vibes, it gives what I was talking about, the combination of pop star and camp.
DM: What's your favorite song to perform and why?
SET: My favorite song to perform, I mean, performing Nicki Minaj is always fun. I also love performing Cardi B, also Beyonce Renaissance I think would probably be my favorite right now as we speak in this moment, probably any Renaissance Beyoncé is where I kind of live at the moment.
DM: How do you feel about sharing the stage with such diverse talent?
SET: It's so exciting because we get to showcase all aspects of drag. And these things are fantastic. So getting to share a stage with them is an honor, and I'm very excited to do so.
DM: What does performing at Pride Events mean to you personally?
SET: I remember pride when I was growing up as an 18 year old in West Hollywood. You know, kind of a gay Mecca, pride resembled freedom and community to me when I was coming up. And today pride for me is really about a sense of self pride within oneself and finding one's own sense of confidence with themselves and self-love. And that's kind of what I've been working on recently as a person. And so I think having pride in all aspects of who you are. So for me, that's being proud of how I look, regardless of how fit or unfit I may be, being proud of my race and my nationality, my ethnicity. Being proud of the way that I speak, being proud of the way that I walk, finding pride in all aspects of who I am allows me to exude that and allow other people to see me the way that I saw other people when I was 18 years old, and be an example of what true pride really looks like. Not just being proud of being gay, but being proud of all aspects of who I am.
DM: What can the audience expect from your performance in Mosaic, and are there any special surprises in store?
SET: So I do have original music that's out, and right now during pride season, I'm performing it live. So maybe I'll see if I can find some dancers there in Ontario who could hop on stage with me, if that's a thing. But perhaps getting a taste of my music that I have out right now that's gone a little viral on YouTube.
DM: Do you have any pre-show rituals or routines?
SET: Ooh, I actually like to be very quiet before the show and just have a moment to myself to breathe and take in the moment and prepare because it takes a lot of energy to do what I do. So to have that moment by myself to just hone in on what's about to happen is really important to me.
DM: Drag has seen a surge in mainstream popularity. How do you think this visibility has impacted the drag community both positively and negatively?
SET: Well, positively, it has put us on the forefront of a lot of media and just life in general. So, where before we used to perform in the shadows, and be pushed to the side, now we're being a little more respected and celebrated. On the negative side, as a queen, I feel like it's a little oversaturated right now and there's a lot of queens, so that is a little hard to navigate. But it's better to have that problem than to not have a problem at all.
DM: What do you think sets the LA drag scene apart from other drag scenes across the country?
SET: I think what sets the LA drag scene apart is that we live in Los Angeles, which is the entertainment capital of the world. So I think our girls are a lot more accustomed to what it looks like to be on set, what it looks like to show up and be on your mark, deliver your show and be ready to go. I feel like we're very professional in that way and and ready to execute. Because we're showgirls, LA, Hello?
DM: Do you have any favorite brands or go-to products that you swear by?
SET: I think setting spray is very important. And I use them very theatrical, almost industrial type of setting spray. It's not no makeup brand. It's an alcoholic base that is great to make sure I don't sweat. And then there's other stuff called Sweat On, or something like that. And it clogs my pores. I don't sweat, which is very important because drag is really hot, so I gotta make sure my makeup is not running.
DM: What advice would you give to aspiring drag artists who look up to you?
SET: The more you know who you are as a person, that will reveal who you are as a drag queen and your performance style, what you wear, how you express yourself. So I say start by going inside and learning who you are, and then that will dictate your drag and how you move in the world.
DM: Do you have any upcoming projects or music releases that you're excited about and can share with us?
SET: Yeah, my music video, for my song Papi off of my latest EP, Homegirl will be out and that's brand new, so I would love for everyone to check that out. And I also have a show that I'll be doing in July in Provincetown that is called The Papi Experience. It's kind of like my live interactive speed dating show that I hope to take on the road one day. And I'm currently working on a little Christmas project at the moment as well.
DM: What message do you hope to convey to your fans in the audience through your performances at Mosaic and other performances beyond?
SET: I hope that I make them want to get up and dance. I want them to feel my energy and let that shock through them and make them feel the same energy in the crowd and then be inspired to share that energy moving forward the next day.
DM: Lastly, I just want to ask if you have anything at all that you'd like to add to this.
SET: I'm just very grateful for my fan base and my supporters. I feel like I get to keep on doing what I'm doing because of them and their love and support online, and in real life. So anyone who is a fan of me, or has yet to become a fan of me, or like a soon to be itty bitty titty committee member I'm just very grateful for them, and I wanted them to know how much I appreciate and love them.
Don’t miss the chance to see Salina EsTitties and a stellar lineup of performers at Mosaic on Friday, July 12, 2024, at Refined Fool Brewing Company. Presented by Sarnia-Lambton PrideFest, this free event promises an unforgettable night of drag, music, and celebration. See you there!
Mosaic
Friday, July 12, 2024
At Refined Fool Brewing Co. in Sarnia, Ontario