On Point With: Taína La Fina

A recent Mx. Rockbar finalist and a true New York native, Quarantine Queen Taína La Fina is now serving it all onstage from Selena to showtunes… with a new live show this week!

Thotyssey: Hello Taina, thanks for chatting with us today! So, how was your Thanksgiving?

Taína La Fina: Hi! My Thanksgiving was great–spent it with my family in the Bronx eating sooo much.

Wonderful! Are you a Bronx native?

I’m actually not. I’m from Washington Heights! My grandma lives in the Bronx, though.

A true native all the same! Growing up, were you always into things like music, fashion, performance, etc?

I was actually a nerdy kid into video games and Pokémon. But I have always been into performing, and specifically musical theater, since middle school.

How did you make your drag debut?

Taína was born during the pandemic. I spent a lot of time consuming drag and makeup content, and decided why not try it? My first time performing was at Albatross in Astoria, Queens. One of my best friends told me about an amateur drag night, and of course I said yes! I performed “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” by Selena.

And I love your helpful explanation on your Instagram that Taína rhymes with “Hyena!”

I also say it rhymes with “cocaína” too, lol! My name is a reference to the Nickelodeon show Taína from the early 2000s (I use some of the music from the show for my mixes). And it’s a reference to the indigenous people of the Caribbean, the Taino. I am proudly Dominican, and wanted to respect my heritage.

Taína is still a young queen, but how might you describe her drag today?

I would say with my drag, I try to have fun–so it’s usually me being sexy and silly on stage. I really love being able to express range, so sometimes I will make fun mixes that the crowd will remember or get stuck in their heads, or go for classic ballads… or as you may have guessed, theater numbers from some of my favorite musicals.

What are some of those favorites?

West Side Story has a special place in my heart because it’s the first one I ever saw as a kid. Wicked, Hairspray, Rent, Sweeny Todd, Avenue Q, In the Heights (I have to rep) and Hamilton.

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You’re also a Rockbar gal! You competed in last year’s Mx Rockbar pageant, and you placed in the finals in this year’s session! What are your thoughts on Rockbar and that whole pageant experience?

It has been a wonderful experience; it’s such a welcoming and kind community at Rockbar and with all the contestants, and this year and last have been so amazing to compete in. They all truly have inspired me and helped me push myself and my drag there, from the judges to other queens at the bar. I actually met Ivory Snow and Harriet Tugsmen at the amateur night at Albatross, and a few months later we found ourselves competing in Mx Rockbar. They’re my sisters who have supported me from the beginning, and we all competed again this year. It was crazy how we all made it to the finals.

The fans you made this year at Mx. Rockbar now have a new opportunity to see you at that venue again! Tell us about “BBF,” your show this coming Monday night with Giardia the Parasite!

It’s in the works to be an established show there–haven’t figured out an exact day of the week yet, lol! “BBL” (Bonitas Baratas y Locas, which means “pretty, cheap and crazy” in Spanish) is a Latinx theme show Giardia and I have been thinking about for a couple of months. We’ve been wanting to show appreciation for Latinx culture, artistry and music! We wanna include references to many things you see in the Latinx community and experience. Giardia and I have an affinity for just being silly and ridiculous on stage, so we want to continue to give that to folks!

Should be a great show! Okay lastly: what do you want for Christmas this year?

Now this is a tough one. I can’t decide between wanting more wigs and shoes, or wishing for the health and safety of my family and friends. I kinda also just want a trip somewhere nice for a bit, too… but I can figure that out for next year, lol!

Thanks, Taína!