The spooky and sultry child of NYC’s famous goblin queen Maddelynn Hatter, Maljo Blu is making their own waves on numerous drag stages today.
Thotyssey: Hello Maljo! Thanks for chatting with us today! How is March treating you so far?
Maljo Blu: I’m doing quite well. Shedding off that good old seasonal affective funk, otherwise I’m excellent.
Did I see that you were at Hush’s drag competition “Mother,” watching your own mother Maddelynn Hatter hosting last night?
Yes! Gotta support Mutha Madd.
You competed in “Mother” at one point, right? Do you enjoy the competition show scene, or is it stressful?
It can be pretty stressful, but a lot of the time these competitions are the only place I can incorporate other mediums, like projection, into my drag–not to mention it gives me the drive to expand on concepts I really wanna try out.
Can you tell us a bit about where you’re from originally, and what sort of creative interests and pursuits you had while growing up?
I grew up in Harlem, so I’m one of the very few New York natives that hasn’t been gentrified out. I’ve always been a theater kid, and I went to school for playwriting and production. So in my past life, I gave shows in a different sense.
How did you discover drag and become Maljo?
I am definitely a child of the internet, and I learned about drag that way at first–mostly queens on the internet who used drag as a comedic vehicle, like Coco Peru or Trixie.
When I got older, I found that drag can be a conduit for all sorts of performance. Seeing people who looked like me on television like Yvie Oddly, or watching and reading works by people like Taylor Mac. Whether it be comedic, theatrical or cultural, Maljo Blu ended up being the perfect vessel for me to channel all three of those needs of performance into the perfect package.
You’re a young drag performer, but how might you describe what your drag looks and performances are like today?
I think the best way I could put it is that I’m whimsical as fuck. I tow the line on a spooky and pretty aesthetic, but I tend to jump around from the most outlandish Broadway musical numbers to femme rappers to Gen Z pop music. I love to play with video collaging a lot as well, but honestly I do a little bit of everything all while looking like a little imp.
Have you had a favorite experience so far as a performer that you can recall?
I got to take part in Mx. Nobody, a completion for alternative drag artists, as a finalist where I got to invite my biological mother to watch me perform as Maljo for the first time. My mom has been the biggest supporter of me and of Maljo Blu since her conception, and being able to dedicate a performance to her was a once in a lifetime moment that meant so much.
There’s more great stuff to come! On Saturday March 23rd for instance, you’ll be performing at Dromedary in a show called “Whateverland: Batland.”
Yes! I’m going to be with one of my bestest friends Problem Child in their brainchild “Batland.” It’s really hard to explain so I’ll just give you their pitch: “Whateverland is a drag theme park with ever-changing themes and an ever-changing cast! Sometimes it’s a Japanese detective video game series with a cast of unhinged teens-park… sometimes it’s we put all the Sanrio characters in saw traps-park!” So basically, it’s cunt.
We’ll take it! Then at C’mon Everybody on April 10, there is “Drag History Hour: Queers On Wheels” which you’ll be a part of.
Boots! “Drag History Hour” is drag artists showcasing, exploring and learning through marginalized queer histories: “serving cunt, shows and stunts, learning from the back to the front.” I really love this show because I get to put it together with my drag sister Bertha Vanayshun and one of my oldest drag friends Harriet Tugsmen, getting to work with two talented, funny black artists who I am so dearly close to has been a blessing.
What else is coming up for you?
You just gonna have to stay tuned to find out!
Gotcha! Lastly: is blue your favorite color?
I should have explained my namesake, but long answer: maljo blue is a color in Trinidad–where my mom is from–that wards of evil and bad luck. So I chose it so that I could carry all of that good energy with me. Short answer: yes, I love blue!
And blue loves you! Thanks, Maljo!
Check Thotyssey’s calendar for Maljo Blu’s upcoming appearances, and follow them on Instagram and Twitter.
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