For anyone discovering you for the first time, how would you describe Valium Ssky and the world you’ve created around your persona?
I created my drag persona around the fact that Queerness has always been villainised in the media, so I reclaimed that power and created “Valium Ssky, the self proclaimed purple supreme witch of South African drag” She’s a blend of 90’s horror icons like Elvira and Disney villains like Ursula and Maleficent with my own personal touch.
This allowed me to create an entire fantasy world surrounding my drag persona, a backstory that I’ve been writing and would one day hopefully be able to release to the public as well
What first inspired you to get into drag and performance, and was there a particular moment when you knew this was something you wanted to pursue seriously?
I was around 16 years old when I first got introduced to the world of drag by some close friends. At that time season 4 of Rupauls drag race was airing and I immediately knew that this would be something I would like to pursue. So I started creating my persona in my head and at 18 when I finished school, I started experimenting slowly but surely, now 12 years later I’ve grown my brand to the point where I perform consistently and recently released my debut single “Valium Ssky - SAY MY NAME”
Your name and persona certainly make an impact — where did “Valium Ssky” come from, and what does the name mean to you?
When I started experimenting with drag at age 16 (2012) I had a different name planned, originally I was “Cyber Candy”, “Candy” for short. However that didn’t feel right to me. It was a journey, but I was very involved with the alt queer scene and listened to now controversial queer music. One artist had a song called “beauty killer” with the line “Doll eyes looked up to Valium coloured Skies” and I took Valium Ssky from there, Valium like the anti depressant and Ssky like the vodka, except I have two S’s and not two Y’s for trademark purposes became my calling card and it stuck.
How would you describe your style and aesthetic, and how has that evolved since you first started performing?
I would describe my style as Alternative queer with a splash of glamour. As I mentioned before I was very involved with the alternative queer scene and inspired by icons like Elvira, Divine, Vampira etc along with Disney villains like Ursula, Malificent, the Evil Queen and Cruella Deville. So I mixed all that together and created a persona that originally was very “club kid” until I evolved over the years into a more glamorous version of myself.
Drag can be both hugely empowering and incredibly demanding. What has performing taught you about confidence, identity and being comfortable in your own skin?
Personally I believe when you’re passionate about something you sometimes forget about how demanding it can be. The hours of prep work and all the money spent on outfits and makeup feel worth it when you’re on that stage and see the smiles from the audience and hear their applause. As a non binary person, drag has allowed me to both express my masculine side in everyday life and my feminine / creative side on stage and I’m so grateful to be able to do that professionally. In many ways, drag is a career that saved my life in so many ways.
How important is LGBTQ+ representation to you, particularly at a time when queer culture and visibility continue to be debated and challenged?
Drag to me has and will always be a form of protest against those that believe Lgbtqi+ people don’t deserve the right to exist and express themselves and I believe that representation and visibility is now more important than ever.
My stance has always been that if I can go out the house in full drag, you can be yourself and be proud to be yourself no matter who you are. I’ve personally been pushing to create queer safe events now for the past year at generally straight venues, whether that be a drag show or hosting a battle of the bands etc.
I aim to show people that we can co exist and that our spaces / events are safe spaces for all, if you respect us, we respect you and we are all human at the end of the day.
Wrapping up this question, Lgbtqi+ rights are human rights and representation and visibility matters now more than ever. Show up and show out because without knowing it, you can change a life and that matters.
Who are the performers, artists or LGBTQ+ figures who have inspired you, and what is it about them that resonates with you?
I’ve already mentioned the horror hostesses and Disney villains, so other than that. I’ve been inspired like any other queer person by some pop divas like Lady Gaga and Madonna, their ability to continually reinvent themselves and the way that their performances are pure art brought to life really resonates with me.
Then obviously some mainstream drag personalities like Alaska, Bob the drag queen, the Vivian (rest in peace), Manila Luzon, to name a few have inspired me over the years to push forward and hone my craft.
But my favourite artist at the moment would be Ashnikko, her music and personality really resonates with me and inspires me, also, we were born on the exact same day 19 February 1996.
Beyond the glamour and performance, what do you think people misunderstand about the reality of being a drag artist today?
I feel like allot of younger drag performers have this misconception that drag is all fun and spotlights and don’t really realise the hard work, long hours and resilience it takes to actually be a working drag queen.
It’s not always easy and it’s very political at the end of the day, also since drag has become mainstream it seems like everyone has become a critic on the matter. Good drag is not always what you see on reality TV, sometimes it’s much better in person. So support local drag.
If you could use your platform to change one thing about the way LGBTQ+ people are seen or represented, what would it be?
Coming from a still mostly conservative country, I always strive to show that at the end of the day, people can get to the point of understanding that we are all just people in the same pressure cooker we call live and that we all are fighting the same act of survival every day.
LGBTQIA+ people just want to co exist as equals in today’s society and there are way more serious issues in the world than obsessing whether someone fits your norm.
It’s sometimes sad to think that through misconceptions we are classified along people that truly harm society while most of us just aim to spread love and light.
Looking ahead, what can we expect from Valium Ssky — and what is the dream project or opportunity you’d love to make happen?
Right now I’m focusing on my music career along with creating safe spaces for all of us to come together and enjoy a good drag show.
I am hoping to continue releasing a few more songs this year, including some very fun collaborations that I’m already working on, so watch this space.
In a complete fantasy situation I would love to be seen by my favourite artist Ashnikko and to one day be able to collab with her. (So if anyone reading this knows someone, please make it happen) or to one day get to the level where I’m booked internationally would also be a dream come true for someone that in their early years never thought any of what I’m already doing could be a reality.
Closing off I’d like to thank the g10 group for this incredible interview and for these amazing questions that gave me the opportunity to share my thoughts and experiences. To those reading this remember to stream “Valium Ssky - SAY MY NAME” now available on all streaming platforms.