Esta publicación también está disponible en: English Español
[Editor’s Note: This original story by Vallarta Calendar first appeared on their pages. We’re sharing it here with their permission. ]
Mister Lady Zen is not just a performer; they are a force of nature. With a voice that flows like velvet thunder and a life composed of opera, poetry, and social defiance, they embody what it means to live artfully, truthfully, and unapologetically. In their latest music video, “Mother of My Voice,” Lady Zen brings their singular blend of storytelling, activism, and homage to the forefront, cementing their place not only as a cherished member of the Puerto Vallarta arts scene but as a powerful voice in global queer culture.
“Mother of My Voice” is more than just a song—it’s a hymn to the sacred feminine voices that shaped Mister Lady Zen into the artist they are today. Inspired by icons like Billie Holiday, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, and Tina Turner, the single is an anthem of reverence and resilience. “Just saying their names evokes their brilliance,” they explain. For Lady Zen, these foremothers are not merely influences—they are spiritual anchors. Each note in the track feels like an invocation, summoning the legacy of these women into the present.
The music video for the song was filmed at The Palm Cabaret & Bar, a venue Mister Lady Zen considers one of Vallarta’s most important creative spaces. It’s a full-circle moment: The Palm was once a place they admired from the audience, soaking in performances and imagining themselves on stage. Today, they not only perform there but use it as a lab for new work, a stage for premieres, and now, a sacred site for their visual storytelling. “The Palm has always been one of those venues that artists aspire to perform in,” they reflect. The collaboration with DuChateau Film, Roblem Productions, Kim LaRue Follies Dancers, and The Palm’s team created a time capsule moment for Vallarta’s queer and allied artists.
Lady Zen is not one to stand alone on stage. They bring community with them. In this video, they invited The House of Paradise—featuring Alvaro Martinez and Ulises Perez—to join them in what they describe as a tribute to the ballroom and underground drag scenes. “There is much to unpack there,” they say, “but the ballroom scene has always been a part of my language.” These collaborations are not accessories to their performance—they are integral threads in the fabric of their queer expression.
Their commitment to community extends beyond music. Lady Zen’s activism is lived rather than proclaimed. They use their art as a platform, a mirror, and a celebration of queer truth. A featured artist in The Bureau of Queer Art’s 50 Postcards project, they believe in the radical potential of visibility. “Art is activism,” they say. And it’s not a slogan; it’s a practice. They build stages for others as much as they claim their own.
Their history with Puerto Vallarta goes back eight years, and since then, the city has become much more than a home base—it’s a muse, a family, and a launching pad. From their earliest performances at Incanto to sold-out shows and award-winning work, they have become a foundational part of Vallarta’s cultural landscape. Their contributions were recently recognized with a nomination for Best Queer Performer of 2024 in the Best of Vallarta Gays Awards. But for Lady Zen, the accolades are secondary to what the community represents. “Vallarta has always been a haven,” they say, acknowledging the city’s remarkable balance between queer and ally representation.
When asked about Vallarta’s role in their journey, Mister Lady Zen draws a clear line between the city’s celebrated artistic past and its present. “We’re just as vital to Vallarta’s future as those we admire from its past—the artists who shaped this city into what it is today. Every performer here now is part of that legacy, adding new layers to its rich cultural story. There’s real hometown pride in that. It’s legendary.”
The music video also functions as a showcase for their haute couture micro-brand, She-Shirts, a collaboration with Mexican fashion designers. Featuring hand-crafted, textile-rich garments that honor powerful women, the first line sold out quickly after its debut at The Palm. Like everything they do, She-Shirts bridges artistry, identity, and cultural appreciation. Though currently in transition as they build the next phase, the brand’s presence in the video signals that fashion, too, is a medium through which they tell stories. More shirts will be available soon, continuing the evolution of this creative project.
As a multi-hyphenate artist, Lady Zen defies easy categorization. They have toured with their award-winning one-person film-performance hybrid What’s in a Name, a deeply personal project written during the pandemic. Shot in part in a restored penance chapel once used to repress queerness, the film is both an act of mourning and a ritual of forgiveness. “Let’s really forgive. And let’s really accept where we are in this space,” they say of the project. The film has won more than 60 film festival awards and serves as another pillar in their evolving body of work.
Photography, too, plays a role in Lady Zen’s journey of self-reclamation. Working with photographer Jessica Lauren Lipton, they began a series to see themselves more clearly—literally and metaphorically. “I didn’t understand my trans masculinity at that time… I knew I didn’t want to physically transition, but I still wanted to acknowledge that that was part of me.” These images are not simply portraits. They are sacred objects of queer visibility and vulnerability.
Despite their growing acclaim—including a highly anticipated debut at the Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Annual New York Cabaret Convention at Lincoln Center, with tickets available soon—Lady Zen remains deeply connected to their roots. They credit early influences like Harvey Fierstein’s Torch Song Trilogy for helping them find the courage to live and perform authentically. That courage, they insist, must now be passed forward.
“I want to see more queer independent artists find their voices and be heard,” they say. “With the right support and opportunities, I believe Vallarta could be revolutionary in generating new work. There’s real potential here.”
That sentiment isn’t just hopeful—it’s a challenge. A call to action for Vallarta to become a creative incubator, not just for tourism but for transformative art. Lady Zen envisions a city where original music, theater, and collaborative workshops flourish—a new kind of legacy built on truth, art, and queer resilience.
“I may not be the most widely recognized artist in town,” they admit, “but I know I am one of the greats.”
And they’re right.
Because Mister Lady Zen doesn’t perform for applause. They perform for truth. And in doing so, they invite us to meet them there—on the edge of vulnerability, in the center of power, and within the heartbeat of a community that’s learning, slowly but surely, how to truly listen.
Esta publicación también está disponible en: English Español
