After emerging in New York City at places like Icon in Queens, NY and winning the sought after Lady Liberty title, Freeda Kulo first made a splash at Paradise at the always sensational Wepa Thursday night party. This past February, Kulo competed against a roster of stunning competitors for Miss Paradise for the sought after title of Miss Paradise. Combining her own raw talent and tenacity merged with a love for her own culture and family, Kulo delivered a completed and passionate package that showcased exactly who she was and it paid off; Kulo was crowed Miss Paradise 2024. I sat down with the latest titleholder to speak about her path to Paradise, her stunning tribute to her culture during the pageant, and what fans can expect when Freeda Fridays launch this Friday, March 22nd!
Michael Cook: Your path to Miss Paradise was a long one; let’s start at the beginning. How did you get started in your career in drag?
Freeda Kulo: My first time in drag was in 2017 when I attended DragCon at the Javits Center dressed as Valentina. However, the persona of Freeda Kulo did not come to life until 2019. I work as a group fitness manager and instructor at Crunch in New York and we host these special ride events called “What Drag Cycle Karaoke”. One of the managers forgot to book a drag queen for our 34th street location and they asked me to fill in at the last minute. I had such a blast and members wanted to know where else I performed!
MC: Everyone found their drag inspiration in someone who helped ignite that passion. Who was the drag performer that first lit that fire in you to in turn, make it your passion?
FK: Growing up in Southern California, I had the opportunity to see so many great drag entertainers, however, it wasn’t until I saw Valentina on Drag Race that I could see a reflection of my culture with such an admiration on mainstream media. That representation gave me the spark I needed to say I could do this too someday.
MC: What is it about Paradise that inspired you to represent the business and in a sense, the LGBTQ community in Asbury Park, NJ?
FK: The summer that I moved to New York eight years ago was when I first visited Asbury Park and attended Tea Dance. It left such a lasting impression and had such an amazing time that once I started doing drag, I hoped to perform there one day. My drag sister, Roxie Chanel, brought me as her guest for Wepa Thursdays almost a year ago, and I immediately connected with the audience and (bartender and Wepa promoter) Jonny Castellanos. I truly value safe spaces, like Paradise, that also give opportunities to represent the beautiful variety of our queer community. Being that I’m away from my family in California and Mexico it’s places like Paradise that we find our chosen family. I want to continue to foster that same sentiment of representation for the LGBTQ community in Asbury Park so others get the chance to find their chosen family and tribe all while having a great time.
MC: Your win this past year at Miss Paradise included your presentation, which included a full mariachi band. As your head judge, I can tell you that several judges including myself found this to be an extremely emotional presentation. Tell me about the presentation as a whole and what it was like to present your culture so strongly to the audience that night.
FK: With the theme of music makes the people come together for presentation, I immediately knew that I wanted to highlight the genre of Mariachi music. Aside from representing such pivotal iconography of Mexican culture, this genre of music truly represents all the emotions and facets of the human experience. Mariachi music is played to celebrate joyous occasions, to serenade a loved one and even when mourning the loss of someone special. It’s filled with so much passion, and I wanted the people at Paradise to see it, hear it and feel it.
I particularly chose the song “Cruz de Olvido” by Vicente Fernández because it reminds my family of my grandfather, who I lovingly call Abuelito Melin. He passed away when I was a teenager and it hit us hard. When I was as a little kid, I would spend a lot of time with him in Mexico and loved going to the ranch with him. In the end of video background I put together for this category, I put a clip of when we brought a Mariachi group to serenade my Abuelita Kika for her birthday a few years ago.
These are details that many people in the audience would not know yet I knew that my Mother, my Tia Maria, and my sister Maria Jessenia would appreciate it. It was my way of not only representing my culture, but also showing my family that they are always at the core and passion of what I do.
MC: New York City drag holds a special place in your heart and is truly the backbone of your drag career and life in general. Tell me about your NYC drag career and where fans can find you in NYC!
FK: I’ve been doing drag for four years and I’m grateful for all the opportunities I’ve been granted in New York City. It wasn’t easy since I started right before the lockdown, and had to pivot my creativity to virtual drag. The silver lining in those months of isolation is that I was able to understand who I am as an entertainer and build my skill sets. I first started in person shows in Astoria, Queens at places like Icon & Albatross, but what helped propel me into the Manhattan scene was winning Lady Liberty. Now you can find me on Tuesdays at Lips , Saturdays and Sundays I host a drag brunch at Kween in Astoria and Saturday nights I co-host a show at Boxers in Hell’s Kitchen with my sister Pietra Parker.
MC: What made you finally make the decision to run for Miss Paradise after such a spectacular career thus far?
FK: When I won the title of Miss America last year in September, I had already inquired to participate in the last prelim from Miss Paradise. Although I knew it was ambitious, I really wanted to win this title because Paradise represented a crown with a community that I was really bonding with.
MC: What is something that you want to bring to your reign that will be different than any other Miss Paradise before and be a bit of a lasting legacy for you?
FK: I am the first Mexican to win this title and have such a passion to represent my culture, but also an incredible passion for drag and entertaining in general. I have a laundry list of ideas that I can’t wait to share, but I also have such a huge network of support and talent in the Drag community that I want to showcase. I’ve always believed that there’s room for all of us and it’s important to be able to hold space not just for the legends that have paved the way, but also the ingénues that are tomorrow’s icons.
MC: Thanks to Shep Pettibone’s vision, Paradise itself has become a two deade plus landmark, built on a legacy of advocacy, talent and community. RuPaul’s Drag Race has even taken notice, with three former Miss Paradise winners going on two compete on RuPaul’s Drag Race. What do you think it is about Paradise that attracts so much stunning and talented drag performers?
FK: Paradise has set the standard thanks to all the hard work and energy all of the former Miss Paradise winners have put in. They have dedicated so much to this community and it’s not just about winning a crown and a title. It’s about representing a brand, but with your own finesse. In return, the audience there recognizes and appreciates when a drag entertainer is also putting in an immense amount of effort. I always feel taken care of at Paradise and that’s why many seek to perform there.
MC: Your first show is on March 22nd at ‘Freeda Fridays’ kicks off. What is your message to the fans, new and old, that are going to be spending each and every Friday with you and what can they expect?
FK: For Freeda Fridays, I’ll be bringing the beauty and comedy of Lucille Ball, but with a little more sazón! I can guarantee that the audience will indulge in a sampler of entertainment and production that you won’t want to miss out on any Freeda Friday!
All photos by Trade Photography; Follow on Instagram
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