Part art crew, part fashion house, part musical collective The House Of LaDosha are a forward-thinking force to be reckoned with.
Producing t-shirts and fashion items alongside hot club bangers, the New York-based, gender-bending glamazons have been gaining steady acclaim from fashionistas, indie kids, and hip-hop fans alike a number of years now.
Receiving cult cred and acclaim for tracks like the Naomi Campbell and Paris Is Burning (1991) referencing ‘Rollin’ and ‘B/M/F’ (Black Model famous) the avant garde underground crew recently enthralled audiences performing a killer opening set for Azealia Banks in NY.
Key members from House Of LaDosha La Fem LaDosha and Cunty Crawford are heading back to the land downunder this month for their second Aus visit to perform two exclusive shows in Sydney (as part of Vivid Live and Red Bull Music Academy Presents The Studio: Five nights of live music and DJs from some of Sydney’s leading underground music collectives) and Melbourne.
Thanks to Goodgod Small Club and House of Mince, they’ll be turning the Vivid LIVE Studio (Sydney Opera House) into a ballroom dungeon alongside Zanzibar Chanel on the 29th of May, before serving second course of LaDosha at the The Curtin in Melbourne on May 30th thanks to Grouse Party and Contrary.
Ahead of their visit we chatted to La Fem LaDosha and Cunty Crawford about vouging, inspirations and what to expect at a LaDosha show.
What Is House Of LaDosha
“As a bigger picture we are a creative collective of close knit friends, comprised of musicians, writers, clothing designers, and visual artists. The musical side is composed of La Fem LaDosha and Cunty Crawford LaDosha. La Fem LaDosha is the musical mind behind the music. She writes and produces the music.”
What can you expect from a LaDosha show? “Always high octane performance, lyrical flow, sultry looks and heavy bass.”
Their Merging Of Art, Fashion and Music
“It is both natural and conscious. We have a fashion background, both of us studied fashion in college, but it is something we both care deeply about. We think it is important to have the looks compliment the sound.”
Key Inspirations
Mainstram Hip hop: “Hip hop has always been a heavy influence to us. We have always been fans of said artists [mainstream hip hop artists Birdman/ Nicki Minaj/ Rick Ross]. Their lyrics and beats always are playing in our headphones and at our parties, so it’s sort of a natural progression.”
The New York Ballroom scene: “We aren’t involved in the ballroom scene, in the traditional sense of the word, but it is something that is very inspiring to us and something we have a lot of respect for.
[We] think it is important to share our version of it and expose people from other parts of the world to a different perspective and to different types of music.”
Film Paris is Burning (1991): “Paris is Burning did have a huge influence on us when we first started. The idea of a created family as presented in that film very much so was in line with what we were feeling. We all come from different places around the US and being in New York we wanted to create this close family that we felt was important to surviving this city.”
On Voguing & The Ballroom Scene Cracking Mainstream
“I think it is important to showcase this form of dance and expression to the mainstream. But I feel like it is very important that those people who are actually living that life and involved in that scene, are the ones who are involved in and presenting it.
If not, then it just seems like sort of a farce. But the internet is doing wonders for it. Some of the top voguers are being hired to perform on stages and teach in dance classes all throughout the world, and I think that is a really amazing thing.”
Upcoming Shows
May 29th
Goodgod Minceteria! Feat. House of Ladosha
Vivid Live event
Vivid live studios, Sydney Opera House
Tickets and info
May 30th
House Of LaDosha & Chela
Presented by The House of Mince, Grouse & Contrary
The John Curtin Hotel, Melb
Tickets and info
