The music of Australian ballroom: disco, house, and the sounds of Western Sydney

This program contains strong language throughout. 

Before Madonna brought voguing into the limelight, the queer community had been quietly putting on balls and celebrating this form of expression since the 1970s. Far from the ballroom of waltzes and tangos, queer ballroom is an artform, a community, a form of protest and its very own genre of music. You might have seen the seminal documentary Paris is Burning, or seen ballroom referred to on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or seen the drama Pose – but even if ballroom is brand new to you, Australia’s unique queer community has created its very own style of ball – and the music you’ll hear there.

You’ll hear from US “king of vogue” Dashaun Wesley, as well as local icons Xander Khoury (overall father of the House of Silky), DJ Mirasia (overall mother of the House of Silky), and multi-hyphenate artist Jamaica Moana.

Thanks to ABC Arts for their interview with Jamaica Moana, featured in this episode.

Technical production by Simon Branthwaite

The Music Show is made on Gadigal and Gundungurra Country