Bram Draper

Renegade Queens is more than just a project—it’s a movement. This groundbreaking documentary, alongside the double-disc anthology Salsa De La Bahía Vol. 3: Renegade Queens, shines a long-overdue spotlight on the fearless women of the San Francisco Bay Area’s Afro-Latin music scene. For over five decades, these trailblazing artists have defied expectations, challenging sexism, cultural erasure, and gentrification while forging a revolutionary sound that embodies collaboration, resilience, and social activism.

The documentary weaves together intimate interviews, electrifying performances, and archival footage to tell the untold stories of the musicians, educators, and cultural pioneers who have shaped the Bay Area’s unique Latin music landscape. Inspired by a transformative journey to Havana in 2000 and informed by conversations with Cuban ethnomusicologist Olavo Alén Rodríguez, Renegade Queens highlights the critical yet often-overlooked role of women in the evolution of this genre.

Role: Lead Assistant Editor

Director: Rita Hargrave