Kahanna Montrese is a drag queen, performer, and contestant on Season 11 of RuPaul's Drag Race. She finished in 14th place.
Kahanna would later return to compete on the eighth season of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. She finished in 6th place.
Las Vegas's "hip-hop showgirl" and daughter of Drag Race legend Coco Montrese, Kahanna merges edgy street influences with upscale high fashion couture.
Drag Name Origin[]
The name "Kahanna" comes from her love of exotic fields and that tropical sexiness. In an interview, Kahanna said that she wanted a name that would embody a tropical feel and represent her style. Her surname, "Montrese," comes from her drag mother Coco Montrese.[4]
Track Records[]
Statistics | USA Season 11 | USA All Stars Season 8 |
---|---|---|
Ranking: | 14th Place | 6th Place |
Maxi Challenges Won: | 0 | 1 (Ep. 1) |
Mini Challenges Won: | 0 | 0 |
Times as Team Captain: | 0 | 0 |
Times in Bottom: | 2 (Eps. 1, 2) | 4 (Eps. 2, 5, 6, 7) |
Episode Eliminated: | Episode 2 | Episode 7 |
Memorable Quotes[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11[]
- "Vegas is back in the house, and this time, we're hitting jackpots!" (entrance quote)
- "My fashion is very... uhm... naked."
- "Rhinestones can be for pretty girls."
- "Touch this skin! Touch alllllll this skin!"
- "Something's coming, bitch... Something is coming." (exit quote)
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8[]
- "Your ringleader has arrived... prepare to send in the clowns." (looks to her left) "Oh... they're already here!" (entrance quote)
- ”I had my eyebrows lifted, my nose done, my ass, my hips, my teeth done. Catch it.”
- ”I’m back and I’m here with the glow-up, ass fat, new teeth, and they showed up, the biggest change came within, now that’s some real talk, thanks to God I found my way and now I can’t be stopped.” (Money, Success, Fame, Glamour verse)
- ”Next time, I’m gonna put my butt cheeks on there, see what it really do.” (about the Werk Room mirror)
- ”Not dry-ass pussy.”
- "If they only knew my secret power came from these tucking panties." (as Honeysickle in the Run, Queen, Run sketch)
- "My tucking panties!" (as Honeysickle in the Run, Queen, Run sketch)
- "Chile, we all Black, so which one gon' die first?" (while LaLa Ri pitches an idea for the Maxi Challenge in Episode 4)
- ''A'Keria...is the body.''
- "I came in as a showgirl, but I'm leaving as a superstar, baby... And I'm ready to take on the world." (exit quote)
- "You're like a J-Lo impersonator, but it's the Ja Rule voice that gets me." (to Naysha Lopez during the Reading is Fundamental Mini Challenge)
Farewell Message[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11[]
"For the first time I've felt like I belonged thank you for embracing me & making me feel loved xoxo Kahanna"
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8[]
"I adore ALL of You This has Changed Me Forever! Love Kahanna XO"
Trivia[]
- Kahanna is the drag daughter of Season 5 and All Stars 2 contestant Coco Montrese and drag grandaughter of legendary pageant drag queen Mokha Montrese.[5]
- She performed as part of the cast of RuPaul's Drag Race Live! with other RuPaul's Drag Race alumni, including Yara Sofia, Shannel, Derrick Barry, and India Ferrah.[6]
- She was paired with Derrick Barry for the Mini Challenge Photoshoot.
- She released a music video for her single "Scores"; featuring Drag Race alumni Manila Luzon, Sharon Needles, Nina West, Trinity The Tuck, Peppermint, and Season 8 winner Bob The Drag Queen.[7]
- If she had reached Snatch Game, she would have impersonated LaToya Jackson.[8]
- She was the first queen to lip-sync twice on Season 11.
- Kahanna is the first queen from a regular season to place 14th, but not be last place. She would later be followed by Sugar on Season 15.
- In both seasons she was in, Kahanna was in the Bottom Two in Episode 2.
- On All Stars 8, Kahanna was...
- ...tied with fellow All Stars 8 contestant Jaymes Mansfield as the lowest placing contestant to return for All-Stars, at 14th place.
- However, Kahanna went home second on Season 11, while Jaymes went home first on Season 9.
- ...the eight queen to continue the All Stars premiere winner "curse", having won the premiere and then ending up in the Bottom Two the following episode. This was previously achieved by Latrice Royale and Manila Luzon on All Stars 1, Roxxxy Andrews and Tatianna on All Stars 2, Mo Heart on All Stars 4, India Ferrah on All Stars 5 and Yara Sofia on All Stars 6.
- Kahanna also continued the premiere lipsync losing streak where the Top All Star of the Week loses against the Lipsync Assassin, the previous premiere lipsync losers being India Ferrah and Yara Sofia.
- ...the eleventh contestant to achieve their first win on an All-Stars season, after Shannel in All Stars 1, Aja in All Stars 3, Mo Heart & Monét X Change in All Stars 4, India Ferrah & Jujubee in All Stars 5, and Ra'Jah O'Hara, Trinity K. Bonet, and Jan in All Stars 6.
- ...tied with fellow All Stars 8 contestant Jaymes Mansfield as the lowest placing contestant to return for All-Stars, at 14th place.
- Kahanna reused her Orange Alert look for her All Stars 8 Snatch Game impression, as both the look & her impression were paying homage to her drag mother, Coco Montrese.
- Kahanna is the only queen to date to perform a backflip, or back tuck, on the original franchise. However, several other queens, including Kahanna, have performed back handsprings or back walk-overs.
- Kahanna is open to doing a vs. The World season.[9]
Gallery[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 11 Looks[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14[]
RuPaul's Drag Race Season 14 Looks[]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8[]
RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars Season 8 Looks[]
Videos[]
Discography[]
Year | Title | Artwork |
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2023 | Money, Success, Fame, Glamour | ![]() |
External Links[]
References[]
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Winner | Yvie Oddly |
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Runners-Up | 2nd: Brooke Lynn Hytes • 3rd & 4th: A'keria C. Davenport & Silky Nutmeg Ganache |
Other Contestants | 5th: Vanessa Vanjie Mateo • 6th: Nina West (Miss Congeniality) • 7th: Shuga Cain • 8th: Plastique Tiara • 9th: Ra'Jah O'Hara • 10th: Scarlet Envy • 11th: Ariel Versace • 12th: Mercedes Iman Diamond • 13th: Honey Davenport • 14th: Kahanna Montrese • 15th: Soju |
Judges | RuPaul • Michelle Visage • Carson Kressley • Ross Mathews |
Pit Crew | Jason Carter • Bruno Carvalho • Bryce Eilenberg |
Winner | Jimbo |
---|---|
Runners-Up | 2nd: Kandy Muse |
Other Contestants | 3rd: Jessica Wild • 4th: Alexis Michelle • 5th: LaLa Ri (QOTFG) • 6th: Kahanna Montrese • 7th: Jaymes Mansfield • 8th: Heidi N Closet (Quit) • 9th: Darienne Lake • 10th: Mrs. Kasha Davis • 11th: Naysha Lopez • 12th: Monica Beverly Hillz |
Lip Sync Assassins | Aja LaBeija • Pangina Heals • Ra'Jah O'Hara • Shannel • Jasmine Kennedie • Angeria Paris VanMicheals • Jorgeous • Nicky Doll • Silky Nutmeg Ganache • Priyanka |
Judges | RuPaul • Michelle Visage • Carson Kressley • Ross Mathews • Ts Madison |
Pit Crew | Bruno Carvalho • Bryce Eilenberg • Desmond Allen • Sam Elliot • Daniel Flores |