Yara Sofia Biography
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- Born May 8, 1984
She is most known for appearing on RuPaul's Drag Race season 3, where she won Miss Congeniality, and All Stars season 1, where she was partnered with Alexis Mateo. In 2021, Sofia returned to compete on All Stars season 6. In June 2021, she released "Jiggle!", her debut single.
Although born in San Juan, Ortiz was raised in the small town of Manati, Puerto Rico. Her drag career began at local San Juan gay nightclub Krash (also known as Eros), where in 2005, she won her first gay pageant title "Miss Road to Diva." Later, in 2006, Ortiz earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in theater from the Universidad del Sagrado CorazΓ³n in San Juan. Her name originates from a beauty pageant that was held at her former dance studio, where she chose the name Cuba. She also selected the name Yara after a girl she attended school with, and was gifted the surname Sofia by a friend of hers who also competed in the pageant.
Sofia was announced as a cast member on the third season of Logo's popular reality series, RuPaul's Drag Race, which premiered on the network on January 29, 2011. With a heavy, yet comically perceived accent and a popular catchphrase (Echa Pa'lante which translates to Go Forward) she became a fan favorite due to her unique use of makeup, wigs, contact lenses and fashion. She won the challenge in episode 11 where the contestants had to create three different looks for a hair themed fashion show. She was eliminated in what was considered a very emotional lip sync against fellow contestant Alexis Mateo in the thirteenth episode of the season, which first aired on April 22, 2011. During the reunion special, which aired on May 2, 2011, Sofia won the annual Miss Congeniality award.
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