King Jojo Kravitz, His Majesty XXXIII & Queen Drift Torres I, Her Majesty XXXIII
New Orleans, LA (01-26-26)- The Mystic Krewe of Barkus, the only officially licensed Mardi Gras krewe dedicated to celebrating canines, would like to present the monarchs for 2026, His Majesty XXXIII, King JoJo Kravitz and Her Majesty XXXIII, Queen Drift Torres I.
Queen Drift I is the daughter of Sidney Torres IV, owner of IV Waste, the company responsible for picking up garbage in 90% of the City of New Orleans. He is also a serial entrepreneur who has been successful in real estate, as a hotelier, and in the development of The FQ Task Force crime fighting app. A very hands-on businessman, he is often seen cleaning the streets with the employees of his company known for keeping the French Quarter lemony fresh. Some say he brought glamour to garbage, and was even referred to as “the trash king” by USA Today. It is fitting that he now has another royal in his household.
Queen Drift was a just a puppy when she was found by Torres wandering roadside near his property, Glass Windows Villas, in Eleuthera, Bahamas. Torres knew she should become part of his family, giving her the home she needed. This fortuitous trespassing incident changed the course of her life.
She blossomed into an adorable, perky brown brindle with fold-over ears that extend like angel wings whenever needed. Her amber eyes dance with happiness and will read you like a book, so it is clear that she is nobody’s fool. Considered a “Potcake” breed specific to the islands, the breed traits could be described like a pot of gumbo with different ingredients making multiple versions of the same dish.
After being rescued by her dad, she was able to leave the stresses of being in survival mode behind, find herself and build friendships, and she did.
Queen Drift forged a relationship with another rescued Potcake dog from Eleuthera who will reign with her as King JoJo Kravitz. Thanks to the cosmos and a bit of divine intervention, he crossed paths with his human dad, Grammy award winner, Lenny Kravitz. His dad recognizes the plight of dogs who are abandoned, stray or lost and in need of care, so King JoJo says he met his spirit human.
King JoJo often mirrors his dad in magical ways. He embodies his dad’s vibe and his love for loving. His smooth rhythm and good energy is chock full of confidence with cause. Blessed with an extremely high emotional IQ, his soulful expressions speak without words, yet are naturally lyrical.
King JoJo is a “traveling rocker dog” because he goes on tour with his dad. He has an affinity for the sounds of electric guitar, but he is open to many genres of music. He has a fascination for drum lines, and follows many notable school marching bands, as well his favorite performers from the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.
The King and Queen are both native Bahamians, but naturalized New Orleanians. Recently, the two were brought to New Orleans by Torres, affectionately called “unk” by King JoJo, to get much needed heartworm treatment. Their recoveries required that they relax and kick back for 90 days and they did together at Camp Bow Wow, Mid-City. They spent this time indulging in everything there is to love about New Orleans.
They learned the difference between Burgundy and Burg-undy; that Cal-E-liope and calliope are not the same; and can spell and smell “Tchoupitoulas.” They like Tip’s, never refuse a stop in the Parish at Rocky and Carlo’s, and always put the knife back in the King Cake box.
Yet they had not been in a parade, but heard of this krewe for dogs known as Barkus. They put on the largest dog parade on the planet during the world’s ultimate show on the stage known as Mardi Gras. This became a must-do on their bucket lists. Not only would they become legit royalty, they could share their stories of survival, rescue and redemption to give hope to the hopeless still waiting for a home. They also saw this as a way to give gratitude to those like their humans, who open their doors and hearts to dogs like them.
They also look forward to toasting the new Mayor New Orleans, Helena Moreno. She is the proud mother of the City’s First Dog, Nacho Moreno, a veteran to Barkus who will ride this year as Celebrity Grand Marshal.
Their reign will be about resilience, strength and the belief that everyone has the power to make change for good. Let us celebrate their possibilities and positivity this carnival season.
All HAIL KING JOJO KRAVITZ and QUEEN DRIFT TORRES I!!!