Zaya Barroso was born in Sydney (Australia) to a family that fled Montevideo during Uruguay’s repressive dictatorship. When Barroso was 10 years old the family moved back to Uruguay before moving once again to Australia when she was 16. Raised in a family of artists and singing protest songs, Barroso was a member of a gospel choir and various Latin folk bands in Sydney. Barroso was sexually and physically abused as a child and used yoga and psychological therapy as part of their treatment. At 35 she began to transition and now lives in Sydney and is a member of the city’s vibrant queer community.