Soa de Muse (born January 31, 1989) is a French drag performer best known for participating in the first season of ''
Drag Race France.''
Early life
Soa de Muse was born in
Villepinte, Seine-Saint-Denis, a suburb of Paris, France.
At the age of 15, de Muse moved to
Martinique
Martinique ( , ; gcf, label=Martinican Creole, Matinik or ; Kalinago language, Kalinago: or ) is an island and an Overseas department and region, overseas department/region and single territorial collectivity of France. An integral part of ...
with their parents, where they remained through their high school years, and first discovered a love for theater.
At the age of 20, Soa returned to continental France to study, at their parents' urging. They initially pursued a degree in literature, then switched to theater studies. It was during the latter program that de Muse decided to pursue performance full time, and ultimately terminated her studies: "I realized that I shouldn't be sitting, listening to someone talking ... I had to do the scene
yself"
Career
Before appearing on ''Drag Race France'', Soa worked as a burlesque performer at
Madame Arthur, a historic Parisian drag venue open since 1946.
In March 2021, Soa participated in the "109 Mariannes" exhibition, curated by France's then-Secretary of State for Gender Equality,
Marlène Schiappa
Marlène Schiappa (, ; born 18 November 1982) is a French writer and politician who served as Minister Delegate in charge of Citizenship, attached to the Minister of the Interior, in the government of Prime Minister Jean Castex (2020–2022 ...
, to mark International Women's Rights Day.
Portraits of de Muse, and 108 other participants selected to "celebrate the diversity of France" in the image of national symbol
Marianne, were displayed in front of the
Panthéon
The Panthéon (, from the Classical Greek word , , ' empleto all the gods') is a monument in the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France. It stands in the Latin Quarter, atop the , in the centre of the , which was named after it. The edifice was ...
for one week.
Soa de Muse competed on the inaugural season of ''Drag Race France'', a spin-off franchise of the original series ''
RuPaul's Drag Race
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' is an American reality competition television series, the first in the ''Drag Race'' franchise, produced by World of Wonder for Logo TV (season 1–8), WOW Presents Plus, VH1 (season 9–14) and, beginning with the f ...
''. Soa was the first challenge winner of the series, in the episode "Bonjour, Bonjour, Bonjour."
Elsewhere in 2022, Soa opened their own cabaret in Paris, called "La Bouche," in collaboration with three other local performers.
Public image and artistry
Soa's drag is heavily inspired by their Afro-Martinican culture. During their time on ''Drag Race France'', Soa shared a desire to highlight "the
West Indian
A West Indian is a native or inhabitant of the West Indies (the Antilles and the Lucayan Archipelago). For more than 100 years the words ''West Indian'' specifically described natives of the West Indies, but by 1661 Europeans had begun to use it ...
community which is a little invisible" as well as contribute "a battle cry to say that we are here now." They have also stated a desire to some day return to perform in their native Martinique.
Personal life
Soa de Muse identifies as non-binary, having stated in a 2021 interview that they identify with "neither man nor woman, just ''universelle.'' I just am who I am."
Soa is a drag sister of
Honey Mahogany, a San Francisco-based drag performer, activist and competitor in
''RuPaul's Drag Race'' season 5, through their shared drag mother Alotta Boutté — a connection that both queens discovered via Instagram comments.
Discography
Singles
As a featured artist
Filmography
Film
Television
Web series
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Muse, Soa de
Living people
Drag Race France contestants
French drag queens
Non-binary drag performers
French LGBT people
1989 births