There was a time in Mozambique, just after the proclamation of the country’s independence, when re-education camps were responsible for bringing members of the LGBTQIA+ community back into line with Marxist-Leninist revolutionary puritanism. To turn them into “new men”, model citizens of a decolonized society, they received a moral and political “education” that included drug treatment and torture. Yuck Miranda, their compatriot, pays tribute to these almost invisible figures of the country’s history in this solo, which sounds like a cry. The red earth spread across the stage is similar to that which suffocated and covered the tears, dreams, memories and even the bodies of the victims with a weight of silence. As for the music, by beatmaker and DJ Nandele Maguni, it reflects the sonic ambience of that painful moment. Developed in France during a residency at the CND in 2023, Homen Novo was then rehearsed and premiered on Miranda’s native soil, in Maputo. To bear witness, and give life to lost souls.

Source: programme of the CND

The Mozambique-born artist, who uses they/them pronouns, performs equally well in theater, film, television, music and dance. Miranda has directed documentaries, created and performed works based on the body and its expressions through movement, sound and rhythm, and seeks to establish a constant dialogue between artistic disciplines. Their work supports the rights of LGBTQIA+ people and children, as well as gender equality.

Source: programme of the CND

Since 2001, the National Center for Dance (CND) has been making recordings of its shows and educational programming and has created resources from these filmed performances (interviews, danced conferences, meetings with artists, demonstrations, major lessons, symposia specialized, thematic arrangements, etc.).