With roots steeped in cabaret and theater, RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars contestant Soa de Muse was more than prepared for the Global All Stars battle ahead of them. Winning several maxi-challenges and showcasing the first drag queen in history (William Dorsey Swann) showed that they were keenly aware of both their strengths and our communities’ history. I caught up with Soa post elimination to chat about making history on Global All Stars, the aspects of their Parisian culture that were crucial to showcase and the RuPaul’s Drag Race sister that they have a deep pride to call “family”.
Michael Cook: Not only are you a Global All Star, but you are the first Drag Race superstar to be from Martinique ever! Tell me about your RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars journey..
Soa de Muse: As I have said before, my journey was intense, I wasn’t joking! This season was no joke, when you see a cast this big and so good, that was when I knew I had to bring it. For me, to be a black queen and be able to have this kind of representation was amazing!
MC: You came out of the gate winning the first challenge, so that really put you at a high bar competition wise as well, wouldn’t you say?
SDM: For the first look, of course I am going to bring that cabaret/Moulin Rouge look, the black performer that performs in Paris. Every time you are going to see references with those kind of things.
MC: Your final runway you were dripping in gold and you truly took some of the critiques to heart about your makeup as well. Even after the critiques, you really truly seemed at peace as well.
SDM: Thank you! Yes, I really did listen. I think when I received the critiques I was stressed before, but then I started to think that while it’s a game and a television show, “Let me know who I am”. For me, whether I received good critiques or bad critiques, I was going to have fun; breathe!
MC: What was the sisterhood of RuPaul’s Drag Race Global All Stars like for you?
SDM: The sisterhood was so terribly important. We’re not just sisters, we don’t put a gender on it, we are just together. For me, it was important because people are going to see this. They need to see that of course, we’re together because it’s a competition and yes we want to win money, but we want to show our drag first of all. For me, I kept trying to see these queens and these costumes and saying things like “Oh you do it like this?” and trying to learn new things (from them). It’s a competition but you can also “nourish your drag” also .
MC: What part of Parisian or French drag did you want to be sure to have showcased on Global All Stars?
SDM: Parisian drag is hard to define, but it’s a mix of a lot of heart and a lot of art. I learned conceptual dance, cabaret, my vision of my origin as a Caribbean/French because I want to have this kind of reference about my history. A famous jazz musician said “History is history; you can’t spell my story because my story is mystery”. I think that my story is mystery so I am going to bring you on stage, my mystery.
MC: There are countless stories and ideas just like that that are the backbone of Parisian drag wouldn’t you say?
SDM :I think that too. All of the drag has history, and we have tried to put that in these kinds of cases to recognize them, but for me drag has no limits.
MC: You are drag sisters with RuPaul’s Drag Race Season five contestant Honey Davenport. Seeing what she is doing in the United States as a trans person and a staunch advocate for the community, you must be so proud of your sister.
SDM: For me, drag is political. You have to have a consciousness of what happened in the world. Of course, on stage they are going to give you the glitter and the beautiful costumes but me, I am going to try to bring you some political also. To see her in political places and how she is bringing it, I am so proud of her. This is family honey…
MC: You have your own cabaret, so can American audiences expect to see La Bouche sometime soon also?
SDM: Exactly, that is my vision to bring you some French artists cabaret. More French, black or Carribean artists in the world because we need to show what we have in places like the Martinique Islands. I want to feed my drag at the same time and that is how I feed it. The more I travel, meet people and learn, I am just so curious about life right now. I want to learn, feed my drag, and put out something new to get them thinking.
MC: What is the best piece of advice that you have received about your career or your drag?
SDM: The best advice that I received was from Kween Kong. She looked at me and said “Bitch you got this. You are in the history, we are history and you need to bring that”. Kween Kong, when she looks you in the eyes, she is not joking with you. She really looked at me and I got this fire in me; “Yeah…. I got it”.
Follow Soa de Muse on Instagram
