A competition inviting musicians in Beira and Quelimane to set poems by journalist and poet Noémia de Sousa to music has been launched by the Beira branch of the Portuguese Cultural Centre to mark the centenary of her birth.
The “Musicar Noémia” competition will pay tribute to the poet in central Mozambique while highlighting the international significance of her work, said Ricardo Martins, coordinator of the Portuguese Cultural Centre in Beira (CCP-B) and the Portuguese Language Centres in Beira (CLP-B) and Quelimane (CLP-Q). Noémia de Sousa would have turned 100 on 20 September.
“The importance of Noémia de Sousa extends far beyond Mafalala [the neighbourhood where she grew up], Maputo, Mozambique and even Africa, because the poetry and the power of that poetry are immense. It seems to us entirely fitting to pay tribute to the mother of Mozambican poets,” Ricardo Martins said.
The competition is open to residents of the cities of Beira and Quelimane, in Sofala and Zambézia provinces respectively, in central Mozambique. Applications are open until 11 September, with the winner due to be announced on 24 September. The cash prize is 20,000 meticais (€270).
According to the competition rules, the aim is to publicise and promote Noémia de Sousa’s work by setting it to music, stimulate artistic creativity, strengthen Mozambican cultural identity, create opportunities for emerging musicians, composers and choral groups in Beira and Quelimane to gain visibility, and contribute to preserving the country’s literary heritage.
The rules stipulate that only artists aged over 15 who have not yet released any work may participate. Groups of up to three musicians may enter the competition, either with musical instruments or using only their voices to perform Noémia de Sousa’s poems.
“There is only one prize, for first place, although all participants will receive a certificate of participation. This time we wanted to innovate and concentrate everything on first place. We will see how it works,” Martins said, adding that applications are already open.
In addition to the music competition, Beira and Quelimane are preparing a series of activities to mark the poet’s 100th anniversary, including street poetry, discussion circles and round-table discussions.
“We are working to create a mural here in Beira featuring Noémia’s image. An ensemble has also been created bringing together several Mozambican artists, including musicians and performers, to develop and present a show inspired by the author’s work,” Ricardo Martins explained.
According to the coordinator, the initiatives aim to highlight the importance of a poet whose work is “extensively studied” in different parts of the world.
“It is important to bear in mind that the message and beauty of her work have neither age nor geographical boundaries. It is very important to convey this to younger generations, reminding them of the quality, beauty and strength of Mozambican literature and, in this case, of Noémia’s work,” he concluded.
Born Carolina Noémia Abranches de Sousa on 20 September 1926 in Lourenço Marques, now Maputo, Noémia de Sousa is considered the “mother of Mozambican poets”.
She began her career in journalism in the 1950s and, after Mozambique gained independence, settled in Lisbon, where she worked in news, including for the Portuguese News Agency (ANOP), which later became the current Lusa news agency. She died on 4 December 2002 in Cascais, Portugal, leaving Sangue Negro as her main work of reference.
Forty-six poems by Noémia de Sousa are known to exist, written between 1948 and 1951 and published in several newspapers of the time, including the historic O Brado Africano. The texts were only brought together in a single volume in 2001, with the publication of Sangue Negro.
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