I was born on March 23, 1986, on a small Portuguese island named Madeira. As a child, I was always curious about life beyond the sea and what it would be like to live abroad. Two decades later, while still unsure of what career path to pursue, I knew it had to be music-related. At the age of 21, after three years of studying guitar at a local music conservatory, I enrolled in an undergraduate program in Musicology at NOVA FCSH in Lisbon. Since then, my life has undergone a drastic transformation.
When I turned 25, I decided to specialise in Ethnomusicology for my M.A. degree. At the core of that decision was my most profound need to critically reflect on complex themes, such as the history of nation-states, their myths, and fantasies, as well as hear the voice of social groups traditionally excluded from historical narratives, such as LGBT+ communities, which I do identify myself as part of. Both themes – the relationship between music, performance and LGBT rights and nation-building in post-colonial Africa – ultimately became my primary areas of expertise.
My master's dissertation, entitled 'Podem chamar-lhe loucura mas achamos que é cultura: Music and the performance of sexuality in a Lisbon Nightclub' (2013), advised by Full Professor João Soeiro de Carvalho, was one of the earliest studies in Portugal to focus on drag queen performances and still is one of the few ethnomusicological studies on this subject. It drew attention to performance, social inequality and sexual discrimination. As a positive consequence of this research, this formerly 'invisible' performance is now included in Lisbon's tourist guides, and performers demand labour benefits and the official recognition of their job. I also explored innovative perspectives on the relationship between music, dance and seduction processes.
My doctoral thesis, entitled 'The sonorous construction of Mozambique: cultural policy, radio broadcasting and music industries in the nation-building process (1974-1994)' (2019), developed within a 4-year PhD studentship awarded in a national call by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and advised by Full Professor João Soeiro de Carvalho and co-advised by Associate Professor John Hutchinson (London School of Economics and Political Science), was also a pioneering attempt at writing a 'history of music' in postcolonial Mozambique. The main goal was to demonstrate that through expressive culture, especially music and dance, one can gain a deeper understanding of social constructs, thus complementing social-economic analysis, which is prevalent in most studies dealing with nation-building. My PhD thesis was evaluated with the highest classification by an international examination committee, including renowned researchers from Portugal, Mozambique, U.S.A, U.K., and Germany. A book version of my thesis was published in late-2020, in Mozambique, as part of my ethical stance to make my PhD results readily available in the country where I conducted my fieldwork. A revised version is due to be released in Portugal in 2023.
In the meantime, I have worked as a Júnior Teaching Assistant, Assistant Lecturer and Visiting Assistant Professor in Musicology at NOVA FCSH (2010-22), as a Science and Technology Manager at INET-md (2013-14), as a Front of House Assistant at Aldwych Theatre (West End, London, 2018-2019) and, following the conclusion of my PhD (2014-19), I also worked as a post-doc researcher in the largest digital infrastructure on Portuguese heritage, with the responsibility of creating innovative content for digital exhibitions and collections (2020-23).
My fieldwork experience in Mozambique prompted me to reflect on my own 'identity' as a Portuguese man, more so since some political parties still defend the 'exceptionally constructive role' of Portuguese rule in Africa, defining it as 'good colonialism', as if any type of exploitation could be acknowledged as a positive phenomenon. To counter these ideas, I decided to submit a new project entitled ‘Battle of Frequencies: musical experience and radio propaganda in times of war in Mozambique (1964-1974)’, which was approved with a score of 9.62 (out of 10) in a highly competitive international call - FCT Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus (5th edition). Since peace is an ongoing process and the consequences of war are still felt both in Mozambique and Portugal, this project intends to contribute to a deeper understanding of historical processes, to challenge monochromatic narratives, and to reinforce relations between both countries. Its relevance is now more pertinent than ever, especially since local and global politics are becoming more complex with the rise of extremist and xenophobic movements. Therefore, it is high time to develop this urgent and crucial discussion, that aims to dispel misconceptions about colonialism and reconcile/strengthen relations between countries.
When I turned 25, I decided to specialise in Ethnomusicology for my M.A. degree. At the core of that decision was my most profound need to critically reflect on complex themes, such as the history of nation-states, their myths, and fantasies, as well as hear the voice of social groups traditionally excluded from historical narratives, such as LGBT+ communities, which I do identify myself as part of. Both themes – the relationship between music, performance and LGBT rights and nation-building in post-colonial Africa – ultimately became my primary areas of expertise.
My master's dissertation, entitled 'Podem chamar-lhe loucura mas achamos que é cultura: Music and the performance of sexuality in a Lisbon Nightclub' (2013), advised by Full Professor João Soeiro de Carvalho, was one of the earliest studies in Portugal to focus on drag queen performances and still is one of the few ethnomusicological studies on this subject. It drew attention to performance, social inequality and sexual discrimination. As a positive consequence of this research, this formerly 'invisible' performance is now included in Lisbon's tourist guides, and performers demand labour benefits and the official recognition of their job. I also explored innovative perspectives on the relationship between music, dance and seduction processes.
My doctoral thesis, entitled 'The sonorous construction of Mozambique: cultural policy, radio broadcasting and music industries in the nation-building process (1974-1994)' (2019), developed within a 4-year PhD studentship awarded in a national call by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) and advised by Full Professor João Soeiro de Carvalho and co-advised by Associate Professor John Hutchinson (London School of Economics and Political Science), was also a pioneering attempt at writing a 'history of music' in postcolonial Mozambique. The main goal was to demonstrate that through expressive culture, especially music and dance, one can gain a deeper understanding of social constructs, thus complementing social-economic analysis, which is prevalent in most studies dealing with nation-building. My PhD thesis was evaluated with the highest classification by an international examination committee, including renowned researchers from Portugal, Mozambique, U.S.A, U.K., and Germany. A book version of my thesis was published in late-2020, in Mozambique, as part of my ethical stance to make my PhD results readily available in the country where I conducted my fieldwork. A revised version is due to be released in Portugal in 2023.
In the meantime, I have worked as a Júnior Teaching Assistant, Assistant Lecturer and Visiting Assistant Professor in Musicology at NOVA FCSH (2010-22), as a Science and Technology Manager at INET-md (2013-14), as a Front of House Assistant at Aldwych Theatre (West End, London, 2018-2019) and, following the conclusion of my PhD (2014-19), I also worked as a post-doc researcher in the largest digital infrastructure on Portuguese heritage, with the responsibility of creating innovative content for digital exhibitions and collections (2020-23).
My fieldwork experience in Mozambique prompted me to reflect on my own 'identity' as a Portuguese man, more so since some political parties still defend the 'exceptionally constructive role' of Portuguese rule in Africa, defining it as 'good colonialism', as if any type of exploitation could be acknowledged as a positive phenomenon. To counter these ideas, I decided to submit a new project entitled ‘Battle of Frequencies: musical experience and radio propaganda in times of war in Mozambique (1964-1974)’, which was approved with a score of 9.62 (out of 10) in a highly competitive international call - FCT Individual Scientific Employment Stimulus (5th edition). Since peace is an ongoing process and the consequences of war are still felt both in Mozambique and Portugal, this project intends to contribute to a deeper understanding of historical processes, to challenge monochromatic narratives, and to reinforce relations between both countries. Its relevance is now more pertinent than ever, especially since local and global politics are becoming more complex with the rise of extremist and xenophobic movements. Therefore, it is high time to develop this urgent and crucial discussion, that aims to dispel misconceptions about colonialism and reconcile/strengthen relations between countries.