Vocalist Mike Patton , known for his work with Faith No More and Mr. Bungle , has once again made headlines in Brazil after a performance in which he publicly referenced Afro-Brazilian spiritual culture, mentioning the entity Pombagira .
During a Mr. Bungle show in São Paulo last Saturday, the 31st, opening for Avenged Sevenfold , Patton dedicated a song to the "supreme Pombagira." He exalted the power of women and called for protection, love, and prosperity in the name of the spiritual figure—an attribution that generated both enthusiasm and surprise among the audience, as well as criticism on social media.
He even referred to the group as "old gringo macumba practitioners" while wearing necklaces and items symbolically associated with Afro-Brazilian traditions.
This is not the first time the musician has performed a show inspired by religious practices. In 2011, during their performance at SWU, Faith No More took to the stage decorated with flowers, dressed in white, wearing orixá necklaces, and spoke only to the audience in Portuguese. Specifically, Mike Patton wore a hat characteristic of the entity Zé Pelintra , well-known in Umbanda [via g1 ].
Upon returning to the country in 2015, during their performance at Rock in Rio, Faith No More presented the same set with references to Umbanda and Candomblé.
What is Mike Patton's connection to Umbanda?
Although Mike Patton is already known for his performances associated with religion, the subject resurfaced after Mr. Bungle's recent shows, generating speculation about his interest in or faith.
In an interview with Jornal da Globo in 2015, the vocalist was asked if the band had become hippies and replied: “No, macumbeiros. Umbandistas.” He also said that the Umbanda-inspired look was on purpose to “shock the fans” who always dress in black.
At the time, there was a debate about the show's theme, and the Umbanda EAD published an article about it, in which Milton Marttinez , an Umbanda medium, commented on what he thought of the initiative: “I thought it was fantastic. Although I don't know if it was intentional, engaged, or had any reference to Brazilian religious culture, be it Umbanda, Jurema, or any other. In any case, as an Umbanda practitioner, the simple fact of using elements in a positive way, with the vibration and energy inherent to our religion, is already positive in my view. It helps to minimize the negative burden that years of prejudice and misinformation have caused in society.”
While watching Mike Patton's performance last Sunday, the 31st, Mariana Marcato , a Candomblé medium (Egbomi), told Wikimetal that, due to the details of the gestures, the artist understands the religion and tried to dissociate the use of the color black from its meaning.
"Based on his clothes, his hair, the way he speaks, and his gestures... He makes a gesture of crossing his hands over his chest, which is a greeting to Pombagira in Umbanda. So I believe he does attend church. And all support for our religion is positive, so that this religious intolerance also falls to the ground. So, the more artists show and celebrate that they are religious and don't hide their religious practices, the more positive it is."
“I believe that the fact that he didn’t use black and used other colors is to avoid any connection… For outside perspectives, to talk about satanic ritualistic [practices]. I think that’s why he uses other colors, including white, because rock is already a subjugated environment of the devil. He uses other colors to avoid this judgment, this prejudice against the rock and metal scene itself,” Mariana emphasized.
The repercussions of Mike Patton's statements
Following the widespread attention given to the video of Mr. Bungle's performance released by Wikimetal , a heated debate ensued on social media, dividing opinions among internet users – due to some comments on the video, we emphasize that religious intolerance is a crime in Brazil .
Some internet users claim that the artist follows the religion, and that Max Cavalera took him to a Candomblé temple, as reported by influencer RafaBarba in a TikTok video . "Mike Patton's interest in Candomblé began with this friendship with Max. Who, back then, took him to experience a Candomblé ritual. And Mike felt spiritualized and purified and came to greatly admire the religion," he stated.
Meanwhile, another internet user asserted that "Mike Patton is skeptical and anti-religious. His stance is more political than spiritual," through comments on the video posted on Wikimetal's Instagram.
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