Juninho Groovador , a bassist and dancer from Rio Grande do Norte, commented on the xenophobic incident he suffered on social media after a campaign supporting the Brazilian as an option to replace David Ellefson in Megadeth .
In the comments section of the news article published on Wikimetal about the campaign, many people supported Groovador for the position, while others rooted for other favorites. Unfortunately, one comment stood out for its violence against Juninho and people from the Northeast of Brazil, with a message of hatred and xenophobia directed at the bassist. At the time, our editorial staff published a statement condemning this regrettable event .
The Wikimetal Happy Hour segment , the musician spoke about the situation. “Life is a succession of battles. When I realized that, with my irreverence and resourcefulness, with the inexplicable love I have for the bass guitar, truly surreal, I knew I would encounter competitors and opponents,” he commented. “But not on such a large scale, with people coming and wanting to attack my roots and my identity, my love for the Northeast.”
Originally from Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte, Groovador brings the musical identity of the region to his bass versions with various bands. “When people try to block your roots, your essence, that of a 'Northeasterner' who wants to succeed in life, that really affected me,” he continued. “I had to post on social media to show people how little Brazilians value their fellow human beings.”
The bassist explained that he accepts constructive criticism and negative opinions about his work, but gratuitous hatred still affects him, even though he chooses to forgive the aggressors. "This greatly affected my psychological state; I go through many moments of negative messages, from people really wanting to destroy me, but one message like that weighed heavily on my essence and I didn't accept it," he added. "I hope justice is served and that we seek unity and strive for fair play."
Watch the excerpt from the interview below, and then watch the full conversation.
READ ALSO: Flea praises Junior Groovador's video playing Red Hot Chili Peppers