The governor of Paraná, Carlos Massa Ratinho Júnior, has signed into law the bill establishing June 8th as "State Heavy Metal Day" in Paraná. The bill was authored by state representative Douglas Fabrício (CIDADANIA). This information comes from the Paraná Portal website.
The date, of course, is very significant for heavy metal fans, now doubly so, since June 8th was the date Andre Matos passed away in 2019. A singer, songwriter, and great musician, he formed the bands Viper, Angra , and Shaman , and his death was mourned worldwide.
When presenting the proposal, Representative Douglas argued that Paraná, along with São Paulo, is one of the states with the most heavy metal fans in Brazil.
“Last year alone we had several large-scale concerts in the capital of Paraná, such as Scorpions, Whitesnake, Europe, and Bon Jovi. This year, due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the Metallica and Kiss concerts were postponed to November and December. We hope they will take place. Curitiba is on the international circuit for this genre. Nazareth, for example, recorded a live album in the capital of Paraná, and Iron Maiden has also recorded a performance in the city on DVD and CD,” says the congressman.
The idea for the project came from an online petition by fans who hope to one day have June 8th recognized as National Heavy Metal Day. In São Paulo, the law is already in effect, and in other states, such as Espírito Santo, the proposal is under consideration.
