Scorpions have toured Brazil several times since their debut at the historic Rock In Rio in 1985. Unlike other bands, the Germans seek to book dates beyond the São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro axis, having performed in various cities across the country, including Manaus, a performance that resulted in the Live In The Jungle (2009).
Considered one of the emblematic moments of the band's career, especially by Brazilian fans, the performance aimed to draw global attention to the deforestation of the Amazon. The group also recorded a short documentary in Belém, filmed in partnership with Greenpeace, to show the effects of illegal logging.
On the DVD, only five songs are from the Manaus show, while the remaining tracks are recordings from the band's show in Recife on the same tour. “We stayed at a jungle hotel. We met indigenous tribes and small communities that live on the banks of the river. It was fantastic to see the beauty of the Amazon and its people up close,” Klaus Meine Rolling Stone Brazil about their stay in the capital of Amazonas.
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At the show in Manaus on August 9, 2007, the unusual look of Rudolf Schenker , guitarist and founder of the band, drew attention. Instead of the short, spiky hair he sported for the rest of the tour, he took to the stage with long blond locks and a scarf. It might even seem like a tribute to Uli Jon Roth , former member of the Scorpions , but the wig was a personal protective accessory.
As Paulo Baron , the band's show producer in Latin America at the time, explains, the choice wasn't aesthetic, but a curious attempt to get rid of the mosquitoes in the region. "He imagined that this would scare away the mosquitoes as he moved. It was the band's first time in Manaus, and in Europe there was talk that there were many mosquitoes that transmitted yellow fever," he explained on social media .
To convince the band, it was necessary to conduct thorough research on yellow fever and ensure that the trip would be safe for all members, as the Scorpions' manager at the time did not approve of the idea. " Matthias [Jabs] has an allergy and cannot take the yellow fever vaccine," the producer explained in an interview with Scorpions Brazil .
Baron recalls that when he arrived at the dressing room for that show, the place was cold, dark, and full of smoke. When Schenker appeared with the wig, the confusion was even greater. “I looked and couldn’t see him. It was all mosquito repellent, it was full of it. And [I asked], 'And this wig, Rudolf?'” he recounted. “[He replied] 'It’s to keep the mosquitoes away!'”
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