On Tuesday afternoon (April 23), Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson, in addition to all the roles he played in Curitiba, Brazil, also received the highest title of the Paranaese Chamber and became Honorary Citizen of Curitiba.
According to Mundo Livre FM (translated), Dickinson arrived in Curitiba, proving his impressive restlessness and vocation for multiple skills. On Tuesday, he participated in a fencing duel, tasted a new beer that he launched this week together with the Curitiba artisanal factory Bodebrown and received the title of Honorary Citizen of the city.
This honor granted by the Curitiba City Council, which may seem surprising to many fans, is precisely due to Dickinson's partnership with Bodebrown, which has already resulted in the collective creation of three beers. They were developed by brothers Samuel and Paulo Cavalcanti, from Bodebrown, together with the British vocalist, in a series that began four years ago.
The first two are official collaborations in partnership with the band Iron Maiden: Trooper Brasil IPA, launched in 2019, and Aces High, from 2022. In the global promotion that the vocalist made of the beers, he also highlighted the capital of Paraná as a major center craft beer and rock, which made councilors Eder Borges (PL) and Nori Seto (PP) propose honorary citizenship, unanimously approved by the Chamber of Councilors.
The newest creation of the heavy metal star's duo with Bodebrown is Mandrake Jambu Ale, inspired by Dickinson's new solo album, The Mandrake Project. It will be officially released in the seven shows of the album's Brazilian tour, which starts today, Wednesday, April 24 in Curitiba, at Teatro Positivo. Afterwards, the tour will pass through Porto Alegre, Brasília, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Janeiro, Ribeirao Preto and São Paulo, where it ends on May 4.
Mandrake beer follows the Ale style and has a touch of jambu, a plant typical of the Amazon region of Brazil which, among other flavor characteristics, has properties that cause a slight numbness on the tongue, thanks to the presence of a substance called spilanthol. Jambu is widely used in traditional dishes from the north of the country such as tacacá and duck in tucupi. The final beer tasting was carried out in the early afternoon of this Tuesday, at the Bodebrown factory, in Hauer, in Curitiba. Dickinson had already visited the brewery's headquarters in 2022, when he came to approve the Aces High recipe.
In addition to tasting and approving the beer, Dickinson also took advantage of the visit to the factory to receive the title of Honorary Citizen of Curitiba, presented by the councillors who proposed the title and the Bodebrown team.
“Bruce is a great rock legend and for us it is an immense joy to follow this creative process with him, which reinforces the promotion of Curitiba as a great center for craft beers”, says Samuel Cavalcanti, CEO of Bodebrown. “If in the new album The Mandrake Project he cites inspirations from alchemy in the lyrics, we now present a beer that innovates and enchants with this almost magical touch of jambu”.
Before going to Bodebrown, at noon the vocalist participated in a fencing exhibition duel with fencers from Paraná Pedro Petrich and Alexandre Camargo, on the public track for this sport that exists in Praça Afonso Botelho. The activity was carried out by the Paraná Fencing Federation. Dickinson has been fencing since he was a teenager and in 1988 he was called up to join the British team at the Seoul Olympic Games. He, however, cannot participate in the team due to touring with Iron Maiden.
At the event, he also saw a special series of Triumph motorcycles that will be launched as a collaboration between Iron Maiden, Bodebrown and the British motorcycle manufacturer.
The Mandrake Project is not just an album project & tour but also a comic book series of the same name. Created by Bruce Dickinson it features an array of known graphic novel talent. It was scripted by Tony Lee (Dr Who), stunningly illustrated by Staz Johnson (2000AD) & with covers by industry heavyweight Bill Sienkiewicz for Z2 Comics it will be released as 12 quarterly issues and collated into three annual graphic novels. Issue #2 is on sale now.
The Mandrake Project is Dickinson’s seventh solo album. Order here.
"Rain On The Graves" video:
"Afterglow Of Ragnarok" video:
Following two surprise dates on April 12 and 13 at Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA, Dickinson officially launched his tour in support of The Mandrake Project on Monday (April 15) at The Observatory in Santa Ana, CA. Watch video below:
Dickinson's backing band features:
Chris Declerq (guitar)
Philip Naslund (guitar)
Tanya O'Callaghan (bass)
Dave Moreno (drums)
Mistheria (keyboard)
Find Bruce Dickinson's complete tour itinerary, as well as ticket links, here.
