The Big Lead

Who is 'Gojira' and Why Are They Playing the Olympics Opening Ceremony?

By James Brizuela

The opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics at Estadi Ol’mpic de Montju•c, Barcelona, Spain, July 25, 1992. The Games were formally opened by King Juan Carlos I. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings included hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history.
The opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics at Estadi Ol’mpic de Montju•c, Barcelona, Spain, July 25, 1992. The Games were formally opened by King Juan Carlos I. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings included hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history. / Frank Becerra Jr./The Journal News / USA
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The Olympics Opening Ceremony is one of the most important events worldwide. Every four years, athletes from across sports disciplines arrive at the host country's main city to signal the start of the Olympic Games via a massive opening ceremony.

Performers from around the world show up to usher in the games, and this year is chock full of beloved entertainers. It has been confirmed that Lady Gaga, Celine Dion, and Aya Nakamura will usher in the start of the games.

Though Dion, Gaga, and Nakamura are known to be some of the biggest singers in the world, another well-known act has also been added.

French extreme metal icons, Gojira, will also be performing at the opening ceremony. The renowned heavy metal act will be joined by a famous opera singer for a special "one-off" performance.

According to Revolver.com, "Local paper Le Parisien (via ) reported that the eco-conscious titans are set to perform an “original” collaboration with opera singer Marina Viotti, a French-Swiss mezzo-soprano powerhouse vocalist who has carved out a career singing Bizet's Carmen, but has also spent plenty of time singing in the metal world for European acts including Soulmaker.

This begs the question, who is Gojira? And why are they playing in the Paris 2024 Olympics Opening Ceremony?

Gojira is a heavy metal band that began in 1995 in Ondres, Landes, France. The band was started by brothers Joe (vocals, rhythm guitar) and Mario Duplantier (drums), and would be joined by Christian Andreu (lead guitar) and Jean-Michel Labadie (bass). All members have been in the band since 1996, apart from Labadie, who joined in 1998 after Aldrick Guadagnino left the band.

Gojira had a humble beginning, releasing their first album in 2001, "Terra Incognita." They would follow that up with "The Link" in 2003 and "From Mars to Sirius" in 2005. By album three, the band began to gain plenty of recognition.

Gojira began to gain worldwide recognition for their constant activism and dedication to environmental causes. One of the band's Grammy-nominated songs, "Amazonia" highlights the deforestation of the Amazon rainforest. The music video for the song features the 2019 Amazon rainforest wildfires, and native Brazilians performing a ritual dance.

Gojira engaged in a month-long fundraiser following the release of "Amazonia" to benefit Brazilian indigenous rights charity Articulation of Indigenous People of Brazil (APIB). This was, "dedicated to those impacted by harassment, violence, forced labor, and loss of their native lands due to the deforestation of the Amazon region

The band continues its activism through its hard-hitting music and lyrics pointed at environmental issues throughout the world.

Gojira has transcended music and become one of the biggest voices for human rights issues. The band arrived from humble beginnings to become icons not only in France but throughout the world.

It will be interesting to see what kind of performance they have planned with Viotti, and it is to be believed that it will be amazing.

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