Last Monday, December 20th, 2002, the Platinum Album ceremony has taken place at Hard Rock Cafe in Plaza de Colón (Madrid). It was given to the Heavy Folk Metal band Mägo De Oz for the massive and outrageous sales of their last album, Gaia II: La Voz Dormida.

Press, radio and television aside, some important people went to the act like Minister of Culture Mrs Carmen Calvo, who clearly spoke an open eulogy of Rock as a cultural expression and culture itself and showed Mägo De Oz as the most important Spanish Rock band in Spanish language in the last years. Furthermore, she did not only treat them as champions of our music but also as champions of freedom of speech and human values, which they show in their lyrics, congratulating them in the name of the Spanish Government. In addition, she claimed equality of opportunity and attention towards Rock, comparing this style with Classical, Pop and other music styles and calling it crystal clearly "The great Classical of the 20th century". We hope the spokesmen of the press and music labels who attended the act will take the hint about the Minister's words.

Finally, Mrs Calvo acknowledged herself as a metalhead and follower of Mägo De Oz's career and confessed herself worried about the awful consequences of actual piracy. Next, the band gave her a violin they all signed as a present, and Mr Claudio Prieto, well-known Classical composer and Mohamed's father, spoke some emotive words. Mr Carlos Tibu Vázquez, band manager, opened the act with a short introduction and closed it presenting some exclusive images of the new scenery the band will use in their next tour.

The band with the Minister of Culture, Mrs Carmen Calvo:
http://mago.rockmusic.org/mo/datos/fotos/discoplatino01.jpg
The band giving the violin to the Minister:
http://mago.rockmusic.org/mo/datos/fotos/discoplatino02.jpg
The whole band, posing for the media:
http://mago.rockmusic.org/mo/datos/fotos/discoplatino03.jpg


Translation from http://www.magodeoz.com
Thanks to Taktsekte

Band profile:

Mägo De Oz