World Rock Day, in Portuguese Dia Mundial do Rock, is observed annually on July 13 and celebrates

rock music Rock music is a broad genre of popular music that originated as " rock and roll" in the United States in the late 1940s and early 1950s, developing into a range of different styles in the mid-1960s and later, particularly in the United States an ...

. The date alludes to the Live Aid

benefit concert A benefit concert or charity concert is a type of musical benefit performance (e.g., concert, show, or gala) featuring musicians, comedians, or other performers that is held for a charitable purpose, often directed at a specific and immediate hu ...

, organized by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure on July 13, 1985, to raise funds for relief of the

1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia A widespread famine affected Ethiopia from 1983 to 1985. The worst famine to hit the country in a century, it affected 7.75 million people (out of Ethiopia's 38–40 million) and left approximately 300,000 to 1.2 million dead. 2.5 ...

; however, even though the holiday is called "''World'' Rock Day", it is celebrated only in

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. July 13 was also chosen in reference to a statement made by Phil Collins at Live Aid, in which he expressed his desire that the date would become a "World Rock Day". In the 1990s, two

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for ' Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the Ga ...

-based radio stations which focused on rock music, and , began promoting the date which soon became popular nationwide, but music specialists contest it as arbitrary and have offered other alternatives.

References

{{Reflist July observances Public holidays in Brazil Observances in Brazil Rock music