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Who rocked the party? Ignacia Fernández did. And the ‘party’ we’re discussing is the Miss World beauty pageant, the oldest international pageant still in existence. Its start date goes back to 1951 when it originated as, unsurprisingly, a bikini contest.
Do we still need beauty pageants? We’re not going to hash that out here, right now, but let’s do say that it certainly is nice when someone brings something unexpected and beautifully disruptive to a staid environment, and that’s exactly what Fernández did.
The Miss World Chile pageant contestant sang a death metal song at the event’s semifinals on Nov. 2.
The 27-year-old contestant is also a model and the singer of the band Decessus. Her group’s guitarist, Carlos Palma, accompanied her as she powered her way through their track “Dark Flames.”
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Fernández acknowledges the benefits of changing up the pageant game by just being who she is and inspiring people to not be tethered to expectations in this or any environment.
“Metal has been a fundamental part of who I am as a person and in my life: a refuge, a source of strength and purpose,” Fernández wrote on Instagram. “Being able to express it on stage at Chilevision and Miss Mundo Chile was an opportunity I deeply value. It was a great experience to break down barriers on open television, inspire, be real with it, and show that you don’t have to fear the prejudices of others.”
She co-founded the progressive death metal band in 2020 in Santiago, Chile and also features Carlos Palma on guitar, Martín Fénix on drums, and recently, Jaime Pape on bass. The group’s sound is dynamic, featuring intricate rhythmic backdrops for intense melodic riffs and those deep, throaty vocals delivered by Fernández.
Between their origin date and the present, the band has released a number of singles, including the tune that is now lodged in pageant history, “Dark Flames.” They have also toured with other bands in their genre, like Insomnium, a Finnish doom metal act that also plays a prodding, progressive metal style.
In an interview with Blabbermouth, Fernández added, “I’m not trying to fit in. I’m trying to show myself as I am.”