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PORTUGUESE ELVIS MUSEUM!

Aníbal da Costa Santos Simão was born on 22 March 1950, in Espinheira, in Oliveira de Azeméis. His origins are very humble, having been one of 6 siblings in a family that went through much hardship. He started working at 12 years old in a factory, a job that he maintained for 5 years. In 1968 he started to learn the profession of barber, at the Martel salon, a barbershop at the time that has revolutioned that activity in the Oliveira de Azeméis of back then.

Legend: Célia Carvalho, with Aníbal Simão, in Oliveira de Azeméis.

The millitary service imposed just half a year of recruitment and the incorporation at Guinea took him to Mampatá-Aldeia Formosa (1972-1974) with the specialty of driver. Incidently, since his army days, he has never drove a vehicle, nor has he asked for the transition of his civil driver's license, has he was entitled to.

On 25 August he returns to Portugal and after just a short while he starts working for a little barbershop located in the vacinity of Parque La Salette. His determined personality made him offer 15.000 Portuguese Escudos for the trespassing of the shop and he makes his dream come true of having his own business.

Even so, his story would be similar to other thousands of Portuguese people, if not for being one of the most unconditional fans of Elvis Presley. That passion, that he has since a child, was born because besides liking Elvis's songs, he admires the nobility of character of the "king" and his rebelry towards an unfair society.

Today, in his home town, Aníbal is more "Elvis" than other things, thanks to this popularity conquered by having been the person who, over the last years, was more promoted in his country and abroad the name of his home town. And therefore, it is no surprise that his barbershop is looked for more and more customers and even curious people, anxious to see its more than thousand items, collected over time, all related to the King of Rock.

Legends: Jorge Custódio, with Aníbal Simão, in Oliveira de Azeméis, at Parque da Nossa Senhora de La Salette. / Piece offered to Aníbal Simão, with Elvistic motives and allusive to his profession. 

On 7th July 2013, in a fair tribute to Aníbal Simão, Elvis 100% paid him a visit in his barbershop-museum dedicated to Elvis and offered him a piece for his collection, especially conceived by the fan club and dedicated to the barber who is an Elvis fan.

On the message that goes with the piece, it can be read:

              “Mr. Aníbal, this offer, this gesture, are emblematic. They mean our acknowledgement for your extreme dedication in perpetuating the life and work of Elvis Presley.
              “Your contribution goes beyond the expectations of the more common appreciators. And leaves equally fascinated all fans who are fortunate enough to visit your museum.
              “It is with love that Elvis 100% Fan Club pays you this simple tribute. God Bless You. Viva Elvis."

Legends: Aníbal Simão and Célia Carvalho, with the offered piece, inside the barbershop. / View of the barbershop.

Legends: Other views of the barbershop.

If you can, visit this place, it is quite worth it!

Trivia on the barbershop:

It contains hundreds (more than thousand) pieces of Elvis memorabilia;
All customers who go there to have their hair cut, only listen to Elvis and see him singing;
The only one singing besides Elvis is the canary that lives in the barbershop and whose name is (guess what?) Elvis, of course!
The barbershop also has a special guests book, that can be signed by the visitors and that literally already contains thousands of messages.

To see more photos, check the Elvis 100% Facebook page, in the album dedicated to the barbershop:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.642263552472949.1073741827.194354673930508&type=3