Think of world class festivals in Brazil, and maybe Carnival in Rio de Janeiro comes to mind. But every June, far from Rio, another, possibly even more spectacular show is put on in the country’s Amazon region.
It’s called the Boi-Bumba and it takes place on the remote, island city of Parintins. Stephen Gibbs takes us to this unusual location in Latin America. It has a population of only 80,000 and can only be reached by boat or airplane.
While Boi-Bumba may look like a celebratory spectacle, it’s actually an annual event based on years of community rivalry. Stephen tells us about this rivalry. It exists between the Garantidos and the Caprichosos. They distinguish themselves with the colors red and blue, and even mark their territory in Parintins by painting objects and buildings in red and blue.
Boi-Bumba is a dazzling and dramatic display of the competition between the two sides. Using extravagant floats and costumes, dancers and performers convey mythical stories steeped in tradition, with dance and music. The growing number of visitors to the festival as well as a large stream of corporate sponsors have put pressure on the town to innovate Boi-Bumba while keeping true to the tradition.
