Manaus Ágil tourism and culture of the AmazonThe biggest folkloric festival in Amazonas will be officially opened this Friday (30) and will be attended by the Minister of Tourism, Marx Beltrão.
The city of Parintins (AM)369 kilometers from the capital Manaus, is the stage for one of the most important cultural celebrations in the country, the Parintins Festival. In the Bumbódromo, the bulls Garantido e Caprichoso face each other and enchant those present in the place. And to see up close the festival that should attract 70 thousand tourists, according to the city hall, the Minister of Tourism, Marx Beltrão, participates this Friday night (30) in the official opening of the 52nd edition of the festival.
The festival, which ends on Sunday, July 2nd, has the dispute between the two oxen as a trademark. The fans are divided between Boi Caprichoso, represented by the blue color and winner of 22 editions, and Boi Garantido, red color, which became champion in 31 disputes. The rivalry is so great that it goes beyond the arena limits. Even the decoration of the streets is part of the dispute of the colors that divide the city. Houses, bars, lampposts, public telephones: everything is red or blue.
The dispute has its roots in the well-known Auto do Boi, very popular among the northeasterners who migrated to the Amazon during the rubber cycle. In the plot, a peon (slave) kills an ox beloved by a rich farmer so that his pregnant wife can satisfy her desire to eat his tongue. As the farmer and his daughter, who had the ox as her favorite, become angry, the cowboy asks for help from a tribal shaman in order to resuscitate the animal.
In Parintins, the story took on new contours with characters from daily life on the riverbank and the accents of the people of the forest. The tradition has been transformed into a great spectacle with music, dance, lights, allegories, and colors. The expectation is that 17 thousand spectators attend the presentations every night. Tourists invade the city of 112 thousand inhabitants and arrive at the port and airport for the three days of the festival.
A good part of the tourists occupy the boats anchored on the banks of the Amazon River. The most common trip is made by boat with refreshments and lasts up to 24 hours. Speed boats shorten the trip to a maximum of 10 hours. There are also river cruise options for tourists looking for comfort and convenience in accommodation. By plane, from the capital, the trip takes about an hour, depending on the aircraft. According to the mayor, Bi Garcia, the festival injects R$ 50 million into the local economy every year and generates at least five thousand direct and indirect jobs in the city.
History
Initially, the festival featured presentations of quadrilhas juninas (square dance groups). Some years later, the event grew and gained national and international fame. Each bull brings together, on average, 600 players and its elements, such as rituals, folkloric celebrations, typical figures, legends, and tribes. The techniques employed in the choreography and allegories of the oxen and other characters during the presentations at the Parintins festival even influenced the carnival parades of the Samba Schools in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo with the inclusion of articulated movements and allegories.
