A bullfight in the heart of the forest!

In its 54th edition, Parintins Folkloric Festival attracts tourists from all over the world to follow the duel between the oxen Garantido and Caprichoso.

In the middle of the Amazon rainforest, the island of Parintins (AM)on the banks of the Amazon River and 365 kilometers from Manaus, does not stop receiving hourly aircraft and, especially, crowded boats arriving from the capital and other Amazon destinations. Thousands of tourists from Brazil and all over the world accompany the toadas dos bois Garantido e Caprichoso.

At the time of the festival, the population of the island, 120 thousand inhabitants, comes to almost double. The expectation, according to the Parintins City Hall, is to receive 80 thousand tourists in this year's edition. Furthermore, according to the Amazonas State Tourism Company, more than R$ 420 million have been invested in the region since 2005 with the presence of almost 700,000 tourists. Last year alone, the celebration injected R$ 50 million into the local economy and generated at least five thousand direct and indirect jobs in the region.

The presentations, which start this Friday (28) and go until Sunday (30), symbolize a dispute and take place in an arena baptized as the "bumbódromo". The stadium in the shape of a bull's head can hold 35,000 spectators and remains crowded during the three nights of the festival, always held on the last weekend of June.

The boi-bumbá folkloric festival is a variation of the northeastern bumba meu boi that, in Parintins, incorporated indigenous legends and forest elements. The festival is centennial. Garantido appeared in 1913 and Caprichoso in 1925. The riverside destination becomes the stage for a rivalry that started when the two large groups of "bois" began to represent the folkloric manifestation in the city streets. The event, in its current format, has existed since 1965 and is in its 54th edition.

For the Minister of Tourism, Marcelo Álvaro Antônio, the Parintins celebration reinforces the fundamental role that Brazilian culture has as a national and world tourist attraction. "Traditional events of this magnitude only show why Brazil ranks 8th in the World Economic Forum ranking of countries with representative cultural attractions. The festival also contributes to job and income generation, as well as social inclusion, central objectives of the new strategic agenda for tourism development in the country", highlights the minister.

Like in a carnival parade, the festival follows a storyline. Besides the toadas, props and costumes, the allegories stand out during the presentations. They are pushed by about 300 people. The spectacle is marked by gigantic representations of boi-bumbá characters that, besides gaining articulated movements, reach 35 to 40 meters in length and 12 meters in height. The result is measured by the titles won. Caprichoso has 22 festival titles and will try for a third championship this year. Garantido has won 31 championships. Each bull has its "curral", a shed that works as a court or rehearsal shed.

Amazonians take seriously the dispute between Caprichoso (blue and white) and Garantido (red and white). The rivalry extends to the residents, who paint their homes according to the colors of their "pet" bull. Tourists also take sides on one side of the "bumbódromo". The judges use green pens to avoid doubts about impartiality. In Parintins, even international brands of drinks change colors to please the public of both oxen.

Parintins attractions

The Amazon riverfront and the Cathedral of Nossa Senhora do Carmo are among the urban attractions. On the outskirts of Parintins, Vila Amazônia was the birthplace of Japanese immigration in the 1930s and a pioneer in the cultivation of jute, a fiber used in handicrafts. The site has several trails, streams, and waterfalls. On the Uaicurapá River, during the ebb tide, between August and February, fluvial beaches of white sand and dark water are formed. Lake Macuricanã is part of a complex of dozens of lakes, much appreciated in the Amazon summer. Serra da Valéria is 15 km from Parintins (1 hour by boat), facing the Amazon River and offering panoramic views of the region.

Source: Ministry of Tourism