Parintins Folklore Festival

Parintins Folklore Festival ("Festival Folclórico de Parintins") is a popular annual celebration held in the Brazilian city of Parintins, Amazonas. It is the second-largest annual festival in Brazil; only the Carnival festivities in Rio de Janeiro draw more participants.

Often called "Festival do Boi-Bumbá" Bumba Meu Boi or simply "Festival", the event takes place during three days in late June. The festival celebrates a local legend about a resurrected ox. It is also a competion where two teams, "Garantido" and "Caprichoso," compete in extended retellings of the story, each team attempting to out-do the other with flamboyant dances, singing, and parade floats.Each team has to its show within three hours.The team that does not follow this time limit is subjected to points penalizations. Each nightly performance is largely based on local Amazonian folklore and indigenous culture, but also incorporates contemporary Brazilian rhythms and themes.The place where the teams present themselves is called "Bumbódramo", a round, grounded stage.The "Bumbódramo" supports 35.000 people in the audience.

Despite the importance of the celebration to the Amazon region of Brazil, Festival was not widely known in other parts of the country until the musical group Carrapicho released the hit "Bate forte o tambor" in 1996.

It is also the only place in the world where Coca-Cola ads are in blue.

ee also

* Festa Junina
* Bumba Meu Boi

External links

* [http://www.parintins.com/ Official Festival Website]
* [http://www.boibumba.com/index.htm Boi Bumba Festival]
* [http://www.carnaval.com/boibumba/ BUMBA-MEU-BOI]