Photo Essay: Boi Bumbá – The Beat of the Amazon
1. The small Amazonian town of Parintins is reached from Manaus via a 20-30 hour boat trip…or a one hour plane ride.
2. The population of Parintins is 100,000. During the 3-day Boi Bumbá festival the population doubles as visitors arrive from all over Brazil, creating a colourful mix of local culture and burgeoning tourism.
3. Everybody in the town gets involved in the event in some way – even if they have to be at work.
4. A pre-party in the main square soon draws out the town’s most enthusiastic dancers.
5. A tropical lunchtime downpour does nothing to dampen spirits.
6. By the afternoon downtown Parintins is ablaze with colour, music, food, and dancing.
7. Street dancers leap to the sounds of a live band in Parintins as the town gets ready for a weekend of huge celebrations.
8. The festival’s roots go back around a hundred years. The blue team (the upper-class Caprichosos) fight against the red team (the working-class Garantidos). Parintins is the only place in the world where the Coca Cola sign is blue, a direct result of the sensitive division of the town’s color-driven rivalry.
9. Each team has 2-3 hours per night to outdo their opponent in terms of exuberant costumes, retelling of folkloric legends centered around a bull (boi), and, of course, beautiful singers and dancers. The “bombodrome” is open to tour groups before the event begins. Here you can get an insight into the madness to come as you walk amidst giant colourful trees and flamboyant, outsized creatures.
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10. The stadium (”bombodrome”) is packed out by 8pm. Finally, a year’s buildup of tension, secrecy, and passionate rivalry is unleashed.
11. Many of the costumes and designs are so wildly imaginative they take many months to make and are different each year. This giant female face emerged from a traditional Amazonian house whose walls were made up of costumed people that dispersed fluidly in a show of virtuoso choreography.
12. Just when you think things can’t get more outrageous, a giant green man appears, almost as tall as the stadium, sprouting a slightly smaller baby-creature from above his head. You don’t need shamanic hallucinogenics to have a trippy time in the Amazon.
13. And what should leap from the green baby-creature when it reaches the ground? Why, a beautiful woman dressed in vivid animal feathers of course.
14. After a stunning performance from Caprichoso, the red team (Garantido) rolls out giant puppets to intimidate their opponents, impress the judges, and drive their supporters wild.
15. One of the final Garantido beauties shows her stunning snow-white plumage to the crowd. While Boi Bumbá isn’t widely known internationally, it’s the second largest festival after Rio Carnival, and is every bit as wild.
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See more of Paul’s images from the Brazilian Amazon in Photo Essay: An Amazon Adventure.
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19 Comments... join the discussion!
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Gorgeous photos.
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Nice one dude.
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I can’t get the giant green man’s face out of my head…should I be worried?
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Nice photos, they really capture a lot of details.
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really liking these especially 7 and the stadium shots!
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Have you ever read a travel article that makes you go “I am totally going there at the soonest opportunity available”? This was that kind of article for me. I’m totally going. Two thumbs up, Paul.
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Thanks for comments y’all.
Hal, don’t be worried. He goes away again after a few weeks
Amr, 7 is my fave also. One of those rare / fortuitous moments where several elements worked well together: colourful dancers, interesting building, slick, wet street – and luckily i had my flash gun with me…
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For some moments I still in Parintins dancing all night with Caprichoso and Garantido. Amazing Amazónia and the best crew ever… and you always shoting. I’m a big fan of your work! Um beijo de Portugal
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I love Brazil…
These are really beautiful. But who won???
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Hey Michelle;
Garantido won. It was amazing festival in Parintins. I`m a travel agent and I was with the group.↵ -
This is so cool, added to the list of destinations!
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Great photos! The colors are so vivid… I especially like photo 11.
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Garantido!
Amazing job, man.
Boy, I’ll miss that night. I’m glad I can get here and see your photos.
Cheers,
Remo(Btw, the green man is a Curupira. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curupira)
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Awesome photography and well presented !
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Once again, thanks all for your comments.
Michelle – the red team (Garantido) won this year.
Remo – thanks for the wiki link and explanation of the Curupira.
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Wow, what a colourful event and photo essay!
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Amazing costumes – rich and colorful – sounds like a wild time. Photography was outstanding.
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Excellent images.. it’s so vibrant and full of life!
Keep it up!!
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