|
A identidade do Amazonas expressa no folclore do Boi-Bumbá
by Erick Bessa Pinheiro
The text shows aspects of the Amazon identity expressed in the folkloric performance Boi-Bumbá ( a "dance" of Portuguese origin with added Brazilian elements which celebrates the death and resurrection of a bull and involves elaborate costumes and choreography). My approach was guided by literature, photos and interviews during the Thirtieth Parintins Folk Festival in 2004. It reveals the nuances of the works by the "Caprichoso" and "Garantido" groups of Boi-Bumbá at the "Boi de Arena" (this festival takes place in June). The festival emphasizes the indigenous culture through the Amazonian imaginary with its memories of the peoples of the forest and its preservation of centuries-old traditions presented as performances at the Bumbódromo's arena ("Bumbodrome," a stadium-like place where the Boi-Bumbá groups present their spectacles). The production of this yearly festival can be defined as the ledger of this cultural heritage. The festival is also a vehicle for showing the researches by the toada (generic term for a stanza-and-refrain song with a simple, often melancholy melody and short, romantic or comical lyrics) composers and groups of artists who are commissioned to present their spectacles at this three-day festival. The identity and distinct features of the State of Amazonas, with themes on Nature, regional, indigenous and "caboclo" peoples linked to the migrant culture of bumba-meu-boi, are the foundation of the festival. The notion of tradition is represented by the history of miscegenation, migration and hybridism of the popular culture of the Amazon. The Amazonian culture is quite comprehensive and diversified due to the contact with the African and European cultures that enriched and transformed the myths and legends of the imaginary of the "ribeirinho", "caboclo" and indigenous peoples living in that area. Mysticism and faith (widely found in the region) are some of the inspiration sources for the creation of these performances.
|
