Learn all about Parintins Folklore Festival in Brazil
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| Hello, and welcome to the Culture Class - Holidays in Brazil Series at PortuguesePod101.com. In this series, we’re exploring the traditions behind holidays and observances in Brazil. I’m Becky, and you're listening to Season 1, Lesson 22. The “Parintins Folklore Festival” or Festival Folclórico de Parintis in Portuguese. |
| There is a Brazilian folk dance known as Bumba-meu-boi that can be seen throughout the country. Although it originates in the Northeast, the dance is best known from being performed during the Parintins Folklore Festival held in the Amazonas state of North Brazil. |
| In this lesson, you’ll learn more about the Bumba-meu-boi festival that involves a competition between two bulls: one red and one blue. |
| Now, before we get into more detail, I've got a question for you- |
| If the competition is between a blue bull and a red one, what color pen do the judges use? |
| If you don't already know, you’ll find out a bit later, so keep listening! |
| The Parintins Folklore Festival takes place in the “heart,” or coração in Portuguese, of the Amazon, on the last weekend in June. About 35,000 people crowd into a kind of stadium in the shape of a bull's head called a Bumbódromo, constructed especially for the festival. |
| Parintins city is located on Tupinambarana Island, in the middle of the “Amazon River,” or Rio Amazonas in Portuguese, and has been promoting the festival since 1966. |
| The festival is broadcast on television nationwide, and attracts thousands of visitors each year. |
| During the three-day festival, every night there’s a performance put on by the two challenging teams - the “Capricious,” or Caprichoso, Bull and the “Guaranteed,” or Garantido, Bull. |
| The theme of the festival is the tale of the Bumba-meu-boi mixed with elements from Amazonian legend. The main characters in the tale are Father Francis and his pregnant wife, Mother Catirina. She craves ox tongue, and to please her, her husband kills his employer's bull and is arrested for the deed. However, when a shaman brings the bull back to life, Father Francisco is forgiven by its owner. |
| The drama is performed with musical accompaniment. The music includes lyrics based on Amazonian myth and legend and the sounds of the rainforest. The singers appear clothed in feathers and fancy head-dresses. |
| Each team has its color: the Capricious Bull is “blue,” or azul in Portuguese, and the Guaranteed Bull is “red,” or vermelho. The rivalry between the two sides is so fierce that the fans of one bull refuse to wear the color of its opponent, and neither side will even say the name of the other. The opposing sides use the word “adversary,” or contrário in Portuguese, to refer to their opponent. No booing or yelling is allowed while the contrário is performing. Even the town of Parintins itself is divided by color into the blue zone and the red zone. |
| Have you ever seen the Coca-Cola sign in another color? Due to the color battle, major brands have had to change their colors to meet the demands of the two sides. Only in Parintins can you see a blue can of Coke, a special order of the Capricious Bull's fans. |
| Now it's time to answer our quiz question- |
| If the competition is between a blue bull and a red one, what color pen do the judges use? |
| To maintain impartiality, the contest judges use green pens. In this way, they can be sure that the color doesn’t influence the result. |
| How was this lesson? Did you learn anything interesting? |
| In your country, do you have festivals that feature a particular animal? |
| Leave your comments on the lesson page at PortuguesePod101.com, and we'll see you in the next lesson! |
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