With a population of some 100,000 inhabitants, the city of Parintins is situated on an island in the Amazon River between the State capital of Manaus and the city of Santarem in the State of Para. Even though Parintins can only be reached by boat or air, recently it has attracted businesses from all over Brazil and abroad. The reason might be its location as a commercial hub in the Amazon river. But some believe that Parintins has become the center of attention for outsiders because of its elaborate June celebrations of the Ox. In Parintins the bumba-meu-boi tradition is known as boi-bumbá and, as with similar traditions in the Northeast, the Ox is the central attraction of outdoor parades that involve music and dance. The Boi-bumbá dramatizations in Parintins have grown to gigantic proportions to become major mega folk events that attract some 100,000 spectators every year, doubling the city’s population. 

The celebration includes a competition between two groups: the Caprichosos and the Garantidos. These groups have existed since 1913, but it was not until the 1960s that the competition between them was formalized. Since then, during the month of June red and blue, the colors of the Caprichosos and the Garantidos, color the streets of Parintins and serve as banners for excited supporters. In 1988, the celebrations moved to the bumbódromo, a stadium in the center of the city constructed in the shape of an Ox. The bumbódromo accommodates some 35,000 spectators who gather to see the two boi-bumbá groups, with 4,000 members each, compete with one another with luxurious costumes and floats, much like the outdoor parades during Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (see next section). Meanwhile, the rest of the people celebrate the re-enactment of the killing and resurrection of the Ox by dancing freely in the streets of Parintins. 

The boi-bumbá celebration of Parintins has a plot similar in its basic themes to the bumba-meu-boi. But in the Amazon it has acquired several Amerindian elements. The native “motive” is a constant presence in the dramatization, especially the Pajé’s (Shaman’s) role of resurrecting the Ox through music and dance. Depictions of nature dominate the decorations, floats, and costumes, and the lyrics of songs recount the myths of the Amazon forest, whether or not associated with the Ox. In the bumbódromo, the European and the native are not only wedded but also modernized, as electronic equipment, laser lightshows, amplifiers, and electric instrumentation bring the Ox celebration of Parintins into the 21st century. 

While the red and blue teams parade they sing stanza and refrain toadas. Some toadas are part of a traditional repertory passed down orally, but lately professional composers have begun writing new toadas every year. These “toadas do boi” (Ox songs) are recorded in local studios and released every year locally. Unlike the bumba-meu-boi of Maranhão, in Parintins these songs are accompanied by brass, strings, and electronic instrumentation and a percussion section that produce mellowed rhythms resembling Caribbean merengues  (see Chapter 10). Recently, some of these Ox songs have begun to cross over and reach the larger pop music market. Still, during the parade the beat of zabumbas, pandeiros, and maracas in duple meter are a constant in the large percussion groups that can include 400 performers. The toadas of the Ox can be heard in the Parintins website (www.parintins.com), where you can also browse through pictures and videos of the parade. For a video of the2019  parade check