| "BUMBA-MEU-BOI"
(bumba-boi,
boi-bumbá, etc.) is a very popular and widespread comic-dramatic dance,
which tells the story of the death and resurrection of an ox. Boi Bumba roughly translates to "Beat the Bull." Its
name comes from the verb bumbar, meaning to beat up or against, and the
expression is chanted by the crowd as an invitation for the ox (or rather, the men
under the ox costume) to charge against them.
The Ox Dance festival is based on a tale that was brought to the small town of Parantins by migrants who came to the region to seek their fortune during the rubber extraction boom in
the early 1900s. There are several
variations of the legend, but a common version describes the story of a
rich farmer who gives his favorite boi, or ox, as a gift to his beloved daughter, entrusting it to the care of a faithful ranch hand, Pae Francisco. Mae Caterina,
Francisco's pregnant wife, develops a strange craving for the a
bull's tongue, and Pae Francisco kills the prize beast to satisfy his wife's need.
The crime is discovered, and after some adventures local Indians are called to help capture Francisco
in his forest hideout. He is brought before the farmer and threatened with death as punishment. However, St John the Baptist visits the farmer's dreams and warns him not to kill the couple.
Desperate, Pae Francisco tries to resuscitate the ox. With the help of spiritual shamans, called Curandeiros, the Caterina and Francisco are able to harness the power of the
drum beat to resurrect the ox and save the couple from harm. All ends well, with Francisco being forgiven.
The festival started on a modest scale in 1913 as a simple street procession. Over time, the festival, the story, and the characters have changed to incorporate local Indian legends, rituals, music, and dances and to keep the enactment fresh for the keen competition. The festival also celebrates the traditional lifestyle of the Caboclo, the present-day Amazonian, and the story's native characters have gradually come to the fore, gaining in importance.
The annual festival
takes place the weekend before June 24 over three days. Parantins' two samba schools, Garantido and Caprichoso, compete for the year's best presentation of the legend in a huge outdoor arena in front of thousands of spectators. Today, the festival rivals the world-famous carnival celebrations of Rio and Salvador, and its themes, characters and motifs are strongly tied to the national identity of Brazil.
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The crowds gather in the "bumbódromo" (Parintins' answer to the "sambódromo" of Rio de Janeiro, except this one is built in the shape of a bull) where they sing and dance to the music of the boi by the rival groups that parade with huge floats and fabulous costumes. The whole town splits into two teams, each led by a person dressed as an ox. There is the Garantido team, who wear red, and the Caprichoso, who wear blue. 
The teams compete against each other with flamboyant dances and performances and you must pick a team to support if you attend. It is quite a spectacle to see 20,000 people going wild as only Brazilians can, while the other half of the stadium is as quiet as a funeral -- only to have the roles reversed a few hours later. The teams are judged in twenty-two categories including best music, best crowd support, best ox and best floats. On the fourth morning the winner is announced and the triumphant team puts on a street parade! 
