Bois Pintandinhos
Rio de Janeiro, the city which is famous in the world for it’s carnival. With a mixture of rhythm, samba en nice temperatures this annual feast attracts lots of people from inside and outside Brazil.
But also in other parts of the country, the Brazilians celebrate their carnival.
3 hours north of Rio de Janeiro, lies Macaé, the petrol capital of the vast country of South America.
This city with a population of 250.000 people, used to be a vivid place for offshore company’s from all over the world. The crisis and low oil price were the causes that a lot of company’s had to shut down their activities (for the moment).
In Macaé the local people prepare for the upcoming carnival. In the beginning of January they start preparing a bull for their traditional carnival, called Bois Pintandinhos. Every area in the city has a musical group with a bull to show off to the rest in town.
This is an Brazilian folk theatrical tradition originating in the north of the country, which is called Bumba-meu-boi (hit my bull). In other parts of the country there are similar festivities, with local influences.
A couple of weeks before the carnival the sambaschool starts practicing with their music and the bull at night. Fireworks announce the beginning of the tour in their area. There are some 90 groups with bulls in the different districts in the petrol city.
During the period of carnival the samba-groups get together on a closed part of the freeway. Here they compete with their bull and music during a procession for a big audience for the best performance. This tradition exists in Macaé for over a 100 years.
