Brazilian folk and culture is one of the richest in comparison to other world cultures and traditions. It is so far regarded as a melting pot because it has been shaped by the Brazilian native Indians, a huge African population, the Portuguese and other people from Europe, the Middle East as well as Asia who have settled there over time. All these cultural backgrounds put together gives rise to a new culture that almost everyone identifies with. It therefore goes without saying that this is a culture that can interest anyone who cares to know how different cultures of the world have developed. Perhaps one of the most outstanding cultural practices is the Bumba- meu- boi festivals (Kalman 20).
Many of those who engage in this festivity come from the northern eastern part of the country though it has spread to other parts of the country. It is one festivity that many Brazilians enjoy taking part in and at times it attracts spectators from all over the world. But most Brazilians take part in it as a recreational activity. It does not just begin and stop at the festivities but it takes the average practitioner some time to prepare for it especially those who own and train the bulls as well as dancers. It is like a job that they do on a full time basis (Pessar 78).
This cultural practice commenced at the beginning of the 18th century in the North Eastern parts of Brazil. It was mainly practiced in the cattle ranches and sugar mills where there were slaves working on the plantations and farms (Araujo 220). It was a festival that was seen as a source of unity and togetherness in middle of the problems the slaves faced at the time. it is therefore a cultural practice that holds a rich history of many of the Brazilians who trace their history back in the day when Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese.
The practice was passed down from that time to date by means of people participating in it. Actually, it involves people gathering in hundreds and thousands to watch a dispute between two bulls, one which has to be red in color and the other blue while dancing takes place at the same time (Crook 251). It is a June festival that is appreciated by many Brazilians and this has been passed down from generation to generation because they seem to enjoy the happenings during the festival. This can be proven because since its inception in the 18th century, the practice is still in existence in the 21st century. In as much as it was a practice that was conducted in the north eastern part of the country, many other groups from the rest of Brazil started taking part in it and to this day, it is seen in many major towns and rural areas too because many people gather to celebrate it as part of the June festivals.
In as much as it diffused through space and time to present day, the bull fight festival encountered some challenges. Top of the list is the fact that it originated from slaves from the North Eastern parts of Brazil who for that matter were considered second class citizens (Damasceno253). It was hard for the Southerners and the rest of the population to accept it. Also, it is for a fact that the colonialists who were principally the Portuguese and those people who came from Europe found it hard to accept a practice that was practiced by the Indian natives as well as black slaves. Apart from this, just like any other cultural activity that primarily originates from one region, there were other cultural practices that were superior to it and therefore received a lot of competition from other cultural activities that were generally widely acceptable.
On a wider scale, the practice has had a huge impact on not only the cultural aspect of life in Brazil but also as a social function that brings people together in celebration thereby fostering unity and togetherness in a national way. This is so because it brings together Brazilians of all walks of life. From economic perspectives, it goes without saying that such a festival attracts a great number of business activities during the celebrations therefore contributing to a huge economic boost to not only local businesses but also international ones. It does not just stop there, because just like any other human activity has got negative effects and one such one directly affects the environment. This cultural festivity may pose a negative impact on the environment because the places where the festivities take place become overcrowded and there is always a likelihood of over exploitation of the minimum resources found there in trying to accommodate all the people who take part in the festivities (Bhattacharya115).
Works Cited
Araujo, Ana. Politics of Memory: Making Slavery Visible in the Public Space. New York: Routledge. 2013.
Bhattacharya, Asoke. Paulo Freire: Rousseau of the Twentieth Century. New York: Springer. 2011.
Crook, Larry. Brazillian Music: North Eastern Traditions and Heartbeat of a Modern Nation. Santa Barbra: ABC- CLIO. 2005
Damasceno, Leslie. Cultural space and Theatrical Conventions in the Works of Oduvaldo Vianna Filho. Detroit: Wayne University Press. 1996
Kalman, Bobbie. What is Culture. Ontario: Crabtree. 2009
Pessar, Patricia. From Fanatics to Folk: Brazilian Millenarianism and Popular Culture. Durham: Duke University press. 2004
