Videos on the Bumba-meu-boi, and the Festa do São Gonçalo do Amarante and the Festa do Divino.
The Bumba-meu-boi videos were filmed and edited by Simone Ferro of performances at the June, 2015 celebration in São Luís.
This corresponds to our time with a Study Abroad course with dancers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. If some of you were among that group, you may recognize these groups.
The videos are available on Vimeo and at the links below.
Bumba-meu-boi Encanto da Ilha (in the rhythmic style known as “Orquestra”)
Boi Lirio de São João (also in the Orquestra style, or sotaque).
This following video shows moments of the Festa do São Gonçalo de Amarante and the Celebration of the Divine Spirit (Festa do Divino) in Pindaré.
It features the women drummers of Pindaré (called caixeiras), and especially the group led by “Maria Caixeiras,” a woman whose name carries her identity as a drummer. In one sequence, the drummers of her group are joined by members from the quilombo “Communidade Vila Maria.” (A quilombo is a community or settlement formed by escaped and released slaves, sometimes with some indigenous people as well. Maranhão has over 300 such communities.)
The post from November 2015 post contains photos and text describing more of these festivals.
Coming: More posts on the Bumba-meu-boia and a few brief clips from an Umbanda ceremony to Oxum, orixá of water.