The Boi Duro in Belmonte - A Study on Cultural Identity
Identity; Culture; Popular Demonstration.
This dissertation, presented to UFSB, through PPGES, aimed to investigate the Boi Duro manifestation in Belmonte/BA, as an element that forms the cultural identity of its practitioners. Boi Duro is a street cultural activity, and is similar to Bumba-meu-boi, or Boi Bumbá, practiced in many regions of Brazil. The distinguishing characteristic of Boi Duro in Belmonte consists of a significant subjective relationship between the Boi groups and the Belmonte community in general. We opted for qualitative research and multiple case studies, since five of the main Boi Duro groups that are fully active in the city were studied. What drew our attention for carrying out this research was the increasing number of groups in the city since the 1910s, as far as it was possible to prove. In the field, the research activity began with the collection of data from the leaders of the five groups studied, through the application of a semi-structured questionnaire, containing 40 questions, which sought to understand how these practitioners relate to the Boi Duro demonstration. In addition to this semi-structured questionnaire, two other sets of interviews were conducted. One set of interviews was conducted with former participants and/or supporters, through open interviews recorded on audio. The other set of interviews was conducted with the relatives of Mestre Donha, as he was one of the precursors and creator of the oldest and most active Boi Duro group in Belmonte. These interviews served as support for the investigation and interpretation of the cultural identity of its practitioners. Thus, a cultural identity based on a diversity of identities was confirmed, as its practitioners participate in other cultural activities, which complement each other through interaction with other cultural practices of ethnic-racial origin, with a predominance of African origin.