Buffalo-Bumbá Parade, documentary and chat celebrate Master Damasceno at the Pan-Amazonian Book Fair
Special programming honored the creator of the Marajoara cultural symbol with performances, a film, and a discussion circle at the Hangar
The tributes to the popular artist Master Damasceno, one of the great names of Amazonian culture, marked the programming of this Saturday (16) at the 28th Pan-Amazonian Book Fair and Multivoices, at the Hangar Convention Center of the Amazon, in Belém. At 5:30 PM, the traditional Buffalo-Bumbá parade, one of his greatest creations, traversed the corridors of the space enchanting children, young people, and adults.
Tradition and enchantment
Inspired by the boi-bumbá, the Buffalo-Bumbá brings to the artistic scene the buffalo, a symbol of Marajó, and other characters from Marajoara life, such as cowboys and cattle thieves. Among them is Procópio, a respected cowboy from the fields, interpreted for three years by history teacher Isam Melo, a neighbor and admirer of the master since childhood.
“For me, the feeling is one of absolute satisfaction, first because I am Marajoara and the grandson of a great cowboy. Through Master Damasceno, we bring this tradition to the world,” he stated.
Isam also highlighted that the experience in the parade allowed him to fulfill a childhood dream.
“I always wanted to be a cowboy, inspired by my grandfather. I ended up following education, but in the parade, I somehow realized that dream, interpreting Procópio and living this highly valued role,” he added.
Memory and audiovisual record
After the parade, the Multivoices Arena hosted the screening of the documentary “Master Damasceno: the journey of an afromarajoara,” directed by cultural producer Guto Nunes, who has been following the artist's work for two decades.
“This documentary has about 90% of memories and archives that we collected over time. It was a painstaking job to update his journey. It was only possible thanks to the Paulo Gustavo Law, through the State Secretariat of Culture of Pará,” explained the director.
The production gathers testimonies from masters of popular culture, artists like Chico César, Damasceno's fellow countrymen, and significant records, such as the delivery of the Cultural Merit Order (OMC), the highest honor granted by the Ministry of Culture, received by him in May of this year.
Concluding the programming, a chat with Guto Nunes and Agenor Sarraf brought reflections on art, resistance, and the transmission of traditional knowledge to new generations.
