Young people recreate Parintins Festival on Roblox and attract thousands of spectators The passion for the Parintins Folklore Festival went beyond the Bumbódromo stands and found a new stage: the virtual universe of Roblox. In Manaus, a project created in 2022 by a group of teenagers recreates the Caprichoso and Garantido ox show within the gaming platform, with presentations inspired by the original festival, allegories, items and characters developed by the participants themselves. This year, the virtual festival takes place this Saturday (1st) and will be broadcast on YouTube. In the most recent edition, around 1,200 people followed the presentations on the platform. ? Roblox is an online gaming platform where users can create and participate in virtual experiences. It was in this environment that young people passionate about the festival found a way to keep the tradition alive throughout the year. ? Join the g1 AM channel on WhatsApp According to one of the founders of the virtual festival, Rafael Oliveira, the idea was born from the nostalgia that remains after the end of the Festival in Parintins. "The emergence of the Parintins Festival on Roblox comes from that post-festival depression, when we miss the performances. Two friends and I created the festival with this longing for the festival in real life." Four years later, the project grew and started to mobilize dozens of young people. "Nowadays a contingent of 92 people work to keep the festival going. They create everything from scratch", he highlighted. The challenge is to adapt real-world culture to the virtual environment. In addition to the work of recreating the show, the organizers also deal with challenges inherent to the digital universe. "The challenge we face is really the issue of age. Working with young people and children, a more vulnerable audience. So we can't put many real-life things in the virtual world." For the creators, the project also represents a way of valuing Brazilian culture in an originally foreign environment. "The energy of the forest's strength that we bring to the virtual environment means that more and more people participate in the festival, because of our songs, the passion for the ox, the art. We took an American game and Brazilianized this game, with our items and in our own way, all created by young people. This shows the passion of young people for the Parintins Festival." PARINTINS FESTIVAL: Understand what the Allegory of the Caprichoso Boi items are at the virtual Parintins Festival made on Roblox. Reproduction/Social Media Teams bring together dozens of participants Just like the festival held in Parintins, each ox has teams responsible for creating and organizing the shows. Organizer of Boi Garantido Roblox, Guilherme Fernandes, explains that the project currently has more than 16 permanent collaborators. According to him, just to put a show in the virtual arena, more than 20 people work directly on production. "More than 20 people were directly involved in the production, not counting those responsible for creating items, scenarios, animations, programming, special effects and other areas that make the experience even more complete and immersive. It is a collective work that requires organization, creativity and a lot of commitment", said Guilherme. Inspiration from the artists in the arena For Miguel Henrique, who has been playing Roblox since 2017 and now acts as the presenter of Garantido at the virtual festival, winning an item was a goal since he joined the project. "It's like a dream come true for me. Ever since I joined Boi Garantido Roblox, my goal has been to achieve the goal of being an item." The young man states that he seeks inspiration from the presenters of the official festival, especially Israel Paulain, presenter of Garantido. “I feel a thrill of accomplishment, having this important role for both the ox and the festival in my hands.” Diogo Pinheiro plays the Queen of Caprichoso Folklore. He says that the role allowed him to learn more deeply about the festival's culture and develop creativity in creating costumes. "For me, it's a unique experience. In addition to learning more about the culture of the Parintins Festival, it's also a space where I can explore my creativity, especially in creating costumes. I think it's really beautiful to see this tradition reaching new generations through Roblox." Diogo says that representing one of the festival's most traditional items also brings responsibility. "Representing the Queen of Folklore is a great responsibility and an honor. I have always admired the Queen of Caprichoso Folklore, Cleise Simas, and this makes this experience even more special for me." Young people are inspired by real items from the Parintins Festival to create a virtual version. Reproduction/Social Media