CARNAVAL DE GUALEGUAYCHÚ

(loosely translated from
http://www.carnavaldelpais.com.ar/inicio/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=80&Itemid=47&lang=en)

In the Carnaval 2010, the comparsas (groups of floats and dancers) that paraded were Papelitos of the Club Juventud Unida (2009 winner); O Bahía of the club of Pescadores and Ara-Yeví of the club Tiro Federal – each showed the quality of their wardrobe, the synchronization of the choreography and the great display of its floats.

O Bahía is named for the Brasilian city of Bahia.
Ara Yevi means Fun Time in the language of Guarani
Papelitos comes from when it started in 1977, the costumes were made from paper

The carnaval of Gualeguaychú is the largest spectacle of the Argentine summer, which takes place among dozens of thousands of people before the passing of the comparsas.  Furthermore, the Carnaval is considered amongst the best in the world next to those of Rio de Janeiro and Venice.

There were more that 70,000 feathers, and for example, there were costumes that had 500,000 sequins with its respective beads and there were appliqués a little larger than a watch that are made of 200 embroidered pieces (between sequins, pearls, etc.).

 















The corsódromo (parade route) has a capacity of 30,000 people and is 500 meters long and 10 meters wide.

For Gualeguaychú, Carnaval represents the most important touristic, social, cultural and economic phenomenon in the history of the city – and it only began in 1997.

The comparsas in Gualeguaychú have a limit of 300 members, 4 floats and 4 fantasy suits (costumes).

Each year the comparsas elaborate the theme or argument that develops through different parts.  The parade generally opens with a group called the front commission, composed of very visible figures and impactful costumes that are related to the theme.

Then comes the opening float.  This generally contains a presentation of the theme and frequently has the name of the comparsa on its front.

The two intermediate floats are connected thematically to the group and the closing one generally has a final message integrating itself with a batucada (Brazilian drumming group).

In the comparsa, the ambassador couple is a woman and a man with eye-catching costumes that tend to have the colors or some symbol of the patronizing entity on some part of the costume.  The woman carries a flag and the man dances around her, paying homage with a large fan, not only to the woman but also to the flag.

The squads of a comparasa are generally commanded by a figure or pair of baton carriers.  Each one represents a subtheme within the comparsa, that is symbolized in the shoulder carriers, headdresses, skirts and sometimes in the bracelets or shoes.  Some squads complete themselves with an allusive float and these would have total four per comparsa, constituting these for their size and splendor, one of the most prominent aspects of the Carnaval of the Country.

The shoulder carriers are the most spectacular of a comparsa – for their size and detail.  They can reach to weigh more than 80 kilograms, have up to 2,500 feathers and various kilograms of sequins embroidered one by one with beading, including stones, pearls and other elements, that in some cases total more than 500,000 pieces.

The comparsas are judged by national and internationally acclaimed judges on the: scenes, costumes, painting, architecture, music, etc.

THE 3 COMPARSAS
O’Bahía Tribal
It started about 30 years ago with an urban tribe of fisherman who prepared a ritual for carnaval.  There is a Shaman that conjures up magic through herbs and enters into a trance where he journeys to the center of the universe and back to the land.  O’Bahia concentrates on the fact that all beings are part of the cosmos – the spirits of many animals (deer, buffalo, wolves, and eagles) as well as plants are represented.

Papelitos “Pan y Circo”
It is not a novelty that we live in a world super saturated with offers of entertainment: sports, movies, theme parks, video games, among many other things.  Each show is more spectacular and there is always an expectation of the next exceeding the previous.  On the other hand the manipulation of information by the media molds the public opinion.  Oftentimes it is difficult to distinguish the reality from the fiction.  While we contemplate the uncountable images that pass before our eyes in this globalized circus, we must ask ourselves if we are contemplating through our critical judgment or with the view of those who want us to see the reality that is convenient to them.

Ara Yevi “Spirit of Nature”
To show the repetition of history, Ara Yevi tells a story that transcends time and space – making humanity reflect on the harms that are caused to our nature and that we are part of it.  A guaraní shaman guides the legend.