The story of the comparsa O'Bahia

In 1976, its President Antonio Leopoldo Peverelli took part in the Comisión del Carnaval Internacional del Río Uruguay (Uruguay River International Carnival Committee) and it was not until 1979 that fourteen institutions were invited to take part in the local carnival. Foreign comparsas were brought along with great effort, such as Yasí Verá and Copacabana from Corrientes, Sisí and Macumba from Gualeguay, Scola do Amarillo from Brasil, Carumbé from Paso de los Libres and Arcos Iris from Concepción del Uruguay.

The so-called Comparsa O'Bahia was especially created for this carnival event in 1979, by Ada Kilmar, Ruperto Gelós, Antonio Peverelli, Ana Gelós de Peverelli, Martin Zuluaga and other members of the Club.

Ada Kilmarr de Peralta was married to one of the members of the club and she was so happy and enthusiastic about this new undertaking that she immediately stood in front of the comparsa. That is why she is remembered as the founder of O'Bahia. It was her mother who chose the name for the comparsa.

O'Bahia is the second oldest comparsa in the City of Gualeguaychú. It appeared for the first time in the corso held in 1980 and was presented by Club Pescadores de Gualeguaychú.

O'Bahia had always been the humblest of all until things began to change in 1994, when it was established that the comparsa that came up in the last place would not participate the following year. That is what happened to O'Bahia, and therefore, it could not take part in the next issue of the carnival. Anyway, it put up its own carnival to keep the habit. It presented its comparsa and it was allowed to parade on two official nights.

Later on, neighbors coming from all the corners of Gualeguaychú began to sympathize with O'Bahia?s cause and the comparsa began to be supported by people who wished to parade with it. Thus, both the Anglers' Club and all the members of the comparsa revitalized. The comparsa gained more and more members and economic aid that enabled it to take part in the competition again and become one of the most important in Gualeguaychú.