Opening Ceremony Speech 2025

Parish Priest,
Your Excellency, the Mayor,
Distinguished authorities,
Hermanos and Hermanas Mayores (presidents) of the Brotherhoods and Confraternities,
Dear residents and visitors of Cuevas del Almanzora.

It is an honour and an immense responsibility for me to be here today, standing in front of you all, just as other distinguished individuals have done before me, to kick off our beloved Holy Week 2025. I am deeply grateful for the trust placed in me to be the town crier for this festivity, which is so deeply rooted in our town, and I would like to make a special mention to the Banda de Cornetas y Tambores “La Sentencia” since in October 2022, on the occasion of the presentation of the new uniform of the band, they paid me a tribute and I was unable to speak due to the emotion of the moment. I would therefore like to take this opportunity to thank them for their kind gesture.

Today, my words are not only those of a humble town crier, but those of a musician who has had the privilege of experiencing Holy Week through its sounds, its marches, and its sacred rhythm. From the roll of a drum to the solemn melody of a march, music is the invisible voice of our devotion. It is the whisper that speaks to us about sacrifice and redemption; the hope that rises between bugles and drums when an image moves to the beat of a saeta (religious flamenco song).

Cuevas del Almazora is a place with a deep musical tradition reflected in its various institutions. Among them are the Escuela Municipal de Danza, Música y Teatro, which trains numerous generations in performing arts. The Elementary Conservatory of Music, which provides academic training to young talents. The Agrupación Musical de Cuevas del Almanzora, the Banda de Cornetas y Tambores “La Sentencia”, and, in its day, the recently dissolved Agrupación Musical Nuestra Señora del Rosario.

All of them contribute actively and didactically to musical and religious culture, and to the dissemination of our region’s musical heritage. Music is not just accompaniment, it is a prayer, a plea raised to heaven, it is the echo of our Christian sentiment.

What would our Holy Week be without the bands that precede our steps, without the melody that surrounds their march, without the emotion that gives you goosebumps when a bugle cries out in the night?

How many times, when playing a march, have I felt that the music spoke for me, that it carried my prayer where my words could not reach? Every march has its own story; every beat has its own feeling. They are not just notes on a stave, they are prayers turned into music.

To the musicians who play in religious processions, to those men and women who turn their art into prayer through their sacrifice: THANK YOU.

The religious feeling in Cuevas del Almanzora is like the water that flows through our Almanzora River: sometimes visible, sometimes hidden, but always present, nourishing our roots and strengthening our faith. It is a feeling that is passed down from generation to generation, bringing entire families together and lived with intensity throughout the year.

Our town is preparing to commemorate, once again, the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ in an unforgettable way. Our Holy Week, declared of National Tourist Interest in Andalusia in 2003, refletcs the religious fervour that beats in every inch of our town.

At this time of year, our streets become an open-air temple. From the majestic Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación Church to their respective brotherhood headquarters, the images which are the focus of our devotion are displayed in procession:

• Nuestro Padre Jesús Nazareno, carrying the cross of our sins.
• María Santísima Virgen de los Dolores, whose face reflects the suffering of a mother.
• San Juan Evangelista and Nuestra Señora Esperanza Macarena, symbols of youth and hope.
• Santísimo Cristo del Perdón y la Caridad, reminding us of God's infinite love.
• Jesús de la Humildad y Paciencia, teaching us the value of humility.
• Last but not least, the Resucitado and Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, whose presence serves as a lesson that after darkness, light always emerges.

Let me tell you about the singularity of our Holy Week. The living representation of ‘La Judea’ on Viernes Santo is a unique treasure in the world. Around seven or eight people walk alongside Jesús on his way to crucifixion, carrying a wooden cross on their backs, faithfully and emotionally recreating that crucial moment in our faith.

From Viernes de Dolores to Domingo de Resurrección, our town is completely turned upside down. On Domingo de Ramos, blessed palms wave in the wind in the Square of Nuestra Señora de la Encarnación Church. On Viernes Santo, the solemnity of the Santo Entierro reminds us of the supreme sacrifice. Finally, on Domingo de Resurrección, flower petals are thrown from balconies in an explosion of joy for the victory of life over death.

Today, in this opening ceremony speech, I encourage you to close your eyes and let yourselves be guided by the sounds we have heard all our lives. Listen to the cadence of the drums, the lament of the bugles, the solemnity of a hymn that surrounds the streets in a halo of reflection.

In these times of uncertainty, Holy Week invites us to reflect, pray and reaffirm our faith. It reminds us that, as a community, we are stronger when we stand together in devotion and love towards our neighbours.

May the music continue to play, may our brotherhoods continue to walk. May love for our faith continue to light up our hearts.

Long live Holy Week!
Let the music of the soul play!
May God and his Blessed Mother always watch over us!

I would like to thank everyone who makes our Holy Week possible: members of the religious brotherhoods, costaleros (porters), musicians, artisans, and all the folks of Cuevas del Almanzora.

Now, with great pride and excitement, I invite you to enjoy the concert that will be given by the Banda de Cornetas y Tambores “La Sentencia”. I ask you to give them a warm applause, since their music is the soul of our Holy Week celebrations.

May these festivities be a time of reflection, forgiveness and hope for all of us. May Jesús' example of humility and devotion inspire us to be better people every day.

As for you, Cuevas del Almanzora, town of faith and tradition, may your streets be filled with the light of candles, the aroma of incense and the sound of saetas. May every corner bear witness to our devotion and may every heart open to receive the message of love and redemption.

ANTONIO DÍAZ VICO.