The band of Macarena Roman Century It is the perfect culmination of the magical day of December 8 in the basilica after returning to the cult of the Virgin of Hope. It was nine o’clock in the evening when, around the … Pumarejo, the unmistakable sounds of cornets and Macareno drums began to ring out, usually played in a announcement side who traveled the arteries of the old neighborhood of Esperanza until reaching the atrium and entered until offering his music to the plants in the image.
In a totally festive atmosphere, with fireworks and hundreds of people as witnesses despite the fact that The temple had been open for more than fifteen hours To venerate the Macarena, the Centuria organized several processional marches and paid homage to its Marian leader in moments of great emotion for all its members. Your director, Paco Morazaattends ABC to tell the details of what happened during a day which will remain in the memory of the brotherhood and its musical training.
His journey, like that of so many others impatient macarenos To find the Virgin, he started very early: “I was one of those Macarenos who were there at six in the morning. I got up very early to see her. The truth is I couldn’t sleep all night. Come on, I stayed up a few times because I was so nervous. Around five o’clock, I couldn’t sleep anymore, I got dressed and went to the basilica. I waited in line and went in to see her. I had perhaps never looked at his gaze so closely and it had a huge impact on me. I think it was the first time I looked at her with this affection, with this nudity. “I missed her and it was very exciting for me.”
La Centuria, in front of the Virgin of Hope
The hours of Monday advanced, the emotions did not stop and the surroundings of the Arch were a real party. The orchestra of Carmen de Salteras had arrived at the basilica at the time of the Angelus to prostrate themselves before the Virgin and it was already said that the Centuria would do the same the next day. But finally, its members showed up the same day, in the night: “We were going to play Tuesday, but Monday morning we saw what the neighborhood looked like and there was overflowing joy. We didn’t expect it because it was something extraordinary and unusual. then ourselves We decided to do the presentation on Monday. and let’s enjoy this joy that we all had.
“We were going to play on Tuesday, but we saw how bad the neighborhood was and how much joy there was and we moved it up to Monday.”
The brotherhood provided facilities to celebrate the game Monday “from the first moment,” Moraza said. “Actually, the brotherhood wanted us to go there the same Monday. We decided to go on Tuesday because we had a lot of musicians and we wanted everyone to have the opportunity to play on the Virgin, to experience this moment. Finally, since we were playing at half past nine in the evening, almost everyone was already there. They were the ones who wanted to do it this way. Only five or six musicians were missing.who could not be there for professional reasons. “We experienced a unique moment of reflection.”
This joy went hand in hand with emotions on the surface among the musicians, as evidenced by the embraces and tears of many of them when they finished playing and passed in front of the Virgin while Seville applauded them: “It was exciting, especially for the musicians who were going to see the Virgin for the first time at that time, those who could not go there in the morning. It was a moment full of joy and jubilation. There were a lot of tears, a lot of musicians were moved. It was difficult to play in front of her, so close, especially after what happened in June which I hope will never happen again. But since this happened and it happened, we have taken advantage of the opportunity for what it is, unique and historic.
If at no time did they stop knocking, entry into the temple was made with ‘Híspalis’, the emblem of the ‘new’ Centuria defended by Moraza. After her, marches dedicated to the Virgin such as “Hail Macarena”, “Mary, light and hope” and “Eternal, Macarena”the mix of works of the Virgin of Hope created last year at Magna. “What a coincidence that exactly one year later, on December 8, “Eterna, Macarena” played again in front of her, at such a special moment.” It was the last composition performed before the end of the group’s performance.
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Comparing the situation of 2024 with the current one, in which the neighborhood has exploded with joy even more strongly, the director of Centuria points out that Seville is more accustomed to seeing the Virgin in the passage than to being far from her for so long, and even more so for the reasons for which she has been. “It’s something that no one expected, that no one counted. Virgo has been away from home for several months. There was also the uncertainty about how I was going to get back after what happened. When we saw how it had happened, how well Manzano had done, and we confirmed that everything was in order and that the Virgin was herself again, the joy was maximum, a celebration.
Moraza is clear about his opinion on the restoration of Pedro Manzano: “Whoever opposes it has no idea, because I believe it is one of the best restorations that could have been in history of Holy Week and imagery. Also, after everything that happened, with the impact that Arquillo had and with what the Macarena means. We are talking about the Macarena, we are not talking about any image, with all due respect. But everything went very well. It is visible to everyone who has visited the basilica these days.
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