#semana-santa
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The Sacred and the Sonic: San Antonio de Padua and Flamenco Architecture in Cádiz
The annual celebration of San Antonio de Padua within the province of Cádiz forces an intense consolidation of liturgical veneration and vernacular performance. Whilst historically anchored in church liturgy and the seasonal rhythms of livestock trading, the modern iteration of this festival serves as an arena where regional identity is actively negotiated through highly specialised…
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The saeta and the star-system: professionalising the sacred voice
As we move into Semana Santa (Holy Week, from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday) the obvious topic to discuss this week is the palo of the saeta. The saeta, an a cappella (a palo seco) lament sung during Holy Week in Spain, is often framed as the ultimate expression of spontaneous, raw religious devotion. Yet, the…