The bell tolls, heralding the approach of another swaying float. It holds a richly carved statue of the Virgen with tear-stained face, a dazzling blue velvet cloak richly embroidered in gold stretching some six metres behind her. Hundreds of wax candles surrounding the statue illuminate the heavy gold platform on which she is carried, supported on the shoulders of the 270 members of the Confraternity to which the float belongs. To be permitted to shoulder the weight of this float is something every "costelero" desires.
Among them this year is Hollywood star Antonio Banderas who has returned to Malaga to take part in this year’s processions. Holy Week is to remind people of the passion and death of Jesus Christ, so Banderas is incognito, a "submarino", one who supports the float from underneath a curtain which hides them from view. He is helping to shoulder the 6.7 ton float.
As they hear the clanging of the bell and the dull thud of the drums, the people who are partying, or praying, in the rooms that look on to the street rush to their windows or balconies. On tiered seats in alleyways, streets and plazas, the rest of the population waits patiently, as it has done for up to seven hours, children round-eyed and excited by the occasion, grandmothers fingering their rosary beads.
This time it is the figure of Christ carrying the cross on the road to Calvary In front and behind the trono walk penitents and musicians, carrying candles, rods or banners depending on their level of seniority. Behind comes the nazarenos, followers dressed in white or black hooded robes that cover the entire body, the headpiece a pointed hood with space for the eyes only, looking like nothing so much as a Klu Klux Klan convention. It is said that in Malaga more women than men are hidden beneath these robes. It could feel sinister if it were not for the party atmosphere among the watching people.
Incense carriers shuffe their chains in rhythm with the band that follows the float. The edifice sways alarmingly in the narrow street, the lights glitter on the silver threads in the robes of Christ. Christ was not dressed in velvet stitched with silver as he carried the cross on the road to Calvary but such details can be ignored on this occasion when to dress the statue well is to honour Christ.
The scene is alive with colour and sound, In Malaga, the presence of soldiers of the Spanish Foreign Legion and their rousing singing as they march encompasses a nationalistic as well as religious fervour. Art and religion merge into one as the slow rhythmic beating of the drums and the wailing of a song similar to flamenco blends with the swaying pace of the costeleros in a theatrical event, reflecting the culture and spirit of the Spanish people.
Malaga is not the only town in Spain where Holy Week is celebrated in this manner. In villages, towns and cities all over Spain – most especially in the Province of Andalucia - processions take place from Palm Sunday to Good Friday. Religious beliefs are not needed for one to take part in the Holy Week Processions. To a visitor, it can be a fun-filled Fiesta, or a week of reflection, but it will invariably be moving.
Seats should be booked early for next year, either in a hotel with a view of the processions, or on the route of the procession. .
Check with the Malaga Tourist Board www.malagaturismo.com Or contact the Spanish Tourist Office (in the UK), PO Box 4009, London WIA 6NB. TEL: 020 7486 8077 24-Hour information and brochure request line: 08459 400 180 info.londres@tourspain.es
