The Music of Holy Week Processions: Guatemala and Nicaragua (with video)

Float from Holy Week Procession, Granada Nicaragua

Holy Week processions in Latin America are visually phenomenal, but they are more than just beautiful and moving  visual imagery.  Their sounds set the tone and music written especially for these solemn processions is an important part of the pageantry.    Holy Week processional music is funeral music that helps create the somber mood of the impending death of Jesus on Good Friday.   For the most part they are marches that give a sense of drive and movement to the processions. Please watch my video to hear some of this music, as well as see the sights.
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXAqJQiRP7U&t=18s
Although there are some variations from area to area, the basic musical genre remains the same.

In the video, you saw footage of the Viacrucis Aquatic, a unique water-borne procession of the Way of the Cross on Lake Nicaragua in Granada Nicaragua, The photos below are from this procession and you will notice musical instruments in the second photo, the band for the procession.  They play the distinct funeral marches written specifically for Holy Week  For a more in-depth look at the Viacrucis Aquatic, please visit-https://colonialmexicoinsideandout.blogspot.com/2018/04/via-crucis-aquatic-granada-nicaragua.html

Lead float bearing image of Jesus, Viacrucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

Processional Band, Viacrucis Aquatic, Granada Nicaragua

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