Hakuna fills the middle of Madrid with its Christian pop that even Ayuso and Feijóo are already dancing to | Culture | EUROtoday

At 6:00 p.m. an “Ohhh!” is heard at Puerta del Sol in Madrid. The monumental Christmas tree has simply been lit. A number of seconds later, the scream turns right into a feverish: “Aaaahhhh!” 14 members of Hakuna Group Music seem on the balcony of the headquarters of the presidency of the Community of Madrid and the group, a mixture of a whole bunch of followers (additionally nuns) and vacationers, goes loopy with the band that emerged from the Hakuna non secular motion, based in 2013 by the priest José Pedro Manglano (higher generally known as Joseph) and former member of Opus Dei. Isabel Díaz Ayuso is within the entrance row, blended with the folks; at his aspect, Alberto Núñez Feijóo. The president dances and sings the 5 songs that the group performs. A Christmas mass bathtub is on condition that ends with Bell on bell between the flashes of the selfies. Ayuso has been ready to decide on properly the headliner for her Christmas programming Christmas Carols in Sun. Hakuna might be one of many favourite teams of their future voters and their fathers and moms.

A majority of teams of women and boys between 15 and 17 years outdated gathered in Sol on Monday afternoon to have fun the beginning of the Christmas faculty holidays. An hour earlier than the live performance begins, the band goes out to the balcony to examine the sound. The youngsters follow one among their hits with them, one second. “Don’t go, we’ll be back at 6:00 p.m.,” shouts Ignacio Serrano, one of the seen faces of the band. From that second, and to climate the chilly, the teams start to flutter across the sq. in a liturgy designed to report who has come and who has not after which share the record of attendees on WhatsApp and Instagram. Because the sensation is that a couple of folks right here know one another.

Eight ladies determine to take a seat and wait. The religious, Christmas and hormonal emotion appears to forestall them from feeling the chilly of the tiles. “Each one has a Hakuna bracelet,” they train. They should not like these of the swifties, They should not made from beads, however they give the impression of being fairly related, every one has the identify of a track by the band. And a few of these songs might be heard on Monday afternoon on Sol. Hakuna has chosen his handiest arsenal: 5 of his hottest and viral songs like Hurricane y I reward youand two bonuses monitor: Fish within the river y Bell on bell. There is not any error.

Among the ladies, barbour coats predominate, lengthy scarves, so long as their hair, most of it braided. They have recovered their boat footwear, and are defending themselves from the chilly with down jackets. “Today you had to come with a collar,” two youngsters say to their pal who has opted for the sweatshirt, one other of the identification symbols of what in standard phrases is named the Cayetano fashion, beforehand posh.

There are additionally households with very young children, in strollers, and different much less small ones who, though from their faces they would like to have come with out their moms, they don’t have any different selection. “I met Hakuna three years ago,” says one among them, “and it was because of their music, I didn’t know who they were, even though I am Catholic and practicing. Then I saw their documentary and it seemed to me that they were doing something very important.” This lady, with kids who’re already college college students and in addition followers of the group, clarifies, she is referring to Barefootthe Hakuna documentary movie that premiered final February. “Their way of singing is a way of praying and feeling God,” provides the opposite mom and pal, with youthful kids. They have spent the day collectively: “At Christmas you have to do several check: Going downtown, eating at Five Guys, seeing the decoration of the Four Seasons in Canalejas and finishing off with this has been great. This is how we remember that Christmas is religion, don’t you think?”

During the ready time, the talks within the teams decrease the religious load. A gaggle of youngsters take roll name of the youngsters they like of their holy hours, that new sort of mass during which a believer (it could possibly be a priest) offers a chat after which Adoration is completed singing. Only in Madrid 15 are organized weekly. The 5 of them know who’s the Bosch that one among them likes and the Pablo that it’s higher to not strategy. “I will never go out with a man again,” says one after recounting her expertise with him.

Some of the Conceptionist nuns who’ve taken a number of buses and subways from El Escorial to see Hakuna en Sol are additionally devoted to the holy hours. “We know their songs, we love to dance to them,” two of them say. At that second, one other group of pals from Huelva passes by and asks what this crowd is about in Sol, on December 22. “We’re not from here,” they justify in unison. When they reply that the star band of WYD is about to play in Lisbon (invited by Pope Francis, who had beforehand obtained them on the Vatican) they stand stiff. “Are these the ones from TikTok? They sound familiar,” says one among them. The relaxation should not satisfied and so they get misplaced within the crowd in the hunt for one other Madrid Christmas attraction.

Hakuna grew to become one among TikTok in 2024 with Hurricanethe track that the highly effective Christian neighborhood on networks shared with a lot Christian ardour that it ended up leaping to the profiles of different non-believing customers who, typically jokingly, different occasions hooked on a catchy track, ended up making the track go viral. This motion has managed to make music its most important asset for attracting devoted younger folks. “Our songs are, in their deepest sense, prayers,” its members repeat.

With this philosophy they’ve stuffed Vistalegre, the Movistar Arena in Madrid a number of occasions, they’ve carried out on the Resurrección Fest, a Catholic occasion that can also be held in summer season in Madrid. This phenomenon additionally has franchises in Latin America.

On Monday afternoon they made the group that packed Sol promise, though with out the necessity to minimize off entry to the sq., that this Christmas, on the request of the Pope, they might ask somebody for forgiveness. “This way we will make Madrid shine more than ever,” they promised. A brand new type of pop evangelism.