Doña Bendita – El Palacete – Cuevas de Almanzora

It could be said that Easter in Cuevas del Almanzora is one of the most folkloric, colourful and heartfelt in Spain.

Of course, the great Andalusian capitals take the biscuit, but this town concentrates in just a few streets what in Seville runs through half the city.

Regardless of the individual beliefs, it is undeniable to what extent the apostolic and Roman Catholic religion has defined the history of Spain. The churches, the convents and the religious celebrations are the ones that mark the points of reference of all the life of the town.

Doña Bendita wanted to be a nun. She was a sincere devotee and dedicated to the brotherhoods and the steps of Holy Week in her town. She spent the whole year praying, and also looking forward to Easter with all its pomp and colour and drama. And the legion! The body of legionnaires visited Cuevas del Almanzora every year to pay homage with their parades and demonstrations to the commemoration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth.

Doña Bendita gave herself body and soul, rather she gave herself in soul to Easter, and in body to the legion. She couldn’t help it! It was those uniforms that drove her wild! Those burly boys, parading up and down… Fortunately or unfortunately the legion only visited the town for a couple days, which limited the possibility of “servicing” the entire battalion. Of course, she later regretted it, a lot, but every year she fell again with the precision of a clock.

Doña Bendita struggled to reconcile her faith with her passions. She couldn’t deny one or the other. She did not know what to do! Her room emulated a convent cell, albeit with too many luxuries, like the ones her body demanded. If it hadn’t been a sin for her to commit suicide, she would have considered it.

Such was her guilt, remorse and discontent with herself. She reached a point where, unable to deal with so many passions, she ran away from town. Goodbye to everything!!

Neither the legion, nor Holy Week, nor more pressure, not anything. She went to the city.

And she became a Disc Jockey: DJ Bendi! She DJed with such passion that she was very successful, although she remained divided.

She missed her town, though she didn’t want to go back. So she came up with the idea of setting up the largest electronic music event in Spain in Villaricos.

At least once a year, she was able to continue partying body and soul in her town without ever feeling guilty about anything again.