Camille Naredo

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DJ Priest

<p>BUENOS AIRES, Argentina -- Jeans, a clerical collar and a rosary on his wrist: this is how Father Guilherme Peixoto -- the &quot;DJ Priest&quot; -- appeared in central Buenos Aires on Saturday to spin electronic music at a massive rave paying tribute to Pope Francis one year after his death.</p><p>Techno versions of the &quot;Super Mario&quot; soundtrack and &quot;Ameno&quot; -- the 1990s classic that emulates Gregorian chant -- were mixed with excerpts from Francis&#x27;s speeches in Plaza de Mayo, the political heart of Argentina, which had been transformed into a Catholic celebration.</p><p>From behind the decks, Peixoto energized tens of thousands of people beneath a laser light show, flanked by the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral and Casa Rosada, the seat of the Argentine government.</p><p>Peixoto told AFP his goal for the event was &quot;to let the music touch hearts so deeply that young people return home with a desire to change the world.&quot;</p><p>On stage, an illuminated cross hung above Peixoto as a nearby screen showed a large white dove flapping its wings as a symbol of the Holy Spirit.</p><p>Many people in the crowd wore halos fitted with white lights, sold by street vendors for less than $10.</p><p>The concert kicked off with an audio clip of Francis saying, &quot;The Church is not an NGO.&quot; Later, the 52-year-old Portuguese priest recited Francis&#x27;s frequent request to young people to &quot;make some noise.&quot;</p><p>Francis, who was born in Buenos Aires and served as archbishop of the city before his papacy began in 2013, died on April 21, 2025.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/12/22/ten-events-that-defined-2025-1200">READ: Ten events that defined 2025</a></div><p>Tomas Ferreira, a 25-year-old lawyer, told AFP that while he is not Catholic, he thought it was &quot;really great that the priest is trying to bring people together through the fusion of electronic music and religion.&quot;</p><p>&quot;Religion is modernizing, and that&#x27;s a good thing,&quot; he said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- From Guimaraes to the booth -</strong></div><p>A native of Guimaraes, Portugal, Peixoto has served as a parish priest in the Archdiocese of Braga, northern Portugal, since 1999.</p><p>His Sunday masses, he said with a laugh, &quot;are normal. It&#x27;s a normal liturgy.&quot;</p><p>He entered the seminary at age 13, but always kept one foot in the world of music. As a young man, he played the organ in a pop-rock band alongside his fellow seminarians.</p><p>&quot;Going to church and going out to a bar or a club to listen to music felt the same -- it was normal,&quot; he recalled in an interview with AFP.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/5/7/what-does-a-pope-do-1328">READ: What does a pope do?</a></div><p>In the early 2000s, he organized karaoke nights to raise funds for his debt-ridden parish. He learned how to mix music by watching videos on YouTube and practicing the craft over several years.</p><p>&quot;When I first started learning how to mix, I also began to immerse myself in electronic music culture. It wasn&#x27;t just about understanding the technicalities, how to structure a set, but grasping the very essence of what an &#x27;electronic music journey&#x27; truly is,&quot; Peixoto said.</p><p>&quot;It was a long, long process -- a journey that led me right here.&quot;</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>- Breakthrough in Ibiza -</strong></div><p>The Covid-19 pandemic marked the turning point for Peixoto.</p><p>He began streaming live sets on Facebook, his videos went viral and the nickname &quot;DJ Priest&quot; stuck.</p><p>&quot;Techno started becoming a bit more melodic, which is the style I play now,&quot; said Peixoto.</p><p>&quot;The music isn&#x27;t quite as intense or heavy as it used to be. Instead, it serves as a vehicle capable of conveying messages, thoughts and melodies.&quot;</p><p>He said he conveys &quot;messages of peace.&quot;</p><p>Peixoto&#x27;s breakthrough moment came in Ibiza in July 2024, when he celebrated his 25th anniversary as a priest by performing in front of thousands of people.</p><p>He said he was concerned about how people would react to seeing a priest in the DJ booth. But the fear quickly faded when he said he saw young people showing &quot;such incredible warmth.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I get goosebumps when I feel that we are all united on the dance floor, that we are all on this journey together,&quot; he said.</p>

<p>Jeans, a clerical collar and a rosary on his wrist: this is how Father Guilherme Peixoto -- the "DJ Priest" -- appeared in central Buenos Aires on Saturday to spin electronic music at a massive rave paying tribute to Pope Francis one year after his death.</p>

Jeans, a clerical collar and a rosary on his wrist: this is how Father Guilherme Peixoto -- the "DJ Priest" -- appeared in central Buenos Aires on Saturday to spin electronic music at a massive rave paying tribute to Pope Francis one year after his death.

'DJ Priest' mixes religion and rave in Buenos Aires tribute to Pope Francis

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'DJ Priest' mixes religion and rave in Buenos Aires tribute to Pope Francis

Leila Macor,

Agence France-Presse

Published April 19, 2026 11:53 PM PHT

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Buenos Aires

Argentina

Guilherme Peixoto

DJ Priest

Pope Francis

religion

Catholic Church

Buenos Aires Metropolitan Cathedral

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