I was watching RTP, portuguese tv,and saw a concert �Tuna� singers,in Porto Portugal, with guest spanish and portuguese college choirs ,all male singers, dressed in traditional costumes,playing mandolins The only song I recognized was the brazillian standard �Manh� de Carnaval.�,the rest were portuguese and spanish folk songs
I assume both cultures exchange and mix often,as the spaniards spoke to audience in spanish?
Some very good tenor voices, know about this tradition?
I looked up google and found this:
http://tuna.med.up.pt/eng/inicial.html
http://www.terravista.pt/ilhadomel/1692/history.htm

A "Tuna" is not a fish, as you may have noticed. Instead it is a latin word (either in Portuguese or in Spanish) which means a musical group of friends (usually college students), who enjoy playing music and having good times together. The first "Tunas" appeared in Spain by the XV century and they took this name because they were inspired by a Califa from Tunis, Tunisia, who was known for his bohemian way-of-life and for his passion for music and women. He and his friends used to go arround the streets of Tunes playing music, drinking and dedicating serenades to the good-looking women

Hey jazzbo, great new topic you have started here.

I know that to become a "tuno" in Spain it is not enough to just be inthe university and want to drink a lot , you have to audition and all that!

I am fortunate to live in the Tuna capital of Madrid, the Plaza Mayor, where we hear them all the time on the CALLE CAVA DE SAN MIGUEL AND CALLE CUCHILLEROS. They actually congregate in front of our doorway which is right between 2 "Mesones". The modern day Tuna groups play cheerfully for onlookers and hop from tavern to tavern where they are always invited to a drink, or 2, or 3, or 4...

Not to slander the good name of the "Tuna" but I have seen more than my share of drunk ones here on my street. They also pick up loads of women, despite the fact that they run around in tights

I personally enjoy watching them from my balcony in the Plaza and they always get a crown of sing-alongers gathering around. Keep in mind that the later it gets, the worse the singing and instrumentals become. I am sure it has something to do with the increasing level of alcohol in the blood

This past summer I filmed a tuno serenade in the Plaza and streamed it into REAL video format. If you have REAL player you can see it in the SPECIAL STREAMS SECTION on my homepage or by clicking the link below:
www.multimadrid.com/streams/plaza_mayor/tunos.ram (not the best quality but it is nice if you watch the entire 18+ minutes).

Saludos & enjoy,
jer...

p.d. I also plan to add a section on the "Tuna" to my website in the near future.

I never heard the thing about Tunis (Tunisia??) as being the origin of the name for the Tuna Universitaria, just that it is a University thing (i.e., competition among Universities and Facultades within the same University). One song that they sing (Pasa la Tuna) gives a pretty good history of the 'movement.' The last time I saw the Tuna Universitaria de Santiago was in Santiago de Compostela: 24 July, 1999 at the foot of the Plaza de Platerias as we emerged from the Basilica after the Pilgrims' Mass. It was a pickpockets' paradise. The spectators were all clapping their hands above their heads while the sacabolsillos were going about their trade: sacando bolsillos.

one of my spanish friends told me that tunas sew a badge on their capes for every girl they sleep with. I�m assuming that this isn�t true, although they do seem to get a lot of ladies. but what do the badges really mean? are they some sort of cub scout thing?

I don't know about "sleeping with"---I think traditionally, girls gave out ribbons or other embroidery work as a gesture of thanks. I think maybe the tuna may have been a sort of professional serenade group or backup for one of their members who wasn't wild about serenading his girl all alone.

As for "men in tight", Jer, tights do let you get an idea of talents beyond singing,and women tend to enjoy costume drama somewhat more than guys.

I am so happy someone posted on the "tunas"! This weekend at our restaurant here in San Diego, we were treated to a tuna group from Madrid.

They were traveling around CA, singing in Spanish restaurants, they were at ours for 3 nights! We had so much fun with them, and many Americans were really enjoying this rich tradition!

These guys were all med students, wore a lot of badges from many different countries (I believe from all the places they have traveled) and sang really well, not to mention they were extremely guapo!

Anyway, we treated them to many beers and plenty of food, they left happy and they added a touch of authenticity to our great restaurant!

Hey laduque...I'm going to be going to San Diego in 2 weeks for the first time in 3 years. Any Must Do's that I just can't miss in your opinion... (Besides a Padre's game down at the 'Q', that is!)

I'll try to avoid any wandering tuna's I see...I just can't handle these guys telling me about their different 'Conquest Badges'!

Hey Tony, glad to hear you are coming to visit my beautiful city! Let me check out what's going on this month and I will post back to you!

www.multisandiego.com

Any San Diego nuts up for setting it up?

Saludos,
jer...

Thanks laduque!! We'll be staying in Escondido where we lived previously, but we'll be renting a car so should have free reign to visit wherever...

Hey jer, you know there just may be a future for a multisandiego.com. When we lived there, there was a significant Spanish (As in, from Spain ) population there. I remember going to a party for a Spanish artist who lived in La Jolla at a gorgeous mansion with an ocean view. There we ate pata negra, queso manchego and drank Rioja and Ribero del Duero. My wife felt pretty much 'en casa.' You should think about it buddy...I'll give ya a hand with it!