July 28, 2011. (Romereports.com) This group of student musicians call themselves the “tunos”. They follow an old Spanish musical tradition linked to universities that has been known for centuries as “the tunas”. And 100 of them will receive the pope during World Youth Day in Madrid.

Francisco Alamo
Tuna Agrícolas Sevilla (Spain)
“We're going to sing for the pope, a group of 100 tunos from different Spanish universities. We'll receive him at the airport, and sing for him there. Then, in Madrid we'll sing for him again and also on Sunday to say goodbye. In fact, a song was composed, a special one that we wrote to sing for the pope during his visit to Spain.”

They wear a traditional dress with a cloak, baggy pants, and a snug jacket called a doublet. They also sport a band known as a 'beca', different colors signify what subject they study at school. They sing and play guitars, mandolins and tambourines in songs like this.

Francisco Alamo
Tuna Agrícolas Sevilla (Spain)
“The suit is just the typical dress worn by the students of that time period. The 'beca' in our costume is green and white for the tunas that study agriculture and this is what changes from tuna to tuna: they can be red, yellow, or blue...”

They are a cheerful and charismatic bunch. The tunas began in Spain in the Middle Ages, but their desire to travel has spread them to different parts of Europe and Latin America.

Francisco Alamo
Tuna Agrícolas Sevilla (Spain)
“We are continuing a tradition from the sixteenth century in which Spanish students to afford college would go and sing for money. They were also called 'sopistas' because they would always have a fork and a spoon with them in case someone gave them food. They used music as a way to finish their education.”

In Madrid, the tunas will now sing for an entirely different motive: to welcome the pope and show the support of university students.


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