Creatividad Literaria - Enseñanza de Idiomas - Forum - El Proyecto
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From
Colegio Público "Tucci". Martos (Jaén) SPAIN
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"Clavelitos" |
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In the
reception at Heinrich-Kraft-Schule, Frankfurt, some of my colleagues
and friends ask me to teach them a Spanish song. I'm not
particularly a good singer (in fact they were extemely patient with
me) but I did my best with "Clavelitos". |
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| “Clavelitos” is a
very famous serenading song from Spain. It is frequently sung
by groups of college students called "la Tuna".
"La Tuna" songs come from the
Spanish 13th century tradition of serenading. La Tuna began when the |
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Introducción: Mocita dame el clavel, (Estribillo) Música La tarde que a media luz (Estribillo)
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Introduction:
Young
girl, give me the carnation Carnations,
carnations
Vocabulary |
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Los Tunos ("La Tuna" is their collective name)
are societies of college students who, like their predecessors in
the thirteenth century, don black velvet breeches, open-collared
white shirts, and long black capes. The wide collar around their
cloaks denotes their particular area of study; yellow for the
medical school, red for law, purple for pharmacy and so on. Originally known as "sopistas" (their symbol remains the wooden soupspoon and fork), for centuries these students have used their musical talents to earn money for schooling and a bite to eat. They play a wide variety of musical instruments from guitars and tambourines to the bandurria (basically a madonlin) and the laud, a kind of bass mandolin. Typically the Tunos play romantic ballads which have changed little over time and it's a safe bet you'll hear standards such as "Clavelitos" and "Compostelana". No wonder that their first written evidence of La Tuna- a document dating from about 1300 and still held in the University of Lérida's archives- censures them for their immorality and prohibits their night-time serenades. The capes worn by the Tunos are adorned with sometimes up to a dozen ribbons of different colours each one representing an amorous conquest. Today, there are around 35 bands of Tunos in Madrid and numerous others throughout the various big cities of Spain. La Tuna has also found its way to Central and South America as well as other European nations such as Portugal, Holland, Belgium, France, England, and Ireland. The usual number of students in a group varies a little, but is usually somewhere between 30-35. Las Tunas still take their business quite seriously. There are strict and specific tryouts as well as initiation rituals. Once initiated into La Tuna, a member holds his allegiance for the rest of his life. And if, at any point, an old and decrepit tuno feels the urge to strap on the breeches and cape, dust off the old bandurria and carouse the streets in search of young ladies, he is immediately welcomed back into the fold. Los Tunos are hard to miss. With the sartorial style of Jethro Tull and the romantic appeal of Don Juan, they appear without warning in plazas and celebrations. After working the crowd with a passionate song or two, they toss a tambourine around angling for a bit of charity as well as romantic attention, and they're gone. |
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noblemen of the 13th century sent their sons to college with a
servant. The servants were given very little to eat and so they
started singing for food and money. In fact, attached to the sleeves
of the Tuno was a fork and spoon ready for any food they might
receive. This group of servants was later replaced by the students
themselves who receive either money from the person requesting the
song or a ribbon or pin from the girl being serenaded. 
