TRADITIONS


"Clavelitos" The most famous Spanish serenading song “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 thenoblemen 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
Introducción: Mocita dame el clavel, Dame el clavel de tu boca, Que pá eso no hay que tener Mucha vergüenza ni poca. Yo te daré el cascabel, Te lo prometo mocita, Si tu me das esa miel Que llevas en la boquita. (Estribillo) Clavelitos, clavelitos, Clavelitos de mi corazón. Hoy te traigo clavelitos Colorados igual que un fresón. Si algún día clavelitos No lograra poderte traer, No te creas que ya no te quiero, Es que no te los pude traer. Música La tarde que a media luz Vi tu boquita de guinda, Yo no he visto en Sta. Cruz Otra mocita más linda. Y luego al ver el clavel Que llevabas en el pelo, Mirándolo creí ver Un pedacito de cielo. (Estribillo)		Introduction: Young girl, give me the carnation Give me the carnation of your mouth For this, there's no need for Much embarrassment nor a little I'll give you a bell I promise it to you, young girl If you give me that honey That you carry in your mouth Carnations, carnations Carnations from my heart I'll bring you carnations Colored red like a strawberry If one day, carnations I won't be able to bring you Don't think that I don't love you anymore It'll just be that I couldn't bring them to you
Vocabulary mocita (from moza) - girl clavel, clavelito carnation mucha, mucho a lot, much poca, poco a little vergüenza - shame, shyness cascabel - bell das - give miel - honey boquita (from boca) - mouth corazón - heart colorado - red lograr - to manage to trae - bring coger - to pick guinda - cherry (red) pedazo - bit, piece

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.