Tuna

Last evening, the old joke about being able to 'tune a piano but not tuna fish', took on a whole new meaning.  All week we have seen posters for a student concert from the University (one street up the hill from us) taking place at the Teatro Micaelense (about 400 m west of our hotel).  When we inquired at the box office, we were told it was a concert of music and dance -- what better on a Saturday night?

The Theater program has a brief English description. 
     "Debut concert of the most recent 'Tuna' of the Azores.  Rooted in the Portuguese academic traditions, 'Tunas' are musical groups based on vocals and string instruments."

It was a 3 hour concert, starting at 21:30 (9:30 at night).  We were welcomed by a bagpipe and drum group playing in the lobby.  Our seats in the balcony were perfect to see and hear everything.  Three different Tunas performed in the first half, surprisingly two mixed and one all male group.  Guitars dominated but ukuleles and mandolins were also featured.  There were different drums, and sometimes other instruments including violin, bass, flute, penny whistle, accordion, rain stick and trumpet.  The pieces featured both instrumental and vocal sections, sometimes in unison, sometimes in 3 part harmony, none of which were familiar to us.  The students were dressed in black and had capes which were usually folded and worn over the left shoulder with a crest visible.  Some selections were louder and more upbeat than others, but all the music was done from memory leading us to believe that the pieces were traditional in nature.  Featured at intervals were gymnastic dancers (usually male) with ribboned tambourines or with the flag of the group.  It was quite a different experience.