Prickly pears are part of the family group of cacti.
Tuna is a term with several uses. It may be the genus of plants whose scientific name is Opuntia , made up of about three hundred species native to America . Prickly pears can be found in the wild throughout the continent.
The Opuntia ficus-indica is the most popular prickly pear, standing out for its edible fruits . Sweets, sauces and other preparations that have a high level of vitamins and minerals can be made with the fruits of the prickly pear. In some countries even the stems of prickly pears are consumed.
Tuna in music
The idea of tuna is also used to name a musical group made up of students . The members of the tunas usually wear old clothes and perform folk songs .
It is believed that the origin of these prickly pears dates back to the 13th century , when groups of young people dedicated themselves to music with the aim of gathering the necessary resources to pay for their studies. The prickly pears are characterized by their fun and jocular themes : by extension, tuno or thug is an adjective that is used to describe mischievous people.
Throughout history , prickly pears also became known for their itinerant nature. The students toured different regions bringing their art and bringing joy to the public.
The fruits of prickly pears are edible.
Differences by country
In Spain , traditional tunas used instruments such as the guitar , double bass, lute and tambourine, among many others. The Portuguese tunas, for their part, also used to use the bandoneon, while in Mexico the majority of the tunas appealed to the accordion as a distinctive element of the region.
Currently, there are many faculties that have their tunas as a way of continuing that musical tradition. They also do so, arguing that they are a good way to promote values such as friendship, camaraderie, brotherhood or love for music.
However, it is no less true that the prickly pears also have many detractors who accuse them of being an archaic formation and even of being initiatives that continue to focus on the “humiliation” of the newcomers, who have to undergo the well-known hazing.
The uniform clothing consists mainly of the doublet, pants, shirt, jacket and leggings. All this, of course, without forgetting the emblematic cape that is considered to be the one that protects him from the cold at night, the one that gives him the air of a gallant and the one that shows what a traveler he is. And the traditional thing is that this garment includes coats of arms of the cities you have visited.
“Black Tuno” movie
Within the field of cinema we find a film that takes as its protagonist precisely these musical groups that concern us. This is the Spanish feature film “Tuno negro” , which was released in 2001 under the direction of Vicente J. Martín and Pedro L. Barbero .
It is a horror film that revolves around the figure of an unknown serial killer who dresses in disguise to kill his victims, who are always the worst students in the Medicine program at the University of Salamanca .