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The history of the Tuna de Medicina de Murcia
The Tuna de Medicina de Murcia (the Tuna of the Faculty of Medicine of Murcia University) was founded in 1969, at the same time as the Faculty of Medicine was created, which this year, 2004, is preparing activities for its 30th anniversary. This Tuna has paraded its glorious banner through towns in France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Denmark, England, Ireland, Scotland, Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Croatia, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Andorra, Monaco, Norway and Sweden.

In 1986 the Town Hall of Nimes (France) invited them to represent Spain in its Pentecotes festivals. They took part in the twinning of the city of Murcia with Grasse (France) in 1990, in the Abanilla with Villeurbanne (Lyon, France) in 1993, represented Spain in the International Tourism Festival of Varadero (Cuba) in 1991 , and in the celebration of the fifth centenary of the discovery of America in the city of Kobe (Japan) in 1992, performing in Toyko for members of the Japanese Imperial Family. They have also been in Puerto Rico, invited to take part in the International Tuna Festival “FIT Caribe’94” in the wonderful city of San Juan, and in Columbia on six separate occasions invited by the University of Bogota (La Universidad Pontificia Javeriana de Santa Fe de Bogotá), where they have also been able to get to know the cities of Cartagena de Indias, Medellín and Manizales. In July 1997 the Tuna de Medicina de Murcia was declared “guest of honor” by the Sixth Comission of Education and Culture of the Columbian Republican Senate.

In May 2000 the Tuna de Medicina de Murcia visited the Dominican Republic, singing in the cities of Puerto Plata and Santo Domingo. In March 2001 they were in New York (USA) and in October of the same year the Tuna toured the cities of Morelia, Guanajuato, Guadalajara and Puebla (Mexico). In the summer of 2002 their tour of South America took them to the cities of Caracas (Venezuela), Bogota (Columbia), Cuzco, Machu Picchu and Lima (Peru). In 2003 they visited the continent of America twice; the first in February, visiting and performing in the cities of Miami and Orlando, in the United States; and the second in October taking part in 4 Tuna festivals in Columbia (Bogota) and Peru (Lima and Arequipa), in addition they were able to visit and perform in the cities of Iquitos (Peruvian Amazon), Cuzco and Machu Picchu.

Occasionally they have been seen on different national and autonomous television stations (TVE Murcia, TVM, Canal Sur, TVE Canarias, Antena 3, Tele 5, Canal 9 and Tele Madrid). They have taken part in the TV programme 'Gente Joven' (Young People) on three separate occasions, in 1982, 1984 and 1985 and in 1995 they performed in the final episode of the Tele 5 programme 'Trampolín’ (trampoline)'. On an international scale they have also appeared on television in the different countries they have visited, such as Japan, Columbia, Portugal, Peru, France and Holland, the latter was during the celebration of the footballer Ronaldo´s eighteenth birthday party in a well-known restaurant in Eindhoven, which coincided with the Tuna Festival in 1994 in that same city.

In April 1998 they organised and took part in the demonstration of love programme of Antena 3 'Lo que necesitas es Amor' (All you need is love) with Jesús Puente in the Plaza Romea of Murcia, which coincided with the celebration of the 11th International Tuna Competition "Costa Cálida" of Murcia. In April 1999 on the day of the Bando de la Huerta (A celebrated Bank Holiday in Murcia) they performed live from Murcia on the programme 'Corazón de Primavera' for their 'madrina' of that year, Anne Igartiburu.

In September 1998 they were designated by their Autonomous Community to represent the Region of Murcia during the celebrations of its oficial week in the Pavilion of Spain in the Universal Exposition in Lisbon (Portugal) “Expo ´98”; and in July 2000 they were the only Tuna who officially represented Spain in the Universal Exposition in Hanover (Germany), receiving in both cities a great reception from the public.

They organise the Certamen Internacional de Tunas “Costa Cálida” de Murcia ( The International Tuna Competition "Costa Cálida" of Murcia), which in its 15 year history has become the most attractive and important out of those which take place in Spain, in the setting of Murcia´s Fiestas de Primavera (Spring Festivals) and has been declared as 'Interés Turistico Regional' (Regional Tourist Interest) since 1997. They also liven up and entertain everyone who approaches the 'huerto' which they install every year in the jardines del Malecón in the Feria de setiembre (September Festivals). In June 1997 they were honored to obtain the 'Laurel de Oro' from the traditional district of Murcia San Basilio "el Grande", as a thank you for the years of friendship and collaboration in the Tuna Competition which has made this district internationally known.

 

Nowadays they are proud to have as their 'Madrinas' the well known Murcians María José Besora, Mari Trini and Bárbara Rey, as well as the senator of Murcia María Belén Fernández-Delgado, the national journalist Nieves Herrero, the singer Rocío Durcal, Teresa Rabal and the television presenter Anne Igartiburu.

The members of the internationally famous trio Los Panchos of Rafael Basurto Lara are honourary members of the Tuna de Medicina de Murcia. They were conferred the title during the final performance of the 11th International Tuna Competition" Costa Cálida 98", where the Tuna had the opportunity, indeed as they also had in the 2000 edition of the same competition, of interpreting some of the group´s songs.

They are official ´brothers´of the Tuna Universitaria de Oporto (Portugal) and the Tuna de Medicina de Laguna (Tenerife), and, since June 1997 have been the official patrons of the Tuna de la UNED of Elche, Spain.

They have recorded seven albums, the last four on CD. The latest, entitled “Tuna de Medicina de Murcia. “35 Aniversario” will be available to the public during the performances of the 17th edition of the International Tuna Competition "Costa Cálida", to take place between the 14th and 16th of April 2004.

Detailed below is a summary of the prizes won during the last 10 years in competitive Tuna events in which we have taken part:

1991: Runner-up Best Tuna (Badajoz, Spain); third place Best Tuna (Eindhoven, Holland); Best Bandurria (Spanish instrument of the lute type) (Santiago de Compostela, Spain); Best Tuna (“IV FITU Cuidad de Oporto”, Portugal); Best Tuna and Best soloist (Lisbon, Portugal).
1992: Third place Best Tuna and Best Instrumental ("I Certamen Internacional de La Laguna”, Tenerife); Best Tuna, Best Musical Quality and Best Tambourine Performance (“I Certamen Ciudad de Linares”, Jaen, Spain)
1993: Third place Best Tuna ("VII Certamen Nacional de Tunas de Medicina”, Alicante, Spain); Best Tuna (“VI FITU Cuidad de Oporto”, Portugal); Runner-up Best Tuna (“VII Certamen Internacional Horas de Ronda”, Santander, Spain); Runner-up Best Tuna (Alcalá de Henares, Spain)
1994: Best Spanish Tuna (“II TUIST”, Lisbon, Portugal); Best Tuna and Best Instrumental (“IV FITU Braccara Augusto”, Braga, Portugal); runner-up Best Tuna, Best Musical Interpretation and Best Flag Performance (“II Certamen Internacional de Santa Cruz”,Tenerife).
1995: Best Tuna and Best Flag Performance (“ I Certamen Internacional Ciudad de Alhambra”, Granada, Spain); Best Tuna (“II Certamen Nacional Ciudad de Cuenca”, Spain); Runner-up Best Tuna, Best Soloist and Best Tambourine Performance (Alicante, Spain); Best Musical Interpretation (Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
1996: Best Musical Interpretation (“II certamen Internacional Ciudad de Alhambra”, Granada, Spain); Best Tuna, Best Musical Interpretation, Best Soloist, Best Tambourine Performance and Best Flag Performance (“I Certamen Nacional Ciudad de Jaén”, Spain); Runner-up Best Tuna and Best Flag Performance (Alicante, Spain).
1997: Third place Best Tuna (“ I Certamen Nacional Condestable Iranzo”, Jaén, Spain); Best Musical Interpretation (“XI FITU Ciudad de Oporto”,Portugal).
1998: Best soloist (“II Certamen Nacional Condestable Iranzo”, Jaén, Spain); runner-up Best Tuna, Best Soloist and First prize in the beer competition (“IV Certamen Nacional Ciudad de Albacete”, Spain)
1999: Prize for the nicest Tuna (“V Certamen Nacional Ciudad de Albacete”, Spain).
2000: Runner-up Best Tuna (“Certamen Internacional de Tunas Ciudad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria”)
2001: Best Tuna and Best Flag Performance (“VIII Certamen Internacionl de Tunas Ciudad de Almería”, Spain); Runner-up Best Tuna and Best Soloist (“XV FITU Ciudad de Oporto”, Portugal).
2002: Best Street Performance (“Certamen de Tunas Andrés de Vandellvira de úbeda”, Jaén, Spain).
2003: Best Tuna and Best Soloist “Certamen Internacional de Tunas Académicas da Regiao do Alentejo”, Evora, Portugal).
2004: Best Tambourine Performance “I Certamen de Salamanca, Spain).