Tuna D'elas
The Tuna D'Elas - Female Tuna of the University of Madeira, appeared on January 31, 1997, as a result of the initiative of a group of friends from the aforementioned institution, who had a taste for music and bohemian life. With a lot of willpower, a spirit of sacrifice and after three months of hard work, we appeared for the first time in public on April 21, 1997. The tuna was sponsored at an academic level by TUMa - Tuna Universitária da Madeira, and at a civil level by the Dr. Alberto João Jardim and by D. Maria Aurora. To date, he has released two records: "Ser Tunante" was released in February 2001, and "Tons de Azul" in January 2007. Throughout his career, he made several national and international trips, participating in several festivals, meetings, solidarity events, etc. After several generations and the passage of several tuners, who each left their mark in their own way, the tuna gives its best in everything it undertakes, giving its special touch. All this, always with great joy, creativity, animation and companionship.
"On each face, a smile outlines the spirit of Tunante, singing through the dawn with a blue cover drawn, join is contagious!"
Enfertuna
Enfertuna - Madeira Nursing Tuna is a bohemian group of Nursing academics in the Pearl of the Atlantic (Madeira), being a mixed tuna. It appeared in 2004, and this phoenix that is Enfertuna sees its initial impetus renewed daily by a talented and dynamic group of Nursing students and professionals, in which reigns the will to make the name of Enfertuna – Tuna de Madeira Nursing. He has participated in several regional and national university meetings and festivals. Artistic direction: Rui Freitas.
Academic Student of Madeira
The Estudantina Académica da Madeira presents itself within the Portuguese community as a District Tuna, bringing together students and former students from all local Higher Education Institutions (University of Madeira, Instituto Superior de Administração e Línguas and Escola Superior de Enfermagem S. José Cluny) as well as former Tunos who finished their course and are working and/or residing in this Autonomous Region. It emerged in 2000, when a group of University students from Madeira got together in a typical small tavern on this island with the aim of reviving the tradition of the Students of the former High School in Funchal from the 1st quarter of the 20th century. Madeira Student Council organizes FesTA - Festival de Tunas do Atlântico (a festival that has increasingly established itself as one of the best in the country). The purpose of this festival is to publicize the phenomenon of academic tunas and their musical evolution in the Region (in a competition regime), and in this way, to promote the sharing of knowledge, ideas and experiences, that is, in which it is intended to demonstrate that the tunas are not just bohemian, but a space where irreverence is associated with artistic and scenic creativity!
Another proof of merit relates to the fact that Estudantina has already recorded (in just 11 years of life) two albums entitled "Ensaio Geral" (2003) and "Alma" (2011). Artistic direction: Ricardo Félix
São Roque do Faial Mandolin Orchestra
The Mandolin Orchestra of Casa do Povo de São Roque do Faial is the youngest group of this institution. He began rehearsals on February 21, 2005, having performed his first performance on May 29 of that year, participating in the XII Meeting of Cultural Groups of the Municipality of Santana, an event held annually in São Roque do Faial and organized by the local People's House . The main objectives of the formation of this Orchestra were to provide the young people of the Parish with another opportunity to learn music and thus be able to occupy their free time and that in the future some of the elements of the Mandolin Orchestra can integrate the “Tunacedros” of that Casa do Povo. It currently comprises 16 elements, under the artistic direction of Prof. Helena Paula Luís.
Chamber of Lobos Mandolin Orchestra
The House of Culture of Câmara de Lobos Mandolin Orchestra is made up of 24 children and young people between the ages of 7 and 16, all from the municipality of Câmara de Lobos. It should be noted that the Orquestra de Mandolins began its activity on September 4, 2008. This project is the responsibility of Professor Helena Sousa.
Ribeirabravense Mandolin Orchestra
The Ribeira Brava Mandolin Orchestra was created in 2001 through the unification of the Tunas of the São João Cultural and Sports Association and the Ribeira Brava People's House, operating as part of the "More and Better Music" School/Project of the two institutions. It is currently made up of 24 members, divided into 3 mandolin groups, Bandola, Bandolincelo, Classical Guitar and Viola Bass. It is artistically directed by Avelino Abreu, assisted by Daniel Correia, Eleutério Corte, Joana Silva and Aldónio Ramos.
Camacha Mandolin Orchestra
The history of the Camacha Mandolin Orchestra began with the first formation around 1924, the second in 1941 and the third in 1978, which was reactivated in 2006 and is currently active with 15 members. It was the group that had the good fortune to organise the 1st Regional Meeting of Tunas of the Autonomous Region of Madeira, held in Camacha in 1985 on the occasion of its 7th anniversary. José João Ferreira is the artistic director.
Madeira Mandolin Orchestra (OBM)
Made up of around 30 musicians aged between 13 and 46, the Madeira Mandolin Orchestra was founded in 1913 and is recognised as the oldest and youngest mandolin orchestra in Europe due to the age at which it was founded and the ages of its players. An important distinction in a region of excellence within the European community. Every year, the Orchestra performs around forty concerts, with programmes of classical music adapted to the mandolin by the great and renowned classical composers such as Mozart, Strauss, Vivaldi, Ketèlbey, Monti, Waldteufel, among others. The artistic season consists of Weekly Concerts and Special Concerts, which have been developed over the last 25 years. In this period of time, the Madeira Mandolin Orchestra has given a total of 500 concerts, both nationally and internationally. The Artistic Director is André Martins.
CEPAM Mandolin Orchestra
The Conservatório - Escola Profissional das Artes da Madeira Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra was created in 1989 and is made up of 24 musicians. This ensemble is a training programme that offers mandolin, mandola, guitar and double bass students the chance to practise music together. The choice of works that make up the Orchestra's repertoire is intended to favour composers and original repertoire for string orchestra and also to value the heritage of repertoire adapted and acquired over the 35 years of its existence.
This orchestra has its educational base in the Conservatoire's mandolin activity, which is attended by around 50 children and young people. Its main objective is to encourage the practice of this instrument, increase theoretical and practical knowledge of music, repertoire and musical genres.
The artistic direction is the responsibility of the teacher, Teresa Leão.
CEPAM Mandolin Tuna
The Tuna de Bandolins dos Cursos Livres em Artes do Conservatório - Escola Profissional das Artes da Madeira, Eng.o Peter Clode was created in 1999 through the Gabinete Coordenador de Educação Artística (GCEA) and today is made up of around 16 students.
This group has its educational base in the mandolin activity of the Free Courses in Arts, attended by around 40 children and young people, whose main objective is to integrate music together with an organisation of suits, to encourage the practice of this instrument, increasing their theoretical and practical knowledge of music, repertoire and musical genres.
The repertoire performed includes current music adapted to the students' level of interpretation, guiding them towards a degree of progressive and motivating evolution, in order to prepare them for future entry into the Conservatoire's Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra.
Tunacedros of the CP of S. Roque do Faial
This group was founded in 1987. It grew out of the parish youth group. Since then it has performed all over the island at Tunas Meetings, People's House fairs and other cultural events.
In 2006 it made its first tour of mainland Portugal to Cabeceiras de Basto, where it performed two concerts. In July 2009 it organised an exchange with the Zaragoza Trovador Orchestra, which performed in the town of San Juan.
Its repertoire is essentially made up of traditional Madeiran songs collected by its members in the parish. Its performers play the violin, mandolin, rajão, bass guitar, French guitar and braguinha. In February 2020, on the occasion of its 33rd anniversary, the book "Melodias em São Roque do Faial TUNACEDROS" was launched by Prof Heliodoro Dória. Tunacedros is currently made up of 14 members and is led by Mr Beto Martins.
Artistic direction by Prof Elsa Cerqueira.
Machico TCM
The Tuna de Câmara de Machico was born in Ribeira Seca in September 1983, on the initiative of Father Martins Júnior, with the aim of filling a specific space in the municipality's cultural panorama, making it more accessible to a then highly ruralised population where more erudite musical styles were only accessible in large urban centres.
This tuna is an integral part of the Ribeira Seca Civic, Cultural and Social Centre and is originally dedicated to chamber music, with Father José Martins Júnior as its artistic director.
Tuna Amadis from the Casa do Povo de Gaula
Tuna Amadis da Casa do Povo de Gaula was founded on 13 September 1986, during the celebrations of Parish Day, by Professor Manuel Vieira, who was also the group's artistic director until his death in 2021. The name "Amadis" takes us back to the Middle Ages, to the romance of chivalry. "Amadis de Gaula", according to the story, is related to the parish itself because, coincidentally or not, there are similarities in traits and personalities between the early days of the parish and the said chivalric romance.
For 38 years, the Tuna has been dedicated to perpetuating and preserving the musical traditions of the parish where it was born, while also training musicians from several generations. Currently under the artistic direction of teacher Carolina Faria, the Tuna Amadis has 14 members and 6 apprentices, maintaining the intentions of its founder: to teach music in Gaula and to continue the traditions of the parish.
Sextet/Septet Eurico Martins
The Eurico Martins Sextet/Septet project is a musical group born within the Madeira Mandolin Orchestra and developed under the motto "remembering the past, writing the future". Presented on 25 June 2019, it is made up of players belonging to the Madeira Mandolin Orchestra and is based on two factors: the history of the musical formation that gave rise to the current project, the Passos de Freitas Sextet/Septet, and the due homage to the mentor and "entrepreneur" of the Madeira Mandolin Orchestra, Maestro Eurico Martins.
The adaptation of the name "Eurico Martins" in the current project involves the fact that, on the one hand, he was the "father" of the musical and social evolution and tradition of the mandolin in the Madeira Mandolin Orchestra and in the parish of São Roque for more than 20 years, and also the fact that Maestro Eurico Martins himself had this dream of re-editing this historical part that encompasses the Orchestra and the Association it is part of, the Recreio Musical União da Mocidade.
By fulfilling this long-held dream, the aim of this project will be to indelibly perpetuate the history of a group known and appreciated in its time and to preserve the history of music and the tradition of the mandolin.
Ensemble Eleutherius Chorus
Eleutherius Chorus is a group that began about seven years ago. The main objective was to animate the 10am Eucharist at the Parish of São Sebastião on Sundays. The main motivator for this group to take its first steps was Father Eleuterio and, together with him, Artistic Director Rui Sousa, who had been his Latin student. Hence the name Eleutherius Chorus. Since then, as well as leading Sunday Eucharists at 11am in the parish of São Sebastião, he has travelled to various parishes around the island. As well as Sunday Eucharists, it has performed at various events such as "Acreditar", PEF, literary sunsets and its own concerts, which are already part of its CV.
Today, Eleutherius Chorus is a group of around 25 members, aged between 9 and 23, with a wealth of talent, in addition to their voices, on various instruments, such as guitars, mandolins, mandola, transverse flute, clarinet, jambe and ukulele.