The RAE qualifies "estulticia" (folly) as the nonsense that, due to foolishness or ignorance, characterizes a person. The word comes from the Latin stultitia and is derived from stultus, which means "foolish".
This comes up because a national newspaper recently published that the current Secretary General of the Popular Party, Teodoro García Egea, had asked for the hand of his now wife by playing the bandurria with the Tuna (student musical group) to which he belonged.
A piece of news, without a doubt, typical of the summer newsrooms of the different media and that would not have greater repercussions except for those who belong to the Tuna - among whom I include myself - or for those others who feel that rancid and visceral rejection of such an institution.
As it could not be otherwise - there are many years contemplating these situations - it did not take long for the reputable Rosa Belmonte (columnist of provinces, as defined in her Twitter) to jump and become the "portavoza" (sic) of the socio-cultural vanguard of this country, publishing in another medium an article to show off with pearls of this caliber: "The bandurria is a stringed instrument carried by the tunos, those herds with capes and clothes that do not know a washing machine and next to whom 'La venganza de don Mendo' is a work of avant-garde. Demons, it is".
Leaving aside the brilliant prose of the distinguished "pejorista" columnist of provinces (this term for those who write about any subject, whether they know about it or not, with pejoratives) allow me to agree with her regarding the hygiene of the Tuna suit since it cannot be put in the washing machine, since being velvet it must be taken to the dry cleaner.
That said, I would like to clarify some other concepts. First of all, Mrs. Rosa should know that the Tuna by definition is apolitical, it encompasses the entire political spectrum of our society as it is made up, as she well knows, by those people who voluntarily access it and who study at the University, being the common nexus a series of values such as traditional music, the popular culture of our country and the desire to search for healthy and timeless leisure.
Secondly, Mrs. Belmonte should know that the bandurria is a traditional instrument in the same way as the vihuela or the Canarian timple. It is not, therefore, in very good taste to denounce those university students who play traditional instruments from this or any other country, especially when she implies in her writing that only right-wing musicians do so, implying that left-wing musicians play the lute or the guitar.
Finally, and most serious of all, is the qualification of "herd" referring to the Tuna and those who make it up. Not only is this term out of place and historical context, but today it implies a series of considerations that are not appropriate due to the seriousness of the same, known to all.
It is worth, however, in defense of Rosa Belmonte to say that the resentment that she subtly reflects in her writing must probably emanate from not being the object of any round or serenade like the one carried out by Teodoro García Egea to his girlfriend, because it is known to all that nothing is more Spanish than healthy envy, especially in matters of love.
That said, what really saddens and worries is what we see and witness too often as false normality, such as attacks invested with intellectuality on everything that those who arrogate popular empathy deem obsolete or that should be eradicated from our traditions and popular culture, without caring in the least about the freedom of expression of those of us who are in favor of other artistic manifestations, whether or not they are retrograde or past, especially if, as in the case of the Tuna, they are linked to the secular tradition of this country and our History.
Alfonso J. López Torres
Tuno of Pharmacy UCM
Tuno of Economics ULL
Tuno of Distrito ULL
Tuno of Tuna España
