Orfeão Universitário do Porto, Tunas Universitárias, Grupos de Fado, Choir Groups

The Orfeão Universitário do Porto (OUP) (OUP – University choral society) is the oldest student group in the University, as it dates back to 1912.

Currently, there are around 200 students taking part in several choir groups, including the Grupo de Fados (the “fado” is a traditional Portuguese song), several folk and regional dance groups, the Tuna Feminina do Orfeão (female students musical group) and the popular Tuna Universitária do Porto, which was formed in 1922 and called by then "Tuna Académica".

The ballads of the Tunas Académicas (traditional Iberian Peninsula music) are very popular among students, who take part in several international festivals of Tunas throughout the year. It is worth mentioning the “Festival Internacional de Tunas Universitárias” (FITU), which is organised by the Orfeão Universitário. Several Spanish and Latin American “Tunas” take part in this festival, as well as the “Tunas” of the University and of other Portuguese Universities.

The first male and female choir group was founded in 1937, related to the Orfeão. Currently, the University has many choir groups. In the mid-nineteenth century, a new kind of music of obscure origin appeared. In the beginning it was played only in the taverns in Lisbon, but it later came to be played at the parties of the aristocracy, all over the country. The name given to this kind of music was “Fado”.

The students of Coimbra and Porto started playing Fado as music for serenades. The University’s Grupos de Fado, which still exist nowadays, were thus created.