  We consider a general framework to study holographically the dynamics of
fundamental quarks in a confining gauge theory. Flavors are introduced by
placing a set of (coincident) branes and antibranes on a background dual to a
confining color theory. The spectrum contains an open string tachyon and its
condensation describes the U(N_f)_L x U(N_f)_R -> U(N_f)_V symmetry breaking.
By studying worldvolume gauge transformations of the flavor brane action, we
obtain the QCD global anomalies and an IR condition that allows to fix the
quark condensate in terms of the quark mass. We find the expected N_f^2
Goldstone bosons (for m_q=0), the Gell-Mann-Oakes-Renner relation (for m_q
small) and the \eta' mass. Remarkably, the linear confinement behavior for the
masses of highly excited spin-1 mesons, m_n^2 ~ n is naturally reproduced.
