Cantemos a La Tarde, Volume III, Songs in Spanish , 2016, 2015-2017
File — Box: 1, CD: 17
Scope and Content
From the Collection:
Beginning in 2015, Frank McCulloch, Jr. began donating CDs with his recordings to the Center for Southwest Research, UNM Library. Included also is a copy of Frank’s personal notebook of over 200 songs and their lyrics collected from 1959-2015. These CDs have some of his favorites. He has added his own Bilingual lyrics to some of them. The CDs have songs recorded live in his studio, with Frank singing solo or Frank accompanied by his musical companions. Several are commercial albums put out by McCulloch and Sus Amigos, from Albuquerque. The amigos are McCulloch, on guitar, Luis Campos, on guitar, and Melody Mock, on violin. Jack Loeffler taped the trio in Frank’s art studio between 2006 and 2015. The trio performs annually at Nuestra Musica concerts at the Lensic Theatre in Santa Fe, Casa San Ysidro in Corrales, at numerous university and museum functions around New Mexico, and at local cafes.
The collection also contains articles about McCulloch’s teaching years, music events, landscape painting shows and his views and philosophy. Included also are examples of his contributions to other regional publications. It also has articles and a book that his father wrote, background on the family’s history, and photographs of his ancestors, Frank and his own family, and his musical associates.
McCulloch’s multicultural heritage - Hispanic, French, Irish - has influenced his choice of music. Like his paintings and poetry, many of his songs also reflect New Mexico’s history, culture and land. As a child he heard the Spanish folk music of New Mexico and Mexico. He also learned of Irish and American tunes through his father. He also studied and lived in Mexico. McCulloch wants to preserve and teach la musica de la gente, the music of the people, so it won’t be lost. Playing and singing since the 1950s, he prefers songs with emotion and meaning for the everyday man, be they about love, work or injustice. Some of the pieces in the collection date to sixteenth century Spain. He sings them like the old settlers of New Mexico would have done them.
The range of music that Frank and the group sing and play is varied. Among them are a New Mexico lullaby from Los Pastores; a tragic love song from Mexico; an Irish war protest tune; and stanzas about homeless bums and hobos suffering during the American Great Depression of the 1930s. The group also added some more contemporary renditions, such as Borderline, about Mexican immigration and Dance Me to the End of Love, in honor of Jewish musicians forced to play for their Nazi German persecutors during the Holocaust. There are also tunes about injustice and racism toward African Americans in the United States and Frank’s tribute to Martin Luther King. Another tract features Lola, composed by E. A. Tony Mares, with music by Cipriano Vigil. It was Mares' recollection of a madam from Old Town Albuquerque and her nostalgia for the community of the past. Frank also composed a corrido about an incident that happened in the history of his family and a memory song about a friend. He also wrote a song based on a poem by A.E. Housman.
It is interesting that McCulloch, Jr. also crossed paths with John Donald Robb. By the early 1960s McCulloch was playing with music groups in Albuquerque, as an early newspaper clipping in the collection attests. John Donald Robb, Dean of the College of Arts, UNM, was taping music across the state in those years. He met young McCulloch in Albuquerque and recorded about forty five of his folk songs in 1964-1965, which are in the Robb Collection at the CSWR. These can be heard on the New Mexico Digital Collection (econtent.unm.edu) under the CSWR section for John Donald Robb Field Recordings. Also included there are the melodies and the words to McCulloch’s songs, as transcribed by Robb and his students. These McCulloch songs recorded by Robb are mostly in Spanish but others are in English. Some of these same songs reappear in the CDs McCulloch gave the CSWR in 2015 and 2016. He is likely the only musician still living that Robb interviewed in his day. Today McCulloch works with the Robb Musical Trust on various projects to promote New Mexico music and the Robb archive.
The collection also contains various awards given to McCulloch for his outstanding art and music, posters for programs he starred in or participated in, and articles about him. For example, in 1981 he exhibited his paintings in the New Mexico Governor’s Gallery in the State capital. The show catalog is in the collection. He also exhibited there in 2001. That same year the Dartmouth Street Gallery, in Albuquerque, featured his work and that of twenty of his students. His life and career are portrayed well in a 2002 New Mexico Highlands University tribute to him as their distinguished alumnus. Adams State University, Alamosa, Colorado, awarded him the Premio Hilos Culturales during his folk song concert there in 2015. The award is in the collection. In addition, Frank donated a book with his thoughts and poetry assembled over the years. There is also a new edition of the book his father, Frank McCulloch, Sr., wrote on Governor Albino Perez and the 1837 Revolt in New Mexico, based on material from a descendant of Perez. This is truly an interesting and priceless collection and is but a small part of the wonderful life of this New Mexico Renaissance man.
Forms part of the John Donald Robb Archive of Southwestern Music.
The collection also contains articles about McCulloch’s teaching years, music events, landscape painting shows and his views and philosophy. Included also are examples of his contributions to other regional publications. It also has articles and a book that his father wrote, background on the family’s history, and photographs of his ancestors, Frank and his own family, and his musical associates.
McCulloch’s multicultural heritage - Hispanic, French, Irish - has influenced his choice of music. Like his paintings and poetry, many of his songs also reflect New Mexico’s history, culture and land. As a child he heard the Spanish folk music of New Mexico and Mexico. He also learned of Irish and American tunes through his father. He also studied and lived in Mexico. McCulloch wants to preserve and teach la musica de la gente, the music of the people, so it won’t be lost. Playing and singing since the 1950s, he prefers songs with emotion and meaning for the everyday man, be they about love, work or injustice. Some of the pieces in the collection date to sixteenth century Spain. He sings them like the old settlers of New Mexico would have done them.
The range of music that Frank and the group sing and play is varied. Among them are a New Mexico lullaby from Los Pastores; a tragic love song from Mexico; an Irish war protest tune; and stanzas about homeless bums and hobos suffering during the American Great Depression of the 1930s. The group also added some more contemporary renditions, such as Borderline, about Mexican immigration and Dance Me to the End of Love, in honor of Jewish musicians forced to play for their Nazi German persecutors during the Holocaust. There are also tunes about injustice and racism toward African Americans in the United States and Frank’s tribute to Martin Luther King. Another tract features Lola, composed by E. A. Tony Mares, with music by Cipriano Vigil. It was Mares' recollection of a madam from Old Town Albuquerque and her nostalgia for the community of the past. Frank also composed a corrido about an incident that happened in the history of his family and a memory song about a friend. He also wrote a song based on a poem by A.E. Housman.
It is interesting that McCulloch, Jr. also crossed paths with John Donald Robb. By the early 1960s McCulloch was playing with music groups in Albuquerque, as an early newspaper clipping in the collection attests. John Donald Robb, Dean of the College of Arts, UNM, was taping music across the state in those years. He met young McCulloch in Albuquerque and recorded about forty five of his folk songs in 1964-1965, which are in the Robb Collection at the CSWR. These can be heard on the New Mexico Digital Collection (econtent.unm.edu) under the CSWR section for John Donald Robb Field Recordings. Also included there are the melodies and the words to McCulloch’s songs, as transcribed by Robb and his students. These McCulloch songs recorded by Robb are mostly in Spanish but others are in English. Some of these same songs reappear in the CDs McCulloch gave the CSWR in 2015 and 2016. He is likely the only musician still living that Robb interviewed in his day. Today McCulloch works with the Robb Musical Trust on various projects to promote New Mexico music and the Robb archive.
The collection also contains various awards given to McCulloch for his outstanding art and music, posters for programs he starred in or participated in, and articles about him. For example, in 1981 he exhibited his paintings in the New Mexico Governor’s Gallery in the State capital. The show catalog is in the collection. He also exhibited there in 2001. That same year the Dartmouth Street Gallery, in Albuquerque, featured his work and that of twenty of his students. His life and career are portrayed well in a 2002 New Mexico Highlands University tribute to him as their distinguished alumnus. Adams State University, Alamosa, Colorado, awarded him the Premio Hilos Culturales during his folk song concert there in 2015. The award is in the collection. In addition, Frank donated a book with his thoughts and poetry assembled over the years. There is also a new edition of the book his father, Frank McCulloch, Sr., wrote on Governor Albino Perez and the 1837 Revolt in New Mexico, based on material from a descendant of Perez. This is truly an interesting and priceless collection and is but a small part of the wonderful life of this New Mexico Renaissance man.
Forms part of the John Donald Robb Archive of Southwestern Music.
Dates
- 2015-2017
Language of Materials
From the Collection:
English Spanish
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Extent
From the Collection: 1 box, 20 CDS
General
- 1. El Quelite, word means wild spinach, traditional, but here song refers to love of homeland, Mexico, sung especially during the Mexican Revolution
- 2. La Golondrina, traditional, Mexican song, laments the loss of home and country, and may refer to the Emperor Maximiliano and his wife Carlota during the French Intervention,1860s
- 3. El Abandonado, cancion, traditional, tells of man whose love has left him and he has nothing in life but drinking and gambling
- 4. Rosita Alvirez, traditional, corrido of young woman whose mother warned her not to go to the dance where she was shot and killed by one who would love her, jealousy, death
- 5. Cucurucucu Palomita, composed by Tomas Mendez Sosa, beautiful chant to lost love reincarnated by the song of the dove
- 6. Canciones de Anteayer, written by Frank McCulloch, song that includes mention of the various forms of traditional New Mexico music
- 7. El Milagro de la Cuna, composed by Frank McCulloch and Luis Campos, performed by Frank and Luis, corrido or narrative ballad, story of Frank's grand uncle during the 1890s, reveals both the tragedy of the uncle drowning in the Rio Grande and the miracle of a child crying in a rocking cradle until his body was found
- 8. Laredo, cancion, traditional, take this key, open my heart, see my love, and the way you repay me - woman, betrayal of man's love, this melody was used by Aaron Copland in - Salon Mexico
- 9. Cancion Mixteca, composed by Jose Lopez Alavez, song of longing for one's homeland, Oaxaca, sung partly in Mixtec language
- 10. Me Case con una Pocha, relacion, humorous, story about a man who marries a pocha or Anglicized woman, so he can learn to speak English language, traditional, WPA collection, Helen Chandler, Great Depression era
- 11. Adios, mi Chaparrita, traditional, cancion, Mexico, wistful song by a man about leaving behind his ranch and his sweetheart
- 12. Don Simon, traditional, New Mexico, relacion, wherein Don Simon bemoans the shocking ways of the younger generation and their ignoring of traditional values, parents, family
- 13. La Mancornadora, traditional, song about a traiconera, two-timing woman, betrayal, destroys the heart of her man
- 14. Me He de Comer Esa Tuna, traditional favorite, song of pride and love for Mexico
- 15. La Barca de Oro, traditional, cancion, song of departure from loved ones, often sung at memorials, funerals in New Mexico
- 16. San Marcial, traditional, corrido about the town in Socorro County, New Mexico, that was flooded several times and permanently wiped out in 1929 by the waters of the Rio Grande
- 17. Pajarillo Barranqueno, traditional, one of many songs about birds, this pajarillo is a messenger of love and its many travails
- 18. Julia Mia, traditional, an old folk song from Southern Colorado, taught to Frank McCulloch by Alex Chavez, from the San Luis Valley
- 19. Malaguena Salerosa, traditional, a haunting love song sung in Huapango (6/8) style with falsettos, Mexico
- 20. A La Orilla de un Palmar, traditional, cancion, laments the tragic circumstances of an orphan living alone on the beach, homeless
- 21. Yo ya Me Voy, traditional - I am leaving to go far away to where my love is
- 22. Alla en el Rancho Grande, traditional, popular ranchera song about the romance of life on the ranch
Creator
- From the Collection: McCulloch, Frank E., 1930- (Person)
Repository Details
Part of the UNM Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections Repository
Contact:
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451
University of New Mexico Center for Southwest Research & Special Collections
University Libraries, MSC05 3020
1 University of New Mexico
Albuquerque NM 87131
505-277-6451