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Jon Smith, recorder, 1969

 Item — Box: 2, CD: 169

Scope and Contents

Andres Lujan, b. 1863, El Torreon, NM. This likely Torreon, in Torrance County. 1. La vida de antes (relato, life in the past, leisure, games, how and where they danced, dance floors were dirt needed to put water on them for dust, game of teja, foot races, people chasing one and other, catching a person, carrying them piggy back to center of town); 2. Versos de chiquiao, chiquiado,commentary (poor recording, folk poetry, he tells how people created and recited these poem in the past, marriage, wedding, one verse about a man with one eye); 3. Carretas de dos ruedas (relato, carretas, tells about long days of travel in oxen cart with two wheels, took a whole week to travel from Torreon, New Mexico to Albuquerque, transportation); 4. Bandidos confederados (relato, tells of his grandfather who had a grocery store in Torreon, New Mexico, when bandit Texas Confederate Southern soldiers came to town, threaten to kill store owner if not give them provisions, he did not but they ransacked the store, took goods, did not hurt the citizens, Andres mentions Pablo Alderete, time is Civil War era, 1862, Valverde battle); 5. Indios (relato, story of his grandfather on way to Torreon, New Mexico, attacked by Native American Indians, he escapes raiders, had fast horse, when reached Torreon noticed arrow stuck in side of horse); 6. Instruccion publica (relato, Andres said since no public school in Torreon, New Mexico, at end of nineteenth century, he was appointed teacher, taught reading, writing, arithmatic, class met four or five months a year; some sons of rich men went to school in St. Louis, Missouri, education); 7. Comidas (relato, foods, cooking, at end of nineteenth century, New Mexico people ate all kinds of meat from their animals, home grown vegetables, wheat flour tortillas, New Mexico was a Territory, countryside open, no fences yet, people went freely to mountains to cut wood, hunt); 8. Canciones (relato, he was asked if people knew the composers of the songs that they sang at end of the nineteenth century, he said no, he did not, just learned them from one another like today, music history); 9. La vida diaria (relato, his daily life at end of the nineteenth century, tranquility, peaceful, he knew country folks, no worries or problems, they owned their lands, small farms provided all they needed, people were religious, attended church, sang alabados); 10. El negrito poeta (relato, of time when some local people turned a dog named Pepenada on the folk poet El negrito, known as El Pepe, because he would not stop reciting poetry, as dog growled at him, poet addressed the dog directly including him in the next verse, See Cobos CC guide); 11. Chicoria (anecdote, Chicoria is a local folk poet from Valencia County, New Mexico, story of the priest who had a parrot who shouted misericordia and the hawk who carried him off, religion, church); 12. Canciones (relato, his father was a sexton for the Catholic Church and Andres himself was a sacristan for thirty two years, tells about songs people sang when he was a boy, religion, church).

Mrs. Maxime Zamora, El Torreon, NM and Albuquerque. She learned most of the folk material in Torreon, from her father, Mr. Andres Lujan, of Torreon, NM, who died in 1969 in her home in Albuquerque, he was 106 years old, see above). 1. Indita de San Luis de Gonzaga (poor to fair recording, this indita version is strongly influenced by Native American Indian music, particularly a refran which imitates an Indian chant - Ana, jeyana, jeanaan, je y;, etc.; 2. Cancion religiosa (good to fair recording, hymn, religious song learned from her father); 3. Canto a San Antonio (this song version uses some of the lyrics from the Indita de San Luis, poet asks for return of a beloved son, soldier, who is away serving in the armed services, military, war, probably World War I).

Andres Lujan, b. 1863, El Torreon, NM. 1.Cantos y papeles de Los pastores (fair to good recording, folk songs and drama, Andres is one hundred and six years old, recites some of the folk play Los Pastores, which he used to teach to students in Torreon, New Mexico, also sings several villancicos or song from Pastores, Christmas, Navidad); 2. El brujo (witch story, incident in life of a local male witch doctor or brujo, used to brag of his magical power to clean a field with just a rake, faster than someone could with a horse, when el brujo got old and ready to die he went to priest for mercy but the devil took him anyway).

Dates

  • 1969

Language of Materials

From the Collection: English, Spanish

Access Restrictions

The collection is open for research.

Extent

From the Collection: 13 boxes (12.25 cu. ft.)

Creator

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