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Ruben Cobos, E. R. Romero, Debbie Martin, Joseph H. Torres (Josh Torres), David Thornberg, Joyce Montoya, Sammy Quintana, Theresa Valdez, Eugene Romero, Tomas Fernandez, recorders, 1968, 1969, 1974

 Item — Box: 2, CD: 179B

Scope and Contents

Torres, 1968: Ricardo Farfan, b. 1913, Bernalillo, NM. 1. La escuela (verse, how in years past school was like a temple, ruled by virture, children received good example, leave vice and ignorance, importance of education, discovery, adventure, speaker explains verse, before kids kneeled and used benches as a desk); 2. Economizar (explanation and story, two economic minded women who economized their fans by moving their heads left and right) 3. Rapidez en el lenguaje (importance of ability to speak fast, say difficult phrases, language); 4. Adivinanzas (definition of an adivinaza, riddle, three examples, tortillas, towel, keys); 5. La comida aqui y en Australia, (local, traditional, favorite foods, U.S. is hamburger and hotdogs, Mexico is tacos and enchiladas, Australia is steak and eggs, different styles of steak and eggs, ostrich eggs, currency difference); 6. Dimensiones (explanation of how to make a square with three dimensions, geometry, mathematics); 7. El cientifico (chiste, joke, a scientist wants to create a machine to make people disappear during wars, Russians want to buy it but after an actual demonstration, he makes different races of people disappear and one Mexican acts as a oil for his machine); 7. El calvo (chiste, joke, what did the lice say to the bald man, do not bend over because I will fall off, piojo).

Torres, 1968: Helen A. Torres, b. 1920, Albuquerque, NM. 1. La pobrecita (folk tale, three girls, the youngest one that is poor but pretty, gets invited by a boy to a dance, and makes the other two jealous, como Cenicienta, version of Cinderella, women); 2. Adivinanza (riddle, the knife).

Thornberg, 1968: Helen Sanchez, b. 1908, Albuquerque, NM. Cuento (two robbers steal a cow from their neighbor, ask a passerby for help, they get caught, the judge tells all three the rhyming phrase: "Tanto pecaba el que mata la vaca como el que tiene la pata").

Tornberg, 1968: Mike Borrego, b. 1918, Sapello, NM. 1. Versos (three verses: having a child shows a person love and passion, I love you more than my life but you want more, you are beautiful without comparison, amor); 2. Adivinanza (rain clouds, nubes de lluvia); 3. Leyenda (black statue in a small pueblo called death, la muerte points arrows at those who will die); 4. Hermanos penitentes (do penetence during Semana Santa, Holy Week, by carrying a piece of wood like the cross of Jesus up a hill and having a night of darkness during which they say prayers for deceased in a room of candles, every time a name is read, one candle is blown out, they continue after it is dark, 40 days of Lent, abstinence); 6. Pancho Villa en Guadalajara, Mexico (ten days of combat, Villa triumphs, frees hundreds of prisoners, including bishops, dicho por el yerno de Mike Borrego, Mexican Revolution).

Thornberg, 1968: Jenny Gonzalez, b. 1888, Albuquerque, NM. 1. Versos (rhyming verses, traditions of putting roses on the corners of your house, measuring house, painting number three on the door, superstition); 2. Cuento (horror story, Holy Friday of Semana Santa, Holy Week, a young man wants to go to a baile, dance, but his Catholic parents disaprove, he goes and dances with a girl all night, the next day he goes to the her house because he left his leva, jacket, with her. An old woman answers and shows him the picture of Maria, the girl he danced with but says she died many years ago, he goes to her grave and finds his leva).

Montoya, 1969: Maria Horcasitas de Mendez, b. 1911, Albuquerque, NM, before was in El Centro, NM. 1. La lora que compro lena (cuento, humorous story of a female parrot, one day when the owners leave, she buys wood from a man selling door to door. When the owners arrive they hit the bird and when their son cries the parrot believes he too has bought wood, perico); 2. Cuento (story of an old woman who does not want her son to go to war, military, has a dream that a war vessel comes for him, but it was actually a donkey); 3. El sube y baja (cancion para ninos, children's song); 3. La viejita que comia tortillas a media noche (cuento, story of old woman put tortillas under her pillow so that when she wakes she can eat, a rat begins to steal her tortilla and eats it under the bed); 4. Cucara macara (cancion, children's song); 5. Tan tan (de ninos, song, children, onomatopoeia); 6. Arrullo (lullaby, song for children, sleep child, while I take care of other things); 7. Chicanos y un gringo (humorous story of an Anglo American who volunteers to lead a song at a Mexican American church, the Father tells him they will sing "bendito bendito sea dios," he sings "bandido bandido sea dios," language); 8. Refranes (dichos, phrases, tell me who you spend time with and I'll tell you who you are); 9. El borrachito que nunca va a la iglesia (a drunk never goes to church until one Christmas,someone gets angry ans insults him for yelling drunk at church); 10. Story told by Diego Gonzales (anecdote in English, Margaret, cousin of speaker, gets up early to feed her child and she goes to the toilet, outhouse, in the alley when a drunk man sings loudly and enters she screams "salgan a verme, hijos de la chingada").

Quintana, 1969: Lucy Sena, Pojoaque, NM. Excellent recording, Cobo introduces speaker and she rapidly reads her many verses, adivinanzas, and prayers (riddles, peacock, syringe, to milk a cow, love, the laundry woman, the basin, the fly, hand and ring, a fart, blood, the knife, watermelon, donkey, axe, to win and lose, nature, cosecha, consuelo, religious prayers, Virgin Mary, God, rezo de los gallo of December 16, verses, horse bridle, shirt, animal, my heart, nopal, marriage, verses for holy days, saint days, birthday, Moses); 2. Minutes of silence.

Valdez, 1969: Juan D. Lopez, b. 1907, Tierra Amarilla, NM. 1. Entriega de novios (song with guitar, I ask for license and glory to submit this man and woman into marriage, four roses in church, the madrino and padrino with husband and wife to be, priest asks them if they want to marry, candles lit, the pastoral ring, wisdom of God in the creation of man and woman, Adam and Eve, eternal commitment, matrimony, do not deceive or abandon, there is no longer mother and father, parents in law, altar of holy water where padrino y madrina wash their hands and give blessing to the couple, blessing of God, Holy Spirit and Virgin Mary, fiesta, wedding); 2. Los dias (Days song with guitar, poor recording, day that begins a new year, without cold or death, we don't want dessert, biscochitos, we want you to open your house).

Valdez, 1969: Paul Trujillo and George Trujillo, his son. 1. De colores (song with guitar, colors seen in the spring, of the birds, of the rainbows, of love, the rooster sings, the chicken and her chicks sing, we live joyously, for a God that doesn't die, spreading the light that illuminates the divine grace); 2. Nos dio su cuerpo El Senor (religious rhyming verse, God gave his body, now the Eucharist, San Pedro is witness to his miracles, wisdom of Solomon, Jesus the Messiah, King of the Jews, Mary remained virgin, San Juan Bautista, saved from sin, many died for defending Christianity in Jerusalem); 3. Alabado (madre de dolores, Our Lady of Sorrows, passion of Chirst) 4. Rezo para encontrar el estandarte penitentes, rezo a la Santa Cruz (prayer for May 3, Holy Cross of Christl) 5. De colores (song with guitar).

Valdez, 1969: Rafael Gallegos, Rutherton, NM. 1. Rezo a San Jose (he patron of all nations, give me your blessing on my journey, in the hour of death, liberate me with your love) 2. Entriega de novios read by Gallegos (song for the newlyweds, wedding, padrinos, parents in church, blessings, four roses, do not forget your committment, there is no mother or father, do not put on the radio or dance, marriage in front of God).

Romero, 1969: Miguel Antonio Montoya, senior, b. 1901, San Jose, NM. Fair to poor recording 1. El burro y el leon (cuento, story about donkey and a lion, who live on opposite sides of a canyon); 2. Mr. Jack y su caballo (cuento, humorous story of a man and his horse, Mexicano, Gringo, Anglo American, some parts are audible, others are not).

Dates

  • 1968, 1969, 1974

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