Ruben Cobos, recorder, 1949, 1950
Archival Record — Box: 3, CD: 311
Scope and Content
From the Collection:
The collection consists of 591 recordings of folk songs, folklore and local histories collected by Ruben Cobos from 1944-1974 in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Also included in the collection are about 270 additional recordings of selected music - a few from New Mexico, many from Mexico and Latin America, and others from Spain, Europe and the U.S. The recordings vary in quality between good, fair, and poor. They contain both musical and spoken content. Most recordings are in Spanish, however, a few are in English. Others are Bilingual or represent the use of Spanglish.
The informants are mainly from New Mexico and Colorado, with a few from California, Texas and Mexico. The collections focuses heavily on spoken Spanish, with examples of poetry, riddles, proverbs, legends, anecdotes, folk tales, mysteries, prayers, nursery rhymes, games, jokes, language use, tricky words, tongue twisters, memories, local history and family history. The Spanish songs include alabados, entriegas for weddings and baptisms, inditas, corridos and ballads, pastores, posadas, love songs, folk dance music, etc. Traditions of Los Juanes and Los Manueles, Penitente morada practices, including women Penitentes, Holy Week songs and activities and the role of the church, santos and fiestas in the lives of the people are also included. There are also several lectures on folklore, music and culture by Cobos and other scholars, including Fray Angelico Chavez, Charles Briggs, Alfonso Ortiz, Arthur Leon Campa, Marta Weigle, Guadalupe Baca Vaughn, Anita Thomas and others. Included also are autobiographical accounts by Ruben Cobos and his wife Elvira.
Songs and stories about and for children, their health and education are included. Although the majority of the information is about Spanish and Hispanic traditions, the collection also provides some materials by and about non-Hispanics and the relationship between the races. A small amount of stories and songs relate to Apaches, Navajos, Pueblos, Mexicanos, African Americans, and Anglos (gringos).
Songs and stories by or about males show them in every walk of life, as rich and poor, old and young, as husbands, widowers, fathers, sons, relatives, compadres, friends, orphans, opponents, collaborators, kings, princes, commoners, giants, ranchers, cowboys, shepherds, farmers, woodcutters, shoemakers, vendors, railroaders, hunters, priests, doctors, teachers, politicians, attorneys, meteorologists, soldiers, witches, simpletons, gamblers, murderers, drunks, adulturers and thieves.
Recordings by and about women add value and perspective to the collection. Females are rich and poor, old and young, girl friends, lovers, adulteresses, wives, widows, mothers, comadres, church attendees, housekeepers for priests, nuns, princesses, queens, teachers, curanderas, cooks and witches. Some of the characters found in the collection are Cinderella, Genoveva de Brabanate, Goldilocks, Delgadina, La Llorona, Doña Cebolla, Dona Fortuna and the Virgin Mary, as well as San Antonio, San Pedro, Bartoldo, Don Cacahuate, Juan Charrasqueado, Pedro and Juan de Urdemalas, Ali Baba, Don Dinero, Tio Botitas and others.
The collection contains descriptions, traditions, local history and songs for New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Mexico. There are references to the Civil War in New Mexico, the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. Stories tell of superstitions, supernatural, unexplained phenomenon, balls of fire and light, lightening, a comet, the sun, moon, finding treasure, ghosts, devils and magic. Additional topics include traditional food and cooking, health and home remedies. Included also are stories and references to insects, animals, birds, fish and snakes, as well as floods and storms, and automobiles and airplanes.
The informants are mainly from New Mexico and Colorado, with a few from California, Texas and Mexico. The collections focuses heavily on spoken Spanish, with examples of poetry, riddles, proverbs, legends, anecdotes, folk tales, mysteries, prayers, nursery rhymes, games, jokes, language use, tricky words, tongue twisters, memories, local history and family history. The Spanish songs include alabados, entriegas for weddings and baptisms, inditas, corridos and ballads, pastores, posadas, love songs, folk dance music, etc. Traditions of Los Juanes and Los Manueles, Penitente morada practices, including women Penitentes, Holy Week songs and activities and the role of the church, santos and fiestas in the lives of the people are also included. There are also several lectures on folklore, music and culture by Cobos and other scholars, including Fray Angelico Chavez, Charles Briggs, Alfonso Ortiz, Arthur Leon Campa, Marta Weigle, Guadalupe Baca Vaughn, Anita Thomas and others. Included also are autobiographical accounts by Ruben Cobos and his wife Elvira.
Songs and stories about and for children, their health and education are included. Although the majority of the information is about Spanish and Hispanic traditions, the collection also provides some materials by and about non-Hispanics and the relationship between the races. A small amount of stories and songs relate to Apaches, Navajos, Pueblos, Mexicanos, African Americans, and Anglos (gringos).
Songs and stories by or about males show them in every walk of life, as rich and poor, old and young, as husbands, widowers, fathers, sons, relatives, compadres, friends, orphans, opponents, collaborators, kings, princes, commoners, giants, ranchers, cowboys, shepherds, farmers, woodcutters, shoemakers, vendors, railroaders, hunters, priests, doctors, teachers, politicians, attorneys, meteorologists, soldiers, witches, simpletons, gamblers, murderers, drunks, adulturers and thieves.
Recordings by and about women add value and perspective to the collection. Females are rich and poor, old and young, girl friends, lovers, adulteresses, wives, widows, mothers, comadres, church attendees, housekeepers for priests, nuns, princesses, queens, teachers, curanderas, cooks and witches. Some of the characters found in the collection are Cinderella, Genoveva de Brabanate, Goldilocks, Delgadina, La Llorona, Doña Cebolla, Dona Fortuna and the Virgin Mary, as well as San Antonio, San Pedro, Bartoldo, Don Cacahuate, Juan Charrasqueado, Pedro and Juan de Urdemalas, Ali Baba, Don Dinero, Tio Botitas and others.
The collection contains descriptions, traditions, local history and songs for New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Missouri, Kansas and Mexico. There are references to the Civil War in New Mexico, the Spanish American War, World War I and World War II. Stories tell of superstitions, supernatural, unexplained phenomenon, balls of fire and light, lightening, a comet, the sun, moon, finding treasure, ghosts, devils and magic. Additional topics include traditional food and cooking, health and home remedies. Included also are stories and references to insects, animals, birds, fish and snakes, as well as floods and storms, and automobiles and airplanes.
Dates
- 1949, 1950
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.)
General
From wire recordings made by Cobos in summer 1949 and in 1950. See similar on CD 365. Begins at 00:56 and ends at 4:01. 1. Marino mentado (fair recording, verses, reading from notebook owned by Frank Sedillo, Los Chavez, New Mexico, story, poem, romance); 2. Versos, coplas populares, from Sedillo.
General
Jose Zamora, Jarales, NM. Begins at 4:03 and ends at 5:54. Song, Monterrey de la Alameda (fair recording, sung).
General
Mrs. Jose de Leon Padilla, Tome, NM. Begins at 5:55 and ends at 7:04. Song, Las comadres (fair recording, sung, women).
General
Ezequiel Candelaria, Santa Barbara, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 7:24 and ends at 8:21. Song, Llorar, corazon, llorar (fair recording, song, religious).
General
Carlos M. Gallegos, Santa Barbara, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 8:30 and ends at 10:22. Song, Narborcita (fair recording, sung).
General
Celso Gallegos, Santa Barbara, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 10:23 and ends at 11:22. Cancion de la Isabel (fair recording, women).
General
Carlos M. Gallegos, Santa Barbara, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 10:26 and ends at 11:53 Verses, Que bonita es el zacate (fair recording, verses, poem).
General
Celso Gallegos, Santa Barbara, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 11:54 and ends at 12:42. Song, En una piedra cuadratica (fair recording, indita).
General
Mrs. Jose de Leon Padilla, Tome, NM. Begins at 12:46 and ends at 27:06. 1. Song, La Disculpada (fair recording, song, la esposa infiel, Cobos reads the rest of this romance, women); 2. Las pochos de California, from notebook Mrs. Padilla (good recording, verses, Cobos reading from a notebook); 3. Song, Ojitos afortunados (fair recording, song by Mrs. Padilla); 4. Los diez mandamientos read by Cobos from notebook of Mrs. Jose Leon Padilla, good recording, the ten comandment ); 5. Song, El atole y el cafe (good recording, song by Mrs. Padilla, contrapunteo); 6. Cancion de amor (read by Cobos, good recording, romantic song, from notebook of Mrs. Jose Leon Padilla); 7. Vengo rendido de amor, same (fair recording, read by Cobos).
General
Braulio Rael, b. Feb. 20, 1879, age 70, from Alameda, NM. Begins at 27:10 and ends at 30:09. Story, El piojo, relacion (fair recording, relacion, verses, song).
General
Julian Zamora, b. April 7, 1873, age 76. Tome, NM. Begins at 30:10 and ends at 41:56. 1. Song, Cantada de Pesqueira(fair recording, cried like a woman); 2. El gato le dice al raton (fair recording, song); 3. Verses, Eres clavelito fino (fair recording, copla, verso de valse chiquiao, chiquiado, recited); 4. Trovos, Cobos reads from notebook of Julian Zamora (poor recording, verses, 1950).
General
Amador Abeyta, Sabinal and Albuquerque, NM. Los Ciboleros, read from notebook of Abeyta.
General
Amador and Vinces Abeyta, Sabinal and Albuquerque, NM. El huerfano, the orphan, begins at 42:14 and ends at 47:12 (good recording, Cobos reads poetic composition, poem, from a notebook belonging to Nestor Abeyta, formerly owned by Mr. Vences Abeyta, Veguita, NM, 1950).
General
Adolfo Silva, b. May 17, 1887, age 66, in Valencia, NM, lived in Sabinal, NM. Begins at 47:17 and ends at 52:15. Song, La huerfanita (poor recording, women, romance, 1950).
General
Jose D. Moya, Jose de Moya, Canjilon, NM. Begins at 52:19 and ends at 57:10. 1. Decima, Lo mismo es perro que pobre (poor recording, song, verses, romance, dialogue, man and girl friend, women); 2. Corrido de Antonio Maestas (poor recording, song).
General
Agustin Hernandez, from Mexico City, D.F., b. August 10, 1910 age 40, living in Taos. Begins at 57:17 and ends at 59:55. La indita de Otomi (poor recording, song, Indita lirica, Mexico, guitar. Cobos note at end of last entry says KABQ recording). This session continued on Side II, but CD is missing. See similar material on CDs 51, 365 and 395.
Creator
- From the Collection: Cobos, Rubén (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