Debbie Sanchez, Jeanette Martinez, recorders
File — Box: 4, CD: 328B
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
- 1944-1974
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.)
General
CD II of III. Sanchez, 1973: Adan Sanchez. Similar to CD 26. Begins at 00:13 and ends at 00:52. Chiste (good recording, old couple was constantly fighting about who would die first, a neighbor plays a joke on them by dressing up as death and calling them, neither wants to die first, death, muerte).
General
Anonymous woman. Begins at 00:53 and ends at 1:39. 1. Conversation (good recording, about a toilet being moved); 2. Adivinanzas (good recording, riddles, English is spoken, language, laughter).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Adan Sanchez, age 55, Belen, NM. Similar to CD 26. Begins at 1:40 and ends at 2:37. Personal experiences (fair recording, story, in a hospital, medicine, speaker would clean the cadavers, tells a story about one particular night at work when he got scared, the body moved, was not dead, muerte).
General
Anonymous man. Begins at 2:38 and ends at 3:03. Personal experience (good recording, saying, sana sana collita de rana si no sanas hoy, sanaras manana, health, get well).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Ignacio Sanchez, age 70, Belen, NM. Begins at 3:05 and ends at 9:50. Personal experience, local history (good recording, local history about Bonney Torre and his demise, he didn't have time to grab his gun from under the pillow, Don Ignacio Aragon, Don Marcos Baca, Jose Peralta, Ben Olguin from Bernallilo, a white dove came out of the burning house, men from all over the state came to kill Bonnney Torre, crime, guns, Bonifacio Olguin. ).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Prudencio Sanchez, Belen, NM. Begins at 9:51 and ends at 11:17. Personal experience, El diablo en el composanto (good recording, cuento, story, a man secretly dressed as a devil in camposanto, was found out, a group of friends decided to go search for the devil and take off his costume, it was a well known community man).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Lucinda Sanchez, age 50, Belen, NM. Begins at 11:18 and ends at 14:58. 1. Personal Experience (good recording, a man tried to frighten another with a toy pistol, he covered himself with a sheet and went out into the road to scare the man, the man knew the gun was fake and he took it from him); 2. Personal experience, Empanaditas (good recording, food, cooking, traditions, codeswitching, el salad, in English, Bilingual, language).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Danny Sanchez, age 22, Belen, NM. Begins at 14:59 and ends at 16:23. Story, El zapatero y el picaro (good recording, folk tale, two men made a bet, the shoemaker got a headstart on the night's shoe making, hits man on head with hammer, conversation).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Ignacio C. Sanchez, age 70, Belen, NM. Begins at 16:25 and ends at 17:20. Story, personal experience (good recoridng, story, a man fainted because he thought a dead man had hit him with a hammer, Cobos notes say: clavo una estaca y se le clavo el cute, reia que un muerto lo jalaba, folk tale).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Lucinda Sanchez, age 50, Belen, NM. Begins at 17:25 and ends at 24:30 1. El borracho, humor, two tales (good recording, story, local history, personal experience, there was a man who was always drunk and he would constantly fall and get back up, conversation, two stories, the second man went to mass very drunk and late, he stuck his whole hand in the holy water); 2. Story, El del costal (good recording, a boy who would go to mass but did not understand why he did it and did not know how to pray, the church goers would make fun of him); 3. Superstitions, legends, lightening, thunder, tortillas, Dona Teresa, etc.); 4. Personal experience, use of words (good recording, opinion about the use of words, misunderstanding of the use of the word chula, language, semantic changes, percha, etc., when her sister was living in California, she asked her neighbor to borrow a percha but they did not understand one another's dialects or semantic differences, mangera vs. tripa, language, Spanish, Mexico, New Mexico).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Ignacio Sanchez, age 70, Belen, NM. 1. Begins at 24:31 and ends at 26:55. Personal experience, semantic changes cont. (good recording, conversation related to semantic differences in Spanish, soga vs. cabresto, language, dialect); 2. Personal experience, cleaning the contra acequia (good recording, speakers' son discovered a dog, but it was a skunk, conversation, humor); 3. How a child expressed himself, humor, children).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Repeat of Ignacio Sanchez, age 70, Belen, NM. Repeat on on CD 328 CD I. Begins at 27:19 and ends at 28:03. Story, El sacerdote de Tome ( priest who did not know Spanish, misused words, language, no pronunciaba bien, el zoquete, su ojete, funny, humor).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Danny Sanchez, age 32, Belen, NM. Begins at 28:04 and ends at 31:44. 1. Chiste, El tartamudo (good recording, there was a father whose son was a bit slow in development and was deaf, they were ranchers living in a small Pueblito, codeswitching, speaks English, language, you know, humor, joke, the son could not speak but he could sing, they gave him a guitar and he told his parents someone was stealing their pig); 2. Chiste, El que jugaba a la bolita (good recording, humor, short joke); 3. Personal experience, Los huevos (good recording, chiste, humor, surprise birthday party, sister ruined the surprise by screaming for eggs); 4. Personal experience, Lunch for workers (good recording, joke, chistes, family, speaker's sisters got the dough stuck on the ceiling).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Lucinda Sanchez, Belen, NM. Begins at 31:45 and ends at 32:24. Personal experience, local history (good recording, man who sold fruit, funny, viejo melonero, example of deaffrication in muchachas, Spanish, language).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Danny Sanchez, age 32, Belen, NM. Begins at 32:25. And ends at 33:08. Personal experience (good recording, story about when he was in a play with a local boy, chiste, funny, laughter, Martin Quintana, in the year 1940, codeswitching, speaks English, you know, language).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Prudencio Sanchez, Belen, NM. Begins at 33:10 ends at 33:40. Song (good recording, love song, romance).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Lucinda Sanchez, Belen, NM. Begins at 33:43 and ends at 41:04. 1. Personal experience, El que fue al examen fisico (good recording, local history, story about Severo Padilla, Severito, he was taking an examination for the military, war, he refused to take off his clothes for the physical, funny, humor); 2. Personal experience, El que se confeso se robo un caballo (good recording, story about a man who stole a horse when the speaker was a child, the man went to confession and told the priest that he stole a saddle and that there was a horse attached, humor, funny); 3. Personal experience, El trampe que llego a casa (good recording, story about an Anglo American burglar, Gringo, who only spoke English, language, the little girl was home alone and did not know English, she was unknowingly telling him to come in but thought she was saying to leave, she got the broom and hit him with it, funny, humor); 4. Personal experience, Otro que se confeso (good recording, story, humor, another man who confessed at church, funny, humor, curse words, language); 5. Local legend, La que hacia penitencia (good recording, story about the Virgen Mary, religion, legend, scary, Magdalena, New Mexico).
General
Anonymous woman. Begins at 41:05 and ends at 41:41. Verses (good recording, versos, Los Angelos del cielo, angels, religion, poem, arana, spider, rhymes).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Lucinda Sanchez, Belen, NM. Begins at 41:42 and ends at 48:27. 1. Folk tale, El leon y el grillo (good recording, the cricket and the lion, the cricket defeated the lion); 2. San Cristobal, legend (good recording, story of San Cristobal, the giant, and boy Jesus); 3. Personal experience (good recording, ghost story, spooky story, supernatural, while playing card game, la baraja, everynight, a group saw evil appearance in the window, moral lesson, too many card games.
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Danny Sanchez, Belen, NM. Begins at 48:30 and ends at 57:21. 1. Personal experience, Los tiempos de la politica (good recording, humor, after political parties there were always dances and celebrations, speaker describes how he and his friends would arrive in time for the dance only. They left a trap while they went to the dance and when they returned they found they had caught a cat in a trap, one of the friends decides to get a gun to kill the cat); 2. Personal experience, Incident at a bar (good recording, speaker used to work at a bar and the owner had a very nice new truck, the speaker used to fill up the truck for him with a credit card, funny, humor, Ford truck, Cobos note says: man got a truck and the owner of the bar didn't like it, all the girls wanted to go out with him, women).
General
Sanchez, 1973-1974: Lucinda Sanchez, Belen, NM. See also CD 27. Begins at 57:23 and ends at 68:45. 1. Personal experience (good recording, speaker tells of how they suffered while going home from school, education, women, school was a long drive away, very cold, Spanish language, example of deaffrication of voiceless affricate in Spanish in the word chile); 2. Mas chistes (good recording, various jokes, humor, funny, chicharones de todo, smoking on the school bus, various speakers tell jokes); //// 3. Stories of La nina que lavaba las tripitas (good recording, a girl was washing meat in the river and it washed away, she began to cry and the Virgin Mary appeared to her asking what was wrong, and gave her tripitas de oro, gold intestines, the girl stopped crying and went home. The girl's friend tried to copy her so she could also get gold tripitas but the Virgin Mary was not fooled and so she did not appear); 4. Story, The child bathed in ice water (good recording, about a woman who was not right in the head, almost killed her baby by bathing him in ice water in December and then putting him in the oven, she was too young and did not know how to care for a child, mother was considered insane).
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
cswrref@unm.edu
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
cswrref@unm.edu