Anonymous, recorder, n.d.
File — Box: 4, CD: 356 B
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
- n.d.
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
Cleofas Vigil, CD II of II, cont. from CD 356 A. Begins at 00:02 and ends at 36:35. Part II, Cont. of talk on Penitentes, Vigil gives the true meaning of the rituals and songs of the Penitentes, sings examples, use of flute, pito, represents the sobbing wailing of the Virgin Mary, saddness,need to keep the Spanish culture and past alive and also accept new blessings, progress, Unites States, but explains how new changes, inventions, benefits, wealth and progress are being used by politicians for bad causes, weapons for example, war in Vietnam, kill innocent people, Penitentes not kill or hurt people yet criticized unfairly, books about the Penitentes contain lies, errors, etc. Toward end of talk he takes questions from the audience, can't here the questions, but can hear Vigil's replies, he was an officer of the water association of the valley, swore to protect water and forests of Taos, acequias, part of the San Cristobal de la Serna Land Grant, he was asked about his dealing with the Taos hippies, Mora, communes, he and the other leaders asked the United States forest rangers to move the Hippies off the Taos public lands because they were polluting the water and land, pollution, chasted Hippies out, not because he hated them, loved people but to preserve the land, also a question from the audience about his view of Reies Lopez Tijerina and the Alianza, Tierra Amarilla, Vigil defends him, government lied about him, not a bad man, they sent him to prison to shut him up because they did not want to answer the questions Tijerina raised about violation of rights and lands of the people, Vigil then tells a story, a long account of El cuento del garbanzo, in Spanish language, local speech patterns, good rendition, humor, good recording, adapts the story locally like it is about a modern Chicano living in the barrios, in the dumpes, poverty, man found a garbanzo in the trash, intended to plant it in the spring time, become a big farmer, sell lots of beans, be a businessman, then he left the seed with his neighbor for safe keeping while he went to town, gallo ate it, etc.).
Anonymous man. Begins at 36:59 and ends at 62:20. Lecture, talking, with slide show, commentary (fair recording, in English, he is showing various places visited in South America, examples of Spanish colonial construction and traditions evident in Latin America, Holy Week, Samana Santa, Lima, Peru, mentions Thorton Wilder, scenes of life in Latin America, indigenous tribes, coastal zones of Ecuador, Paraguay, Chagas disease, assassin bug, Andeas, village life, agriculture, share cropping, straw buildings, Uruguay, Sao Paulo, Brazil, shows photos of animals, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, farming, river systems, Caracas, Buenos Aires, Venezuela, Santiago, Chile, Cuenca, Ecuador, etc.).
Anonymous man. Begins at 36:59 and ends at 62:20. Lecture, talking, with slide show, commentary (fair recording, in English, he is showing various places visited in South America, examples of Spanish colonial construction and traditions evident in Latin America, Holy Week, Samana Santa, Lima, Peru, mentions Thorton Wilder, scenes of life in Latin America, indigenous tribes, coastal zones of Ecuador, Paraguay, Chagas disease, assassin bug, Andeas, village life, agriculture, share cropping, straw buildings, Uruguay, Sao Paulo, Brazil, shows photos of animals, Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, farming, river systems, Caracas, Buenos Aires, Venezuela, Santiago, Chile, Cuenca, Ecuador, etc.).
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