Anonymous, recorder, n.d.
File — Box: 4, CD: 357 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
Anonymous man. Begins at 00:09 and ends at 12:55. Cuento del hombre rico (fair recording, about a rich man, banda de hombre, Palomo, ganado, deer, a man decides to steal his rich neighbor's donkey so that he could eat, the rich man awoke and discovered that his donkey was gone, a bruja, a witch tells the rich man who it was that stole his donkey, etc.).
Anonymous man. Begins at 12:57 and ends at 36:33. 1. Cuento (fair recording, a medieval story, man had three daughters, he worked collecting fire wood, one day he ran into a giant and he told the man that he was going to kill him unless he brought him one of his daughters to marry, the man's daughter agreed to marry the giant, the next day the man ran into a second giant and he said that he would also kill the man if he didn't bring him a daughter to marry as well, the next day the man runs into a third giant and he tells him the same thing, kill the tiger, Paloma, etc.); 2. Story about a prince (fair recording, a prince who had a book of adivinanzas, guesses, about his trip to buy bread); 3. Cuento de ladrones (fair recording, story of three ladrones, three thieves, one of them married, the others visit the married thief and his wife, etc.); 4. Cuento (fair recording, story about a man who wanted apples but didn't know how to get them, manzanas).
Anonymous man. Begins at 36:35 and ends at 51:41. 1. Story (fair recording, about a poor elderly couple who decided to go to the mountains to collect firewood, they found a bag of money and took it home, the wife decides the husband should enroll in school, while he was gone the wife went to the store and bought flour and lard); 2. Story (fair recording, about a couple with a very beautiful daughter ready to marry but who was very gullible, her father decided to teach her a lesson, the father says that if someone can tell her a lie and if she does not believe it, then they can marry her, children, marriage, women); 3. Cuento de ladrones (fair recording, story about thieves, humor); 4. Song (fair recording, singing).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 51:43 and ends at 56:10. Verses (fair recording, rhyming, wisdom, advice, two daughters, both marry, the husband of one of them dies, her children ask for bread but she does not have anything to give them, women, poverty, death, muerte); 2. Chiste (fair recording, joke about two jealous women, girls, one is to get married and the other is very jealous, humor, laughter); 3. Prayer (fair recording, recites verses, religion, faith).
Anonymous man. Begins at 12:57 and ends at 36:33. 1. Cuento (fair recording, a medieval story, man had three daughters, he worked collecting fire wood, one day he ran into a giant and he told the man that he was going to kill him unless he brought him one of his daughters to marry, the man's daughter agreed to marry the giant, the next day the man ran into a second giant and he said that he would also kill the man if he didn't bring him a daughter to marry as well, the next day the man runs into a third giant and he tells him the same thing, kill the tiger, Paloma, etc.); 2. Story about a prince (fair recording, a prince who had a book of adivinanzas, guesses, about his trip to buy bread); 3. Cuento de ladrones (fair recording, story of three ladrones, three thieves, one of them married, the others visit the married thief and his wife, etc.); 4. Cuento (fair recording, story about a man who wanted apples but didn't know how to get them, manzanas).
Anonymous man. Begins at 36:35 and ends at 51:41. 1. Story (fair recording, about a poor elderly couple who decided to go to the mountains to collect firewood, they found a bag of money and took it home, the wife decides the husband should enroll in school, while he was gone the wife went to the store and bought flour and lard); 2. Story (fair recording, about a couple with a very beautiful daughter ready to marry but who was very gullible, her father decided to teach her a lesson, the father says that if someone can tell her a lie and if she does not believe it, then they can marry her, children, marriage, women); 3. Cuento de ladrones (fair recording, story about thieves, humor); 4. Song (fair recording, singing).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 51:43 and ends at 56:10. Verses (fair recording, rhyming, wisdom, advice, two daughters, both marry, the husband of one of them dies, her children ask for bread but she does not have anything to give them, women, poverty, death, muerte); 2. Chiste (fair recording, joke about two jealous women, girls, one is to get married and the other is very jealous, humor, laughter); 3. Prayer (fair recording, recites verses, religion, faith).
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