Anonymous, recorder, n.d.
File — Box: 4, CD: 357 C
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 00:01 and ends at 1:59. 1. Story (fair recording, about a man who is eating, God and the Virgin Mary come and ask him for food, he tells them he does not have any food, death appears and asks him for food and the man gives him food, he prefers death to God, fairness of death who takes all men equally, rich or poor, but God is not as fair, muerte); 2. Story (fair recording, verses, a man is going to Zaragoza, he is turned into a frog and stays in the lake, a year later the man returns and passes by the lake, same thing happens, repetition).
Anonymous man. Begins at 2:00 and ends at 4:34. 1. Chiste (fair recording, Don Elias and his family were cooking in the kitchen, food, the daughter could not make round tortillas, la tortillas no entran rodiando); 2. Chiste (fair recording, three drunks were traveling and speaking blasphemies, drinking, infante, codeswitch into English, Bilingual, Spanglish, Spanish language).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 4:38 and ends at 15:25. 1. Local traditions (fair to poor recording, personal experience, La Llorona stories, speaker describes how children were told scary stories before bed time, the children would go to bed in fear, La Llorona, discipline, Virgin Mary, velorios, wake, funeral, when New Mexico was a Territory, there was no Torrance County created yet, only Valencia County existed, etc.); 2. Cuento (fair to poor recording, story about a princess who gets married); 3. Dichos (fair to poor recording, verses, sayings, Bilingual, codeswitch into English, Spanglish, passed down through family, traditions).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 15:27 and ends at 17:46. Story (fair recording, about a man who found a cave with hidden gold, he was found out and got sick and died, death, treasure, crime, muerte).
Anonymous man. Begins at 17:47 and ends at 21:21. 1. El Pino (fair to poor recording, story, liquor, drunk, drinking); 2. Los Penitentes (fair to poor recording, Penitentes during Holy Week, Semana Santa, the dead and the living were together, religion, faith); 3. Verso (fair to poor recording, recites quick verse).
Anonymous man. Begins at 21:22 and ends at 25:06. Story (poor recording, about God, difficult to understand).
Anonymous man. Begins at 25:10 and ends at 34:12. Dichos (fair to poor recording, sayings, proverbs, wisdom, penasco, un bien con un mal se paga, coyote, snake).
Anonymous man. Begins at 2:00 and ends at 4:34. 1. Chiste (fair recording, Don Elias and his family were cooking in the kitchen, food, the daughter could not make round tortillas, la tortillas no entran rodiando); 2. Chiste (fair recording, three drunks were traveling and speaking blasphemies, drinking, infante, codeswitch into English, Bilingual, Spanglish, Spanish language).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 4:38 and ends at 15:25. 1. Local traditions (fair to poor recording, personal experience, La Llorona stories, speaker describes how children were told scary stories before bed time, the children would go to bed in fear, La Llorona, discipline, Virgin Mary, velorios, wake, funeral, when New Mexico was a Territory, there was no Torrance County created yet, only Valencia County existed, etc.); 2. Cuento (fair to poor recording, story about a princess who gets married); 3. Dichos (fair to poor recording, verses, sayings, Bilingual, codeswitch into English, Spanglish, passed down through family, traditions).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 15:27 and ends at 17:46. Story (fair recording, about a man who found a cave with hidden gold, he was found out and got sick and died, death, treasure, crime, muerte).
Anonymous man. Begins at 17:47 and ends at 21:21. 1. El Pino (fair to poor recording, story, liquor, drunk, drinking); 2. Los Penitentes (fair to poor recording, Penitentes during Holy Week, Semana Santa, the dead and the living were together, religion, faith); 3. Verso (fair to poor recording, recites quick verse).
Anonymous man. Begins at 21:22 and ends at 25:06. Story (poor recording, about God, difficult to understand).
Anonymous man. Begins at 25:10 and ends at 34:12. Dichos (fair to poor recording, sayings, proverbs, wisdom, penasco, un bien con un mal se paga, coyote, snake).
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