Ruben Cobos, recorder, 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 363
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
- 1975
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
Harold Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 00:03 and ends at 3:05. 1. Personal beliefs (good recording, values, traditional beliefs, children must respect parents, if child raises their hand in anger, their hand will die and dry up); 2. Velorios (good recording, local traditions, personal experience, death, wakes, funeral, muerte, curandera, health, rosary, alabados, midnight dinner, impact of traditions on children). See Cobos notes for CD 363 in folder.)
Nora Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 3:06 and ends at 5:28. 1. Velorios (good recording, local traditions, wakes, muerte, death, funerals, rosario); 2. Conversation (good recording, about velorios, relatives, Penitentes and velorio, alabados. See notes in Cobos folder).
Harold Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 5:30 and ends at 8:17. 1. Chilorio (good recording, local traditions, personal experience, preparing red chile, food, cooking, chilorio refers to the burn that one receives from touching chile); 2. Conversation (good recording, local traditions, Dr. Cobos asks about the word chilorio as sometimes being used to refer to the midnight dinner at the velorio, when red chile is served, wake, funeral, informant said this term is not used in Colorado, meal was called la cena); 3. Luminarias (good recording, local traditions, in Colorado luminarias never used at a velorio, luminarias in Colorado refers to wood bonfires, or lumbres, crossed logs in a square, pinon wood, burned on a mountainside during Christmas, Navidad, speaker first saw paper luminarias in the 1950's in New Mexico in Ojo Caliente and Espanola, in Colorado they did not use bag for luminarias, only logs for bonfires).
Harold Tafoya. This CD similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 8:18 and ends at 8:35. Personal information (good recording, his father was Federico Tafoya, mother was Veroniz Espinosa Tafoya, etc.).
Nora Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 8:38 and ends at 12:50. 1. Conversation (good recording, parents were Merenciano Sandoval and Eufemia Aragon de Sandoval); 2. Oremos (good recording, no such custom in Coloroado, recites verses, in Albuquerque Oremos refers to Halloween, in New Mexico in past refers to Christmas Eve when children went door to door begging, given candy, nuts and fruit, but not in Colorado. On Christmas morning, Navidad, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, but not in Colorado, children, age seven to twelve years old, went door to door for treats, singing verses, Oremos angelitos somos, que del cielo venemos, si no nos dan oremos puertas y ventanas quebraremos, mis crismas, in Colorado, children with a paper bag go door to door, saying Mis Cristmas, given candy, nuts and fruit, was popular in 1940s and early 1950s, now few children go around); 3. Conversation (good recording, about local traditions, blessings, La Bendicion, on New Years Day, children go to elders for a blessing, prayer, sign of cross, kiss their hand, respect for elders, parents, family, discipline. See notes in Cobos folder).
Harold Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 12:51 and ends at 13:34. Bendicion de los novios (good recording, local traditions, wedding, marriage blessing to bride and groom after entriega de novios, blessing was given by parents then grandparents, on both sides. Notes in Cobos folder).
Nora Taroya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 13:34 and ends at 22:26. 1. Local traditions (poor recording, marriage, wedding traditions, Colorado, bendicion of new married couple in bride's home, blessing); 2. Entriega (fair recording, local traditions, wedding, marriage, before wedding sponsors responsible for the couple, hijados, cuatro rosas, afterward bride and groom are responsible to each other, bride is first given to groom and then groom to the bride, entriega contains advise to groom on how to care for his wife, women, no hay padre, no hay madre); 3. Baptism (fair recording, local traditions, religious, personal experience, Catholic Church, godparents, padrinos, words they recite at time, dinner party, band played music, verses recited, etc. Notes in Cobos folder).
Elvira Cobos and Nora Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 22:29 and ends at 23:06. Conversation (good recording, personal experiences, opinions, local traditions, Elvira talking, two were comadres, women, relationship, Nora continues discussion regarding the use of the words compadres and comadres, semantic variation, Spanish language).
Harold Tafoya. Begins at 23:07 and ends at 27:15. 1. La viudas, widows (good recording, local traditions, attitudes about widows, women whom wish to remarry, luto, death, depends on the family, must wait at least six months to a year remarry, women and mourning period, how men treat her, men are careful not to dance with widows for fear of what people will say); 2. Local traditions (good recording, wedding engagement, necesitar, the meaning of the word ocupar, to need, semantics, lexical differences in Spanish lanaguage, usage. See notes in Cobos folder).
Nora Tafoya. This material similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 27:17 and ends at 29:30. 1. Conversation (good recording, the meaning of the word comprender, a contract, language, semantics, Spanish language, definition of term used to refer to the hire or employ a gardener, sheepherder, temporary job, contracted); 2. Ver (good recording, discussion of the meaning of the word ver, meaning to go out and find someone to work, Spanish language, semantics. See Cobos notes CD 363 in folder).
Nora Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 3:06 and ends at 5:28. 1. Velorios (good recording, local traditions, wakes, muerte, death, funerals, rosario); 2. Conversation (good recording, about velorios, relatives, Penitentes and velorio, alabados. See notes in Cobos folder).
Harold Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 5:30 and ends at 8:17. 1. Chilorio (good recording, local traditions, personal experience, preparing red chile, food, cooking, chilorio refers to the burn that one receives from touching chile); 2. Conversation (good recording, local traditions, Dr. Cobos asks about the word chilorio as sometimes being used to refer to the midnight dinner at the velorio, when red chile is served, wake, funeral, informant said this term is not used in Colorado, meal was called la cena); 3. Luminarias (good recording, local traditions, in Colorado luminarias never used at a velorio, luminarias in Colorado refers to wood bonfires, or lumbres, crossed logs in a square, pinon wood, burned on a mountainside during Christmas, Navidad, speaker first saw paper luminarias in the 1950's in New Mexico in Ojo Caliente and Espanola, in Colorado they did not use bag for luminarias, only logs for bonfires).
Harold Tafoya. This CD similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 8:18 and ends at 8:35. Personal information (good recording, his father was Federico Tafoya, mother was Veroniz Espinosa Tafoya, etc.).
Nora Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 8:38 and ends at 12:50. 1. Conversation (good recording, parents were Merenciano Sandoval and Eufemia Aragon de Sandoval); 2. Oremos (good recording, no such custom in Coloroado, recites verses, in Albuquerque Oremos refers to Halloween, in New Mexico in past refers to Christmas Eve when children went door to door begging, given candy, nuts and fruit, but not in Colorado. On Christmas morning, Navidad, in Las Vegas, New Mexico, but not in Colorado, children, age seven to twelve years old, went door to door for treats, singing verses, Oremos angelitos somos, que del cielo venemos, si no nos dan oremos puertas y ventanas quebraremos, mis crismas, in Colorado, children with a paper bag go door to door, saying Mis Cristmas, given candy, nuts and fruit, was popular in 1940s and early 1950s, now few children go around); 3. Conversation (good recording, about local traditions, blessings, La Bendicion, on New Years Day, children go to elders for a blessing, prayer, sign of cross, kiss their hand, respect for elders, parents, family, discipline. See notes in Cobos folder).
Harold Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 12:51 and ends at 13:34. Bendicion de los novios (good recording, local traditions, wedding, marriage blessing to bride and groom after entriega de novios, blessing was given by parents then grandparents, on both sides. Notes in Cobos folder).
Nora Taroya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 13:34 and ends at 22:26. 1. Local traditions (poor recording, marriage, wedding traditions, Colorado, bendicion of new married couple in bride's home, blessing); 2. Entriega (fair recording, local traditions, wedding, marriage, before wedding sponsors responsible for the couple, hijados, cuatro rosas, afterward bride and groom are responsible to each other, bride is first given to groom and then groom to the bride, entriega contains advise to groom on how to care for his wife, women, no hay padre, no hay madre); 3. Baptism (fair recording, local traditions, religious, personal experience, Catholic Church, godparents, padrinos, words they recite at time, dinner party, band played music, verses recited, etc. Notes in Cobos folder).
Elvira Cobos and Nora Tafoya. This material is similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 22:29 and ends at 23:06. Conversation (good recording, personal experiences, opinions, local traditions, Elvira talking, two were comadres, women, relationship, Nora continues discussion regarding the use of the words compadres and comadres, semantic variation, Spanish language).
Harold Tafoya. Begins at 23:07 and ends at 27:15. 1. La viudas, widows (good recording, local traditions, attitudes about widows, women whom wish to remarry, luto, death, depends on the family, must wait at least six months to a year remarry, women and mourning period, how men treat her, men are careful not to dance with widows for fear of what people will say); 2. Local traditions (good recording, wedding engagement, necesitar, the meaning of the word ocupar, to need, semantics, lexical differences in Spanish lanaguage, usage. See notes in Cobos folder).
Nora Tafoya. This material similar to CDs 399 and 400. Begins at 27:17 and ends at 29:30. 1. Conversation (good recording, the meaning of the word comprender, a contract, language, semantics, Spanish language, definition of term used to refer to the hire or employ a gardener, sheepherder, temporary job, contracted); 2. Ver (good recording, discussion of the meaning of the word ver, meaning to go out and find someone to work, Spanish language, semantics. See Cobos notes CD 363 in folder).
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