Ruben Cobos and Elvira Cobos, recorders, 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 364
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
Ruben Cobos, 1975: Nora Tafoya, born 1946, Red Cliff, Colorado. Similar to CD 399. CD 364, I of II. Begins at 00:03 and ends at 00:31. Chiste (good recording, joke, about two friends who were discussing the correct way to say pues, pos, humor, dos alumnos, discussion, use of word pues, pus, semantic variation, language, school, education. Cobos notes for CD 364 in folder).
Elvira Cobos, 1975: Elvira Cobos and Nora Tafoya in conversation. This material is similar to CD 399. Begins at 00:36 and ends at 20:24. 1. Home remedies (good recording, local traditions, remedios caseros, used by her mother, traditional medicine, grandmother, women, describes what plants were used for osha, hierbas de la ormiga, hormiga, polleo, yerba buena, manzanilla, chemaja, asafran, trementina, plumajeo, curandero, cures, medicine, health, curandera); 2. Superstitions (good recording, brujas, witches, scissors placed in form of a cross, stories, mother told speaker, crossed needles, protection against witches, when shaking right hand with person distrust, cross the fingers of your left hand, protecion against curses and evil); 3. Brujas (good recording, stories passed down by mother and grandmother, women witches often appear as owls, a woman they knew was found dead, was a witch, women, conversation about supersititions); 4. Superstitions (good recording, casorio, wedding, weather, rain, hail the size of balls, salt in the shape of a cross, stop evil by sprinkling salt, when baking bread, put cross on top, sign of Jesus, bread will rise higher, not drop, not burn, superstition about women jealous of each other's cooking, more superstitions on sprinking salt, use salt if hailing during a wedding, baby, children, mollena anterior, fonantel, palate dropped, orofacial anamoly, home medical care, home remedy, grandmother pushed it in mouth up with fingers, so child could breathe, swallow and suck milk, or wet with sugar and water top of baby's dry hair to pull palate into right position, cleft palate, sun stroke, el bazo, headache, running nose, medicine, health); 5. Home remedies (good recording, remedios caseros, home remedies, curandero, home care, eggs, ventosas, for pain in body, glass and candle massage, empacho and egg yoke, ventosa repeated again, mezquino and dish cloth cure, mesquino, wart and cooked meat cure, trementina for a corn, banana peel, corn, stomach problems, empacho, spider web for nose bleeding, hemorrage, tetaranos. Cobos notes for CD 364 in folder).
Elvira Cobos, 1975: Elvira Cobos and Nora Tafoya in conversation. This material is similar to CD 399. Begins at 00:36 and ends at 20:24. 1. Home remedies (good recording, local traditions, remedios caseros, used by her mother, traditional medicine, grandmother, women, describes what plants were used for osha, hierbas de la ormiga, hormiga, polleo, yerba buena, manzanilla, chemaja, asafran, trementina, plumajeo, curandero, cures, medicine, health, curandera); 2. Superstitions (good recording, brujas, witches, scissors placed in form of a cross, stories, mother told speaker, crossed needles, protection against witches, when shaking right hand with person distrust, cross the fingers of your left hand, protecion against curses and evil); 3. Brujas (good recording, stories passed down by mother and grandmother, women witches often appear as owls, a woman they knew was found dead, was a witch, women, conversation about supersititions); 4. Superstitions (good recording, casorio, wedding, weather, rain, hail the size of balls, salt in the shape of a cross, stop evil by sprinkling salt, when baking bread, put cross on top, sign of Jesus, bread will rise higher, not drop, not burn, superstition about women jealous of each other's cooking, more superstitions on sprinking salt, use salt if hailing during a wedding, baby, children, mollena anterior, fonantel, palate dropped, orofacial anamoly, home medical care, home remedy, grandmother pushed it in mouth up with fingers, so child could breathe, swallow and suck milk, or wet with sugar and water top of baby's dry hair to pull palate into right position, cleft palate, sun stroke, el bazo, headache, running nose, medicine, health); 5. Home remedies (good recording, remedios caseros, home remedies, curandero, home care, eggs, ventosas, for pain in body, glass and candle massage, empacho and egg yoke, ventosa repeated again, mezquino and dish cloth cure, mesquino, wart and cooked meat cure, trementina for a corn, banana peel, corn, stomach problems, empacho, spider web for nose bleeding, hemorrage, tetaranos. Cobos notes for CD 364 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