Anonymous, recorder, ca. 1971
File — Box: 4, CD: 372 A
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
- ca. 1971
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, born February 28th, 1890, age 81. Begins at 00:02 and ends at 19:31. 1. Personal information (good recording); 2. La Chihuahueña, verses (good recording, la cucaracha, cockroach, Chihuahua); 3. Versos (good recording, verses); 4. Indita de Carlos Griego (good recording, song); 5. Indita (good recording, song, mujer ingrata, ungrateful woman, Mexico, women); 6. Adivinanza (good recording, four gatos, cats, riddle, adivinanza, dogs); 7. Story (good recording, about a man and his three sons, tres hijos, consejos, seeking fortune, the man was friends with the king, one of the sons becomes a sastre, tailor, the second a carpenter, and the third son Juanito becomes a thief and goes on adventures).
Chavita Sandoval, born 1896 in Chimayo, NM. Begins at 19:40 and ends at 23:05. 1. Versos de la entriega de novios (fair to poor recording, wedding tradition, recited); 2. Versos del chiquiao (fair to poor recording, verses, chiquiado, dance game); 3. Versos del bautismo (fair recording, baptism traditions); 4. Adivinanzas (fair recording, riddles).
Adelaida, aka Ida, born 1878, in Albuquerque, age 92, from Old Town, Albuquerque. Begins at 23:10 and ends at 52:48. 1. Personal information (fair recording, father was Juan Martin (Martinez), mother was Maria Frances, padrina was Feliciana Montoya); 2. Personal experiences (fair recording, women, memories, Old Town Albuquerque, la plaza vieja, old town plaza, la carcel vieja, log cabin, old jail, inside was an iron cage, chino cocinero, Chinese cook, Julian, the speaker's father cleaned the jail, a man hung himself behind the jail, when she was eleven years old, La Feria, New Mexico Territorial fair in Old Town, society, Penitentes, alma esta - El Safeway, arbolera, curandera, on the site of the San Felipe School, etc.); 3. Verso (fair recording, rezo, prayer, verses); 4. Conversation (fair recording, with interviewer, at the home of Candelaria Armijo, talks about La Placita Restaurant, Los Romeros, Sisters in the convent, school, Old Town Albuquerque, versos, account of the toll bridge on Central Avenue, across river, Rio Grande, half a nickel to cross, etc.); 5. Story, adventures of Comin Comian (fair recording, Comin Comian drank five gallons of milk, he killed fieras in a witches' cave, he found diamonds, he later he married); 6. Cuento (fair recording, told by her father, un lepero que se vestia de La Llorona, different story about La Llorona, haunted cave, women. See Cobos notes in folder).
Chavita Sandoval, born 1896 in Chimayo, NM. Begins at 19:40 and ends at 23:05. 1. Versos de la entriega de novios (fair to poor recording, wedding tradition, recited); 2. Versos del chiquiao (fair to poor recording, verses, chiquiado, dance game); 3. Versos del bautismo (fair recording, baptism traditions); 4. Adivinanzas (fair recording, riddles).
Adelaida, aka Ida, born 1878, in Albuquerque, age 92, from Old Town, Albuquerque. Begins at 23:10 and ends at 52:48. 1. Personal information (fair recording, father was Juan Martin (Martinez), mother was Maria Frances, padrina was Feliciana Montoya); 2. Personal experiences (fair recording, women, memories, Old Town Albuquerque, la plaza vieja, old town plaza, la carcel vieja, log cabin, old jail, inside was an iron cage, chino cocinero, Chinese cook, Julian, the speaker's father cleaned the jail, a man hung himself behind the jail, when she was eleven years old, La Feria, New Mexico Territorial fair in Old Town, society, Penitentes, alma esta - El Safeway, arbolera, curandera, on the site of the San Felipe School, etc.); 3. Verso (fair recording, rezo, prayer, verses); 4. Conversation (fair recording, with interviewer, at the home of Candelaria Armijo, talks about La Placita Restaurant, Los Romeros, Sisters in the convent, school, Old Town Albuquerque, versos, account of the toll bridge on Central Avenue, across river, Rio Grande, half a nickel to cross, etc.); 5. Story, adventures of Comin Comian (fair recording, Comin Comian drank five gallons of milk, he killed fieras in a witches' cave, he found diamonds, he later he married); 6. Cuento (fair recording, told by her father, un lepero que se vestia de La Llorona, different story about La Llorona, haunted cave, women. See Cobos notes 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