Diane Griego and Robert A. Sanchez, recorders, n.d.
File — Box: 4, CD: 374
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
Griego: Rafaelita Tafoya, born 1905, born July 10, in La Joya, NM. Begins at 00:02 and ends at 6:52. 1. Datos personales, personal information (poor recording, grandfather from Spain); 2. El abuelo cautivo (fair to poor recording, about the speaker's grandfather being held captive by Native Americans, Indians, her mother used to tell her this story as a child, they did not hurt her grandfather because they liked his black hair, local history, personal experience, codeswitch into English long long time ago, Spanish language, Spanglish); 2. anecdote (fair to poor recording, story about a bear that came into a late night dance and there were no more dances after that due to fear, dancing).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 6:53 and ends at 30:10. 1. Superstitions (fair to poor recording, brujas, witches, magic, masa turned to worms, personal experience, do not eat the food that a witch gives you, just save it and wait to see if worms come, curses, women); 2. Personal experience (fair to poor recording, story about the speaker's mother seeing a ball of fire land in a field, balls of fire, witch, magic, brujeria); 3. Ya se callo el arbolito (fair to poor recording, singing, a falling tree); 4. Song (fair to poor recording, singing); 5. Margarita (fair to poor recording, singing); 6. The Great Depression, World War II (fair to poor recording, local history, personal experience, conditions, economy, poverty, could not buy flour, rice was very limited, speaker was about twenty years old, there was no manteca, during war, military, ration stamps were required for trade, money was worthless); 7. Verses (poor recording, prayer, recited; 8. Cuento de los ladrones (fair to poor recording, story about thieves, rich people liked to save their money in bags buried underground, thieves would come and steal their money, crime, theft, cojo, gun, conversation between interviewer and speaker); 9. Cuento (story about a girl with an uncle who was a drunkard, drinking, he discovered a cave full of beautiful women and danced with the queen, snake in cave); 10. Cuento (fair to poor recording, story about an elderly couple who were robbed, theft, ladrones, crime); 11. Song (fair to poor recording, singing); 12. La palomita (fair to poor recording, singing, little dove, love, dance even though you are sad); 13. Personal experience (fair recording, story about the speaker's experience dancing with a boy and she had to tell him a verse, recites verse).
Sanchez: Barbara Mares, born 1912, age 63, from Old Town Albuquerque. Begins at 30:11 and ends at 40:57. 1. Cuento, Dance with the devil (fair recording, stories the speaker's father told her, tragic, three sad stories, one about an ugly girl that no one wanted to dance with her, she was invited to a dance, got dressed up as best as she could, met a very handsome man at the dance and said she would sell her soul to dance just one song with him, the young man went over and danced with her, after the dance he asked her if she was serious about selling her soul to the devil just to dance with him and she agreed, the couple danced up into the air and disappeared, the devil took the girl); 2. Cuento (good recording, story about a loteria, lottery held by the Penitentes to pick a man to sacrifice, Jorge's name was pulled from the sombrero, group excommunicated by the Catholic Church for their harmful practices, Jueves Santo, Holy Thursday, Jorge was released to the wild over night as a sacrifice to carry the cross, he was not well in his health, the next day he awoke at 2 PM and arrived at the morado to carry the cross for the second day, Fridayo, a young man helped him carry the cross, Jorge died as a result of the beating he received by the Penitentes, as a result of this event, the Penitentes were no longer permitted to practice sacrifices); 3. Cuento de un hombre (good recording, Jorge Lorenzo, age 35, was a very angry man and could not control his temper); 4. Dichos (good recording, rhymes, verses); 5. Story (good recording about a local man who was cursed by his mother, witches, personal experience, parent, family, children).
Sanchez: Felicitas C. de Baca, age 82, born 1893. From Tome, NM. Begins at 41:00 and ends at 47:08. 1. Song (poor recording, song, religion); 2. Verses (fair recording, recites versos, alphabet, 26 letters and what they stand for).
Sanchez: Clorinda Sanchez, born 1915, age 50. From Watrous, NM, lives in Albuquerque. Begins at 47:09 and ends at 55:10. 1. Adivinanzas (fair recording, riddles, verses, traditional, her grandfather taught her them, rita rita que en el monte grita, lacha, toalla yo aqui, de que edad vino Dios al mundo, en que mas cerca mas lejos, en que mas lejo, mas cerca, es mejor tener un pelo en la sopa que la sopa en el pelo, lana sube, lana baja, la campana); 2.Cuento, Los huevos cocidos (fair recording, story, two men were on a journey and asked for posada, lodging, she gave them twelve boiled eggs to eat and a lawyer told her she was silly for having given them that food, the next year they returned to thank the woman, the men were thrown into jail and had no money to get out, an Native American Indian comes to visit the man in jail); 3. Chiste de tres manofachicos (fair recording, joke about a farmer with a vineyard, he discovred three simpleton brothers were stealing his grapes, he killed them all); 4. Chiste (fair recording, joke, codeswitch into English, Spanglish, Spanish language, rice, humor, language barrier); 4. Chiste (fair recording, el comprador y el vendedor, misunderstanding each other, language barrier, Spanish language).
Anonymous woman. Begins at 6:53 and ends at 30:10. 1. Superstitions (fair to poor recording, brujas, witches, magic, masa turned to worms, personal experience, do not eat the food that a witch gives you, just save it and wait to see if worms come, curses, women); 2. Personal experience (fair to poor recording, story about the speaker's mother seeing a ball of fire land in a field, balls of fire, witch, magic, brujeria); 3. Ya se callo el arbolito (fair to poor recording, singing, a falling tree); 4. Song (fair to poor recording, singing); 5. Margarita (fair to poor recording, singing); 6. The Great Depression, World War II (fair to poor recording, local history, personal experience, conditions, economy, poverty, could not buy flour, rice was very limited, speaker was about twenty years old, there was no manteca, during war, military, ration stamps were required for trade, money was worthless); 7. Verses (poor recording, prayer, recited; 8. Cuento de los ladrones (fair to poor recording, story about thieves, rich people liked to save their money in bags buried underground, thieves would come and steal their money, crime, theft, cojo, gun, conversation between interviewer and speaker); 9. Cuento (story about a girl with an uncle who was a drunkard, drinking, he discovered a cave full of beautiful women and danced with the queen, snake in cave); 10. Cuento (fair to poor recording, story about an elderly couple who were robbed, theft, ladrones, crime); 11. Song (fair to poor recording, singing); 12. La palomita (fair to poor recording, singing, little dove, love, dance even though you are sad); 13. Personal experience (fair recording, story about the speaker's experience dancing with a boy and she had to tell him a verse, recites verse).
Sanchez: Barbara Mares, born 1912, age 63, from Old Town Albuquerque. Begins at 30:11 and ends at 40:57. 1. Cuento, Dance with the devil (fair recording, stories the speaker's father told her, tragic, three sad stories, one about an ugly girl that no one wanted to dance with her, she was invited to a dance, got dressed up as best as she could, met a very handsome man at the dance and said she would sell her soul to dance just one song with him, the young man went over and danced with her, after the dance he asked her if she was serious about selling her soul to the devil just to dance with him and she agreed, the couple danced up into the air and disappeared, the devil took the girl); 2. Cuento (good recording, story about a loteria, lottery held by the Penitentes to pick a man to sacrifice, Jorge's name was pulled from the sombrero, group excommunicated by the Catholic Church for their harmful practices, Jueves Santo, Holy Thursday, Jorge was released to the wild over night as a sacrifice to carry the cross, he was not well in his health, the next day he awoke at 2 PM and arrived at the morado to carry the cross for the second day, Fridayo, a young man helped him carry the cross, Jorge died as a result of the beating he received by the Penitentes, as a result of this event, the Penitentes were no longer permitted to practice sacrifices); 3. Cuento de un hombre (good recording, Jorge Lorenzo, age 35, was a very angry man and could not control his temper); 4. Dichos (good recording, rhymes, verses); 5. Story (good recording about a local man who was cursed by his mother, witches, personal experience, parent, family, children).
Sanchez: Felicitas C. de Baca, age 82, born 1893. From Tome, NM. Begins at 41:00 and ends at 47:08. 1. Song (poor recording, song, religion); 2. Verses (fair recording, recites versos, alphabet, 26 letters and what they stand for).
Sanchez: Clorinda Sanchez, born 1915, age 50. From Watrous, NM, lives in Albuquerque. Begins at 47:09 and ends at 55:10. 1. Adivinanzas (fair recording, riddles, verses, traditional, her grandfather taught her them, rita rita que en el monte grita, lacha, toalla yo aqui, de que edad vino Dios al mundo, en que mas cerca mas lejos, en que mas lejo, mas cerca, es mejor tener un pelo en la sopa que la sopa en el pelo, lana sube, lana baja, la campana); 2.Cuento, Los huevos cocidos (fair recording, story, two men were on a journey and asked for posada, lodging, she gave them twelve boiled eggs to eat and a lawyer told her she was silly for having given them that food, the next year they returned to thank the woman, the men were thrown into jail and had no money to get out, an Native American Indian comes to visit the man in jail); 3. Chiste de tres manofachicos (fair recording, joke about a farmer with a vineyard, he discovred three simpleton brothers were stealing his grapes, he killed them all); 4. Chiste (fair recording, joke, codeswitch into English, Spanglish, Spanish language, rice, humor, language barrier); 4. Chiste (fair recording, el comprador y el vendedor, misunderstanding each other, language barrier, Spanish language).
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