Ruben Cobos, recorder, 1949
File — Box: 4, CD: 376
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
- 1949
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
Manuel Esquibel, born 1888, La Joya, NM. Similar material with the following individuals on CD 263. Begins at 00:03 and ends at 1:06. Song, El bazar del diablo (fair to poor recording, singing).
Leonardo Casados, from Cuba, NM. Begins at 1:19 and ends at 2:45. Song, El borreguero (fair to poor recording, singing, sheep, shepherd).
Napoleon Trujillo, born 1889, Bernalillo, NM. Begins at 3:07 and ends at 5:18. 1. La mulita (fair to poor recording, singing, Pecos, New Mexico, Colorado, the little dumb mule or could be a woman, women); 2. La enfermedad de frios (fair to poor recording, singing, indita, traditional music, health, medicine).
Teresita Gurule, born 1882, Alameda, NM. Begins at 5:22 and ends at 6:42. Las nubes (poor recording, singing, inaudible).
Mrs. Nick Montano, born 1893 in Tome, NM and Mrs. Jose de Leon Padilla, Tome, NM. Begins at 6:46 and ends at 8:45. Indita de Solomon Luna, Los Lunas, New Mexico (fair to poor recording, singing, duet, women, song dated back to 1912).
Placido Chavez, born 1882, Valencia, NM. Begins at 8:46 and ends at 10:26. Indita del Indio Victorio (fair recording, singing, indita que si, indita que no, Victorio, Apache chief).
Amador Abeyta, born 1887, Sabinal, NM. Begins at 10:29 and ends at 11:32. Song, San Luis Gonzaga de Avaranda (fair to poor recording, singing).
Manuel Esquibel, born 1888, La Joya, NM. Begins at 11:36 and ends at 15:45. Indita de Manuel Maes (fair recording, song, story, traditional music, year of '73, 1873, el Rio Colorado, death of buffalo hunter, Great Plains, muerte).
Edwin Berry, born 1915, Tome, NM. Begins at 15:16 and ends at 29:51. 1. Local history, don Solomon Luna (good recording, story about Luna, he had a large hacienda and was a wise man, mentions rona, he served on the team drafting the first Constitution of new State of New Mexico, he was found dead with the sheep, in sheep dip, he did not have a face, he was buried in Los Lunas, Valencia County, Rio Abajo); 2. Local history (good recording, Tome, New Mexcio, south of Albuqueruqe, leading men of area, buried in Tome are Samuel Gutierrez, Manuel B. Otero, Manuel A. Otero); 3. Indita de Manuel B. Otero (good recording, fragment of the indita, singing, speaker does not remember all of the verses, camino real, land in Estancia, Torrance County); 4. Indita de Cleofas Griego (good recording, he was a local pastor, polonio, speaker provides background information for indita and then sings a portion of the song); 5. Conversation (good recording, tarabilla is an underbite, ramal are three cuts that form a ramalito, explained on recording).
Mrs. Mack Zamora. Begins at 30:00 and ends at 41:02. Song (good recording, Indita de San Luis, traditional music, religion).
Presentacion Lucero, born 1879, Cuba, NM. Begins at 41:03 and ends at 43:03. Indita de Pablita (fair recording, song, indita, Paulita Angel, Las Vegas, New Mexico, traditional song, killed man pursuing her, hung for crime, women, marriage).
Leonardo Casados, from Cuba, NM. Begins at 1:19 and ends at 2:45. Song, El borreguero (fair to poor recording, singing, sheep, shepherd).
Napoleon Trujillo, born 1889, Bernalillo, NM. Begins at 3:07 and ends at 5:18. 1. La mulita (fair to poor recording, singing, Pecos, New Mexico, Colorado, the little dumb mule or could be a woman, women); 2. La enfermedad de frios (fair to poor recording, singing, indita, traditional music, health, medicine).
Teresita Gurule, born 1882, Alameda, NM. Begins at 5:22 and ends at 6:42. Las nubes (poor recording, singing, inaudible).
Mrs. Nick Montano, born 1893 in Tome, NM and Mrs. Jose de Leon Padilla, Tome, NM. Begins at 6:46 and ends at 8:45. Indita de Solomon Luna, Los Lunas, New Mexico (fair to poor recording, singing, duet, women, song dated back to 1912).
Placido Chavez, born 1882, Valencia, NM. Begins at 8:46 and ends at 10:26. Indita del Indio Victorio (fair recording, singing, indita que si, indita que no, Victorio, Apache chief).
Amador Abeyta, born 1887, Sabinal, NM. Begins at 10:29 and ends at 11:32. Song, San Luis Gonzaga de Avaranda (fair to poor recording, singing).
Manuel Esquibel, born 1888, La Joya, NM. Begins at 11:36 and ends at 15:45. Indita de Manuel Maes (fair recording, song, story, traditional music, year of '73, 1873, el Rio Colorado, death of buffalo hunter, Great Plains, muerte).
Edwin Berry, born 1915, Tome, NM. Begins at 15:16 and ends at 29:51. 1. Local history, don Solomon Luna (good recording, story about Luna, he had a large hacienda and was a wise man, mentions rona, he served on the team drafting the first Constitution of new State of New Mexico, he was found dead with the sheep, in sheep dip, he did not have a face, he was buried in Los Lunas, Valencia County, Rio Abajo); 2. Local history (good recording, Tome, New Mexcio, south of Albuqueruqe, leading men of area, buried in Tome are Samuel Gutierrez, Manuel B. Otero, Manuel A. Otero); 3. Indita de Manuel B. Otero (good recording, fragment of the indita, singing, speaker does not remember all of the verses, camino real, land in Estancia, Torrance County); 4. Indita de Cleofas Griego (good recording, he was a local pastor, polonio, speaker provides background information for indita and then sings a portion of the song); 5. Conversation (good recording, tarabilla is an underbite, ramal are three cuts that form a ramalito, explained on recording).
Mrs. Mack Zamora. Begins at 30:00 and ends at 41:02. Song (good recording, Indita de San Luis, traditional music, religion).
Presentacion Lucero, born 1879, Cuba, NM. Begins at 41:03 and ends at 43:03. Indita de Pablita (fair recording, song, indita, Paulita Angel, Las Vegas, New Mexico, traditional song, killed man pursuing her, hung for crime, women, marriage).
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