Lawrence Baca, Mary Ann Baca, recorders
File — Box: 4, CD: 377 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
- 1944-1974
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
CD I of II. Lawrence Baca, 1975: Juan Gonzales, age 55, born 1926, from El Rancho de La Guapa, NM. Begins at 00:03 and ends at 7:55. Superstitions (fair to poor recording, witches, brujas, personal experience, curse, spell, had un hermano Ambrosio Uselio, healing, health, animal haunting the home, speaker's brother suffered from a stomach illness and was very angry and nervous, doctors could not bring him relief, in the year of 1932 - 1933 a Native American Indian man from San Felipe Pueblo came to visit, the man became afraid due to the curse upon the speaker's brother and asked permission to cure the brother of his stomach illness, curandero, describes the steps the man took, medicine man, pulled a feather and a rock out of the brother's stomach, he was cured and they never heard the animal haunt the home again. Notes in Cobos folder0.
Lawrence Baca, 1975: Juan Gonzales, born 1926, Rancho de La Gaupa, NM. Begins at 8:00 and ends at 11:10. 1. Superstitions (similar to story above, poor recording, inaudible, brujas, personal experience, informant believes in witches, 1933 story of his brother, Ambrosio, who was sick whole life, animal sounds around their house, until cured by Native American Indian from San Felipe Pueblo, took feather and stones from stomach of sick boy, curandero, medicine man); 2. Chiste poor recording, inaudible, Native American Indian villagers needed rain for crops, walked the Santo Nino de Atocha statue through their fields, but it hailed, so they took the statue of the Virgin Mary to the fields to repair damages el nino had done, acequias, farming); 3. Traditions (poor recording, inaudible, when time for wake for dead person, group could not find the statue of San Juan for the service, so used Santo Nino de Atocha one instead, and what the leader said at the wake, chiste, joke. Notes in Cobos folder).
Lawrence Baca, 1975: Rafael Baca, age 56, born 1919, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 11:14 and ends at 32:01. 1. Local history (fair recording, traditions, speaker's father was a Penitente from San Miguel County New Mexico, he lived in Albuquerque but he would report to the Penitentes during Semana Santa, speaker tells the story of the Penitentes of New Mexico as he has observed through his father's instruction and participation, religion, informant gives details about Penitentes of Northern New Mexico, brotherhood, formed by Mexican Roman Catholics, they believed that they were able to receive forgiveness for their sins via punishment to the physical body, their small churches known as moradas, there is very little known about this organization, secretive, una historia muy hermosa, que muchos ciudanos del estado de Nuevo Mexico deberian saber, 135 moradas, 1,500 members, prayer, use of moradas, after a century of widespread practice the Penitentes ended in 1947 and continued only in some small pueblitos, Catholic Church, villages, Lent, no meat, fasting, sleep on floor, bare feet, flagellations, whips made of nopales, chains, whip selves until the blood runs down their backs to atone for their sin, Holy Week, Semana Santa events, traditions, some services secret, closed to public, some are open, people of the village participate, crucifiction, use of a human person as a cristo, tied on cross at the top of the Monte Calvario, in the morada, use of candles, Taos, Mora, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Viernes Santos, Holy Friday, Cristo Rey con su madre, image of the Virgin Mary is brought down from the morada by a Penitente member and the celebration is held with the citizens of the pueblo, el sermon de las siete palabras de Jesus); 2. Local traditions (fair recording, Penitentes, held on Viernes en la Noche, Holy Friday at night, at the local morada, open to the public, all candles are turned out and the participants hit the ground with chains, pots, screams, the candles are relit and signing commences to signify that peace has returned, this marks the end of Semana santa, speaker observed the Penitentes personally, at age 14, his father was a member, no other outsiders allowed, he and other children would hide and watch); 3. Personal experience (fair recording, velorio, wake, account of rosary and funeral of a member by Penitentes, also rosary given for funeral of his mother, description, details. Notes in Cobos folder).
Mary Ann Baca, 1985: Esperanza Padilla, age 57, born 1918, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 32:02 and ends at 42:23. 1. La mil y una noches (good recording, speaker's mother used to tell her many stories to entertain her, story about an Arabian sultan who always killed each of his wives after first night of their marriage, until married one who told great stories to her sister, for 1001 nights, and entertained the sultan so he did not kill her); 2. El Professor, Part I (good recording, story about a professor who studied and read until he became old, then fell in love with a young woman named Margarita, he desired to return to his youth in order to catch her attention, he sold his soul to devil who made him young, on way to see the girl he stopped to look up something in his books, times passes and he is old again. Devil came and told him to accept his age, status and looks, love, elderly, aging, women, love, men, cont. on CD 377 B).
Lawrence Baca, 1975: Juan Gonzales, born 1926, Rancho de La Gaupa, NM. Begins at 8:00 and ends at 11:10. 1. Superstitions (similar to story above, poor recording, inaudible, brujas, personal experience, informant believes in witches, 1933 story of his brother, Ambrosio, who was sick whole life, animal sounds around their house, until cured by Native American Indian from San Felipe Pueblo, took feather and stones from stomach of sick boy, curandero, medicine man); 2. Chiste poor recording, inaudible, Native American Indian villagers needed rain for crops, walked the Santo Nino de Atocha statue through their fields, but it hailed, so they took the statue of the Virgin Mary to the fields to repair damages el nino had done, acequias, farming); 3. Traditions (poor recording, inaudible, when time for wake for dead person, group could not find the statue of San Juan for the service, so used Santo Nino de Atocha one instead, and what the leader said at the wake, chiste, joke. Notes in Cobos folder).
Lawrence Baca, 1975: Rafael Baca, age 56, born 1919, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 11:14 and ends at 32:01. 1. Local history (fair recording, traditions, speaker's father was a Penitente from San Miguel County New Mexico, he lived in Albuquerque but he would report to the Penitentes during Semana Santa, speaker tells the story of the Penitentes of New Mexico as he has observed through his father's instruction and participation, religion, informant gives details about Penitentes of Northern New Mexico, brotherhood, formed by Mexican Roman Catholics, they believed that they were able to receive forgiveness for their sins via punishment to the physical body, their small churches known as moradas, there is very little known about this organization, secretive, una historia muy hermosa, que muchos ciudanos del estado de Nuevo Mexico deberian saber, 135 moradas, 1,500 members, prayer, use of moradas, after a century of widespread practice the Penitentes ended in 1947 and continued only in some small pueblitos, Catholic Church, villages, Lent, no meat, fasting, sleep on floor, bare feet, flagellations, whips made of nopales, chains, whip selves until the blood runs down their backs to atone for their sin, Holy Week, Semana Santa events, traditions, some services secret, closed to public, some are open, people of the village participate, crucifiction, use of a human person as a cristo, tied on cross at the top of the Monte Calvario, in the morada, use of candles, Taos, Mora, San Miguel, Santa Fe, Viernes Santos, Holy Friday, Cristo Rey con su madre, image of the Virgin Mary is brought down from the morada by a Penitente member and the celebration is held with the citizens of the pueblo, el sermon de las siete palabras de Jesus); 2. Local traditions (fair recording, Penitentes, held on Viernes en la Noche, Holy Friday at night, at the local morada, open to the public, all candles are turned out and the participants hit the ground with chains, pots, screams, the candles are relit and signing commences to signify that peace has returned, this marks the end of Semana santa, speaker observed the Penitentes personally, at age 14, his father was a member, no other outsiders allowed, he and other children would hide and watch); 3. Personal experience (fair recording, velorio, wake, account of rosary and funeral of a member by Penitentes, also rosary given for funeral of his mother, description, details. Notes in Cobos folder).
Mary Ann Baca, 1985: Esperanza Padilla, age 57, born 1918, Albuquerque, NM. Begins at 32:02 and ends at 42:23. 1. La mil y una noches (good recording, speaker's mother used to tell her many stories to entertain her, story about an Arabian sultan who always killed each of his wives after first night of their marriage, until married one who told great stories to her sister, for 1001 nights, and entertained the sultan so he did not kill her); 2. El Professor, Part I (good recording, story about a professor who studied and read until he became old, then fell in love with a young woman named Margarita, he desired to return to his youth in order to catch her attention, he sold his soul to devil who made him young, on way to see the girl he stopped to look up something in his books, times passes and he is old again. Devil came and told him to accept his age, status and looks, love, elderly, aging, women, love, men, cont. on CD 377 B).
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