Ruben Cobos, recorder, April 15, 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 380 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
- April 15, 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
CD I of III. Enrique Salazar, La Junta, Colorado. Cobos notes in folder. Begins at 00:06 and ends at 5:03. Introduction (good recording, Dr. Cobos introduces speaker); 2. Alabado, Pedro, tu sombrero valga (good recording, song, Cantico, Holy Week, Semana Santa songs, llevate mi alma a Dios, song for Jesus, the savior, wounded for us); 2. Alabado (good recording, singing, Jesus, Amoroso nos convida); 3. Alabado (good recording, singing, la morada, Salve corazon abierto); 4. Alabado (good recording, singing, En una columna atado).
Mrs. Salazar. Begins at 5:06 and ends at 7:12. Advinanzas (good recording, Dr. Cobos, interviewer and Enrique Salazar tell one another adivinanzas, puzzles, cola, perro, la navaja, Rita Rita).
Enrique Salazar, La Junta, Colorado. See similar material on CDs 346 and 350. Begins at 7:15 and ends at 49:33. 1. Local history, personal experiences (good recording, recreation games, bunuelos, sopapillas, food, cooking, chicos, hot chocolate, posole, La madre, parentela, madre mano den al hombre, muneca, vino, uva, relato, lo que hacia en la vecindad, la palarrilla, la baraja, juegos, trompos, cuentos, chistes, leisure, death, muerte, velorio, luminarias, Christmas, Navidad, 12 AM, café, chocolate, bunelos, chicos, food, cooking, changes, modern people, moved from Los Rincones); 2. Relato, vida en el campo (good recording, personal experiences, local history, Turcos, life in the country, went out for wood for fire, hauling wood at night, green pinon wood, to bed, sleep all day; Turcos, thieves, ladrones, gypsies); 3. Story (good recording, about a little girl, almost kidnapped by Turos, another story, gypsie woman thief got $10 from informant's mother, pretended she would cure the woman from arthritis, took the family's tortillas, etc., told the woman not to tell her husband, the son told his father that the Turca had taken the money and tortillas); 4. Indio de la lena (good recording, personal experience, local history, Spanish cut and pile wood, Indians took it, stole it, eventually were caught, Native American Indian, los campanones, Indian becomes ill, Tewa Indian, Espanola, New Mexico); 5. El rico cicatero (good recording, story, local history, the grain had to be cut manually, there were no machines yet, the man was very cheap, la cebadilla, in hopes his men will work better, feeds them all three meals at one time, but they not work, because say no work after eating, moral of story, employment, labor); 6. Personal story, Felipe de Jesus Cantu (good recording, speaker tells the story of his grandfather from Mexico, speaker's grandmother was named Refugia Salazar, Mexicano, captive, cautivo, was stolen by the Native American Indians at age 16 years, would kill him if he tried to escape, suffered a lot, later escaped, adopted by a Santa Fe Spanish couple, married Juanita, who died, later married again to Refugia Salazar. Part of the Cantu family of Taos. Felipe Cantu, Jr., Alberto, in El Prado).
Mrs. Salazar. Begins at 5:06 and ends at 7:12. Advinanzas (good recording, Dr. Cobos, interviewer and Enrique Salazar tell one another adivinanzas, puzzles, cola, perro, la navaja, Rita Rita).
Enrique Salazar, La Junta, Colorado. See similar material on CDs 346 and 350. Begins at 7:15 and ends at 49:33. 1. Local history, personal experiences (good recording, recreation games, bunuelos, sopapillas, food, cooking, chicos, hot chocolate, posole, La madre, parentela, madre mano den al hombre, muneca, vino, uva, relato, lo que hacia en la vecindad, la palarrilla, la baraja, juegos, trompos, cuentos, chistes, leisure, death, muerte, velorio, luminarias, Christmas, Navidad, 12 AM, café, chocolate, bunelos, chicos, food, cooking, changes, modern people, moved from Los Rincones); 2. Relato, vida en el campo (good recording, personal experiences, local history, Turcos, life in the country, went out for wood for fire, hauling wood at night, green pinon wood, to bed, sleep all day; Turcos, thieves, ladrones, gypsies); 3. Story (good recording, about a little girl, almost kidnapped by Turos, another story, gypsie woman thief got $10 from informant's mother, pretended she would cure the woman from arthritis, took the family's tortillas, etc., told the woman not to tell her husband, the son told his father that the Turca had taken the money and tortillas); 4. Indio de la lena (good recording, personal experience, local history, Spanish cut and pile wood, Indians took it, stole it, eventually were caught, Native American Indian, los campanones, Indian becomes ill, Tewa Indian, Espanola, New Mexico); 5. El rico cicatero (good recording, story, local history, the grain had to be cut manually, there were no machines yet, the man was very cheap, la cebadilla, in hopes his men will work better, feeds them all three meals at one time, but they not work, because say no work after eating, moral of story, employment, labor); 6. Personal story, Felipe de Jesus Cantu (good recording, speaker tells the story of his grandfather from Mexico, speaker's grandmother was named Refugia Salazar, Mexicano, captive, cautivo, was stolen by the Native American Indians at age 16 years, would kill him if he tried to escape, suffered a lot, later escaped, adopted by a Santa Fe Spanish couple, married Juanita, who died, later married again to Refugia Salazar. Part of the Cantu family of Taos. Felipe Cantu, Jr., Alberto, in El Prado).
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