Ruben Cobos, recorder, April 15, 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 380 C
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 III of III, cont. from 380 B, Enrique Salazar. Begins at 00:03 and ends at 32:29. Penitentes of Conejos County, Colorado (good recording, traditions, prayer, Santa Cena on Thursday nights, Last Supper, on Wednesday mornings at 8 AM there is a mass); 3. El encuentro (more on Penitentes, fair recording, local traditions, calvario, religion, Jesus Christ finds the Virgin Mary); 4. Conversation (Penitentes, fair recording, sudario, verses, recites, prayer, matracas, represents the crucifixion); 5. Navidad, Christmas traditions (fair recording, Los Manueles, Aginaldo, Aguinaldo, etc. songs, conversation about aginaldos, they are sung from December 15 until la noche buena, Christmas eve, singing, religion, acequias, luminarias made of paper, local traditions, first saw paper luminarias made of paper in 1926 in Manasa, Colorado by the Iglesia de San Francisco, the church no longer exists); 6. Las Posadas (good recording, local traditions, and Los Pastores); 7. Local tradition (good recording, Dia de los Inocentes, December 28, request a gift from a friend or neighbor in order to trick them and extort money or gift in order to return the item, versos, singing, dar gallo, convite, codeswitch into English, Spanish language, Bilingual, Spanglish, juegos de ninos, children, recreation games, jugar el trompo).
Emma Salazar, born April 23, 1922, in Alamosa, Colorado. Begins at 32:31 and ends at 38:11. Food (good recording, traditions, cooking, banuelos, leche flan, she came from Cuba, New Mexico, continued local food traditions from Cuba in Colorado home, she and Ruben Cobos name people they knew from Cuba, Montoyas, and discuss more foods, cooking, sopapillas, natillas, posole, chile, bizcochuelo, chiles rellenos with eggs, torta de huevo, torrejas).
Enrique Salazar, Brother of Donita Sandoval, son of Maria Guadalupe Premia Salazar. Manasa, Colorado. Begins at 38:13 and ends at 42:10. 1. Cancion de un pato (good recording, verses, singing, about un pato, duck, the speaker's father taught him the song); 2. Adivinanzas (good recording, riddles, piojo, pato); 3. Corrido de Gurule (good recording, song learned from his tio, short song, sung, indita influence, man andaba with his guns, never accomplished much, with his carabinas); 4. Tontito (good recording, song, the speaker's father loved this song, it is a song about a man who bought a dumb woman, composed by local person, burra was a term for a woman, women).
Emma Salazar, born April 23, 1922, in Alamosa, Colorado. Begins at 32:31 and ends at 38:11. Food (good recording, traditions, cooking, banuelos, leche flan, she came from Cuba, New Mexico, continued local food traditions from Cuba in Colorado home, she and Ruben Cobos name people they knew from Cuba, Montoyas, and discuss more foods, cooking, sopapillas, natillas, posole, chile, bizcochuelo, chiles rellenos with eggs, torta de huevo, torrejas).
Enrique Salazar, Brother of Donita Sandoval, son of Maria Guadalupe Premia Salazar. Manasa, Colorado. Begins at 38:13 and ends at 42:10. 1. Cancion de un pato (good recording, verses, singing, about un pato, duck, the speaker's father taught him the song); 2. Adivinanzas (good recording, riddles, piojo, pato); 3. Corrido de Gurule (good recording, song learned from his tio, short song, sung, indita influence, man andaba with his guns, never accomplished much, with his carabinas); 4. Tontito (good recording, song, the speaker's father loved this song, it is a song about a man who bought a dumb woman, composed by local person, burra was a term for a woman, women).
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