Ruben Cobos, recorder, 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 384
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
- 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
Felicitas Montano, born 1893, Tome, NM. Mrs. Nick Montano. Cobos notes in folder. Begins at 00:03 and ends at 49:22. 1. Datos personales (good recording, personal information, sister was Ramoncita, large family, very poor, lived in the old convent at Tome until 1900, Federico Chavira made present home, mentions Nicanor Sanchez, where he lives, Ernie Orona, La Constancia, NM); 2. Conversation (good recording, oratorio, capilla, capillita, chapel, meaning of mancilla, dicho, vale mas mander en la frente que mancilla; La Conquistadora, statue, Santa Fe, she sings a song, talks about school days, fifth grade, read byself, educated her self, education, taught school, used Spanish alphabet, believes her statue of the Virgin may be the La Conquistadora, sings in English, Bilingual, calls her Nuestra Senora Carrizalena, Carrizal? statue; bandana, used as powder puff, tierra blanca, tells how Virgin Mary statue hidden by Indians, Native Americans, in Jarales on main ditch, on acequia madre, found by Father Ralliere's workers, peones, at end of nineteenth century, 1890s, Father Ralliere gave statue to grandmother Mana of informant, San Jose statue given by Father Alberto to mother of informant; she describes the dress of the carrizalena statue, religion, art, material culture, bulto, angelitos, her grandmother died in 1900, she sings a New Mexico song); 3. Pipis y gallos, game (good recording, past times, local traditions, describes rules of the game, cagadules, recites the verses); 4. Local traditions, games (good recording, games, El trampito, carretillas, game, describes it, small top has letters D, P, S, T, P for pone, S for saca un, un fosforo, todos toman fosforos, etc. notes on game in Cobos folder); 5. Story, Pimpi sigallo (good recording, two people hands on table, one pinches the other, guey, guey); 6. El alba (good recording, song for dawn, morning, cantal el alba, singing, religious); 7. Rezoz (good recording, prayer, verses, bendecir la casa, el cuarto, la cama, angel de la guarda, Padre Nuetro, A los santos, to the Virgin Mary, bendicion del camino, before traveling; credo; sudario, velorio, death, muerte, death, requiem, in Latin, ten valor cristiano, Padre Ralliere, velorio del angelito, Cobos note states, ask Edwin Berry, with music, Marcha de Santa Anna, accordion, guitar, school children marched behind coffin, funeral, death, dressed all alike, described, songs, information).
Elvira Cobos, born 1926, age 48, born on November 21, 1926, from Rancho de Taos, NM. Wife of Ruben Cobos. Begins at 49:24 and ends at 51:17. Canto para angelito (good recording, song, velorio, children, muerte, death, funeral); 2. Personal information (good recording, conversation).
Felicitas Montano, born 1893, Tome, NM. Begins at 51:18 and ends at 63:09. Song (good recording, singing, Gloria al senor para angelitos, hombre, Al sagrado, la Virgin Mary, children, prayer upon death, funeral, velorio); 2. Peticion de mano (good recording, wedding, letter to ask hand in marriage, reads it, describes the tradition, related information; 3. Prendorio (good recording, wedding tradition, marriage, ask for hand of girl, dona, dowry, ring reception, accept me as your criado, criada, servidor, described); 4. Wedding day (good recording, wedding customs, local traditions, groom sleeps in padrino's room, bride in madrina's room, madrina dresses the bridge, groom dress himself, anillos, rings, related information. See Cobos notes in the folder).
Elvira Cobos, born 1926, age 48, born on November 21, 1926, from Rancho de Taos, NM. Wife of Ruben Cobos. Begins at 49:24 and ends at 51:17. Canto para angelito (good recording, song, velorio, children, muerte, death, funeral); 2. Personal information (good recording, conversation).
Felicitas Montano, born 1893, Tome, NM. Begins at 51:18 and ends at 63:09. Song (good recording, singing, Gloria al senor para angelitos, hombre, Al sagrado, la Virgin Mary, children, prayer upon death, funeral, velorio); 2. Peticion de mano (good recording, wedding, letter to ask hand in marriage, reads it, describes the tradition, related information; 3. Prendorio (good recording, wedding tradition, marriage, ask for hand of girl, dona, dowry, ring reception, accept me as your criado, criada, servidor, described); 4. Wedding day (good recording, wedding customs, local traditions, groom sleeps in padrino's room, bride in madrina's room, madrina dresses the bridge, groom dress himself, anillos, rings, related information. See Cobos notes in the folder).
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