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Anthony Silva, Anonymous, recorder, 1975, n.d.

 File — Box: 4, CD: 387

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.

Dates

  • 1975, n.d.

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

Silva,1975: Benito Silva, b. 1888, San Marcial, NM. Begins at 34:45 and ends at 78:53. 1. Personal information (fair recording, blue eyes); 2. Local history, personal experiences (fair recording, speaker lives in city now, he was sad to leave San Marcial, there were a lot of friendly people in the small town, quiet countryside, there was no pollution, speaker told of how father got cancer working in a coal mine, refused medical care, health, medicine, many people died in San Antonio, New Mexico, by Magdalena, his cousin died of ruptured appendix, uncle refused let son have medical operation, son had good education, worked in post office, Conrad Hilton owned the coal mine and also a commissary store, miners had credit at the end of the month, were charged twice the amount, so miners always short of money, informant had an operation, not afraid to die, healthy today, mentions children better behaved in old days than to day, family, parents, mentions La Llorona and their fear of her, discipline, tells of flood at San Marcial, May 5, 1929, 1937, he was married at age 25, had three children, would have saved money if lived in the country, not city, he worked for the railroad, lost an arm, hit by the train, describes the accident, is retired but no disability pay existed then, etc.).

Mrs. Mack Zamora, Albuquerque, ca. 1969. Begins at 00:02 and ends at 25:10. 1. Corrido de Jesus Cadenas (good recording, song, singing, baile con la huera, ojitos verdes, La Chavela, she is girl friend of Antonio, pistola, fight over the girl, women, death, muerte, crime, Jesus is shot); 2. Aquellos ojitos verdes (fair recording, song, singing, happy); 3. Cielito Lindo (fair recording, song, singing, huasteca, huasteco); 4. El venadito (fair recording, song, singing); 5. Song (fair recording, a Santa Ana, incienso, religion); 6. Indita de San Luis (fair recording, singing, going to Cochiti Pueblo); 7. Milagros de San Antonio (fair recording, miracles, esta en la gloria, religion); 8. Maria madre mia (fair recording, Virgin Mary, religion, song, sad).

Anonymous woman and man. Begins at 25:20 and ends at 32:49. Corrido, El dia de San Juan (fair recording, song, singing, sad); 2. Duet (good recording, song, el Dia de San Juan, Islam).

Anonymous man. Begins at 33:01 and ends at 46:50. Song (good recording, guitar, singing in English, love song); 2. Song (good recording, guitar, singing in English, country music); 3. Song (guitar, singing in English, man fights to the death); 4. Song (good recording, singing in English, 180 word challenge, guitar); 5. Song, A long white line (fair recording, singing in English, man does not remember the lyrics, guitar, heart break).

Creator

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