Ruben Cobos, recorder
File — Box: 4, CD: 388 B
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 II of II. Yvette Gallegos, born 1929, San Luis, Colorado. 1. Cont. of her reading from book on Mexican curanderismo (good recording, recites from book on reasons for illnesses, curandero, curandera, folk medicine from a psychiatrist point of view, susto, fright, aire, ear ache, symtoms, raising children, curandero use heat and sweating, rue, each man must carve his own destiny, faith and mind, mental healing, power of suggestion; tells of stories collected from Fort Garland to Taos in 1940s by William Jones Walrich, curator of the local museum, who did personal interviews, collected seven cuentos, one story took place in San Luis, Colorado, characters either duendes or witches, Strange Little Man in Chile Red pants, when San Luis was called Culebra, lived a little boy named Pepito, the hunchback, corcovado, encountered a large boulder and heard people singing, duende came out to see Pepito, he taught the duendes the rest of the verses of the song. Duendes granted a wish to Pepito, and the hump on his back was gone). Begins at 13:03 and ends at 18:12. 2. Her memories of living with her great grandmother and singing this song and commenting - La Alba (good recording, singing and reciting it); 3. El zapatero (good recording, singing, short song); 4. Arroz con leche (good recording, song, singing, rice and milk); 5. El Pajarito amarillito (little yellow bird, good recording, song, singing, teach me to remember and to love).
Chorus singing with Yvette Gallegos, audience. Begins at 18:15 and ends at 23:46 1. El Pajarito amarillito (good recording, song, chorus singing, teach me to love, speaker identifies group: Rosita Aragon, Roselia Gomez, Conrado Romero, Yvette Gallegos, Jimmy Gallegos, Wilma Stump); 2. Song (fair recording, chorus singing, Chicano, profanity).
Yvette Gallegos, age 46 born 1929, San Luis, Colorado. Begins at 23:51 and ends at 25:25. Ranchera (good recording, song, singing, te vas porque quiero que te vayas, yo soy tu dueno).
Chorus singing. Begins at 25:40 and ends at 28:17. 1. Morena (good recording, older song, chorus singing); 2. Julia mia (good recording, song, chorus singing, women); 3. Chorus singing. Begins at 28:24 and ends at 31:37. Song (good recording, chorus singing, ojala, pobre).
Chorus singing with Yvette Gallegos, audience. Begins at 18:15 and ends at 23:46 1. El Pajarito amarillito (good recording, song, chorus singing, teach me to love, speaker identifies group: Rosita Aragon, Roselia Gomez, Conrado Romero, Yvette Gallegos, Jimmy Gallegos, Wilma Stump); 2. Song (fair recording, chorus singing, Chicano, profanity).
Yvette Gallegos, age 46 born 1929, San Luis, Colorado. Begins at 23:51 and ends at 25:25. Ranchera (good recording, song, singing, te vas porque quiero que te vayas, yo soy tu dueno).
Chorus singing. Begins at 25:40 and ends at 28:17. 1. Morena (good recording, older song, chorus singing); 2. Julia mia (good recording, song, chorus singing, women); 3. Chorus singing. Begins at 28:24 and ends at 31:37. Song (good recording, chorus singing, ojala, pobre).
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