Ruben Cobos, Sylvia Patterson, recorders, 1973, 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 397 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
- 1973, 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 II of II. Begins at 00:08 and ends at 00:36. Music, instrumental (poor recording, probably Cobos recording from the radio, followed by Benny Valles).
Patterson, 1973: Benny Valles, age 49, from Veguita, NM, cont. from CD 397A. Similar to Patterson on CD 18. Begins at 00:37 and ends at 15:39. Story of three sons (fair recording, mantel magico, magic tablecloth, a gift from el viento del norte, man sleeps in the hotel and they steal his magic table cloth, they try to trick him by changing it for a different one, he returns to the hotel and confronts the owner, steals the borrego magico, mantel magico, viento del Norte).
Anoymous: Anonymous woman. Begins at 15:51 and ends at 31:00. Story (good recording, about a king who had a daughter that could solve any adivinanza, riddle, the king wanted to marry her to a man that could tell the daughter a riddle she could not solve, the king offered half of his kingdom to the man that married the daughter, el tontito went to tell a riddle, the king said he would kill any man who tried and failed, tonto won out); 2. Story (good recording, about a woman with three daughters, no one wanted to marry them, one day a rich man comes and all three daughters liked him, the mother told them not to speak at all so scare man away, women); 3. Song (good recording, speaker sings various songs).
Anonymous: Anonymous woman. Begins at 31:16 and ends at 37:23. Story (fair recording, about a man and his son who was tuerto, one eye, he marries a girl who is not a virgin, chiste, humor, marriage, women); 2. Versos (fair recording, El amor y el interes, verses, adivinanzas, rhyming, love); 3. Story (poor recording, about a mother and her daughter, when the husband returns home both women are gone, codeswitch in English, Bilingual, Spanish language, Spanglish, blindness, throws the eyes of his mother in law into the fire, are cat eyes, woman crying, man beats wife, domestic violence, witches, marriage, family).
Anonymous: Annonymous man. Begins at 37:32 and ends at 56:23. 1. Cuento (fair to poor recording, about a poor man who lived with his wife near the sea, everyday the man would go fishing for their meals, his wife would make him work hard everyday, he met a prince who was in the form of a fish, he tells his wife the story and she tells him to ask the prince for food since they have nothing, moral of the story is to be satisfied); 2. Story (fair recording story about a king who lived in an Italian village, his horse lived for many years, served in many campaigns, recording cuts off abruptly).
Patterson, 1973: Benny Valles, age 49, from Veguita, NM, cont. from CD 397A. Similar to Patterson on CD 18. Begins at 00:37 and ends at 15:39. Story of three sons (fair recording, mantel magico, magic tablecloth, a gift from el viento del norte, man sleeps in the hotel and they steal his magic table cloth, they try to trick him by changing it for a different one, he returns to the hotel and confronts the owner, steals the borrego magico, mantel magico, viento del Norte).
Anoymous: Anonymous woman. Begins at 15:51 and ends at 31:00. Story (good recording, about a king who had a daughter that could solve any adivinanza, riddle, the king wanted to marry her to a man that could tell the daughter a riddle she could not solve, the king offered half of his kingdom to the man that married the daughter, el tontito went to tell a riddle, the king said he would kill any man who tried and failed, tonto won out); 2. Story (good recording, about a woman with three daughters, no one wanted to marry them, one day a rich man comes and all three daughters liked him, the mother told them not to speak at all so scare man away, women); 3. Song (good recording, speaker sings various songs).
Anonymous: Anonymous woman. Begins at 31:16 and ends at 37:23. Story (fair recording, about a man and his son who was tuerto, one eye, he marries a girl who is not a virgin, chiste, humor, marriage, women); 2. Versos (fair recording, El amor y el interes, verses, adivinanzas, rhyming, love); 3. Story (poor recording, about a mother and her daughter, when the husband returns home both women are gone, codeswitch in English, Bilingual, Spanish language, Spanglish, blindness, throws the eyes of his mother in law into the fire, are cat eyes, woman crying, man beats wife, domestic violence, witches, marriage, family).
Anonymous: Annonymous man. Begins at 37:32 and ends at 56:23. 1. Cuento (fair to poor recording, about a poor man who lived with his wife near the sea, everyday the man would go fishing for their meals, his wife would make him work hard everyday, he met a prince who was in the form of a fish, he tells his wife the story and she tells him to ask the prince for food since they have nothing, moral of the story is to be satisfied); 2. Story (fair recording story about a king who lived in an Italian village, his horse lived for many years, served in many campaigns, recording cuts off abruptly).
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