Ruben Cobos, Elvira Cobos, recorders, 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 400
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
Nora Tafoya, born 1946, Red Cliff, Colorado. Begins at 00:02 and ends at 11:23. 1. Domingo siete (fair recording, story, informant does not know, plans get fouled up); 2. Chiste (fair recording, play on words, tierra, Spanish, language); 3. Novios (fair recording, personal experience, traditions, Nora tells about her wedding, long account, marrigae customs, describes how both his, her family involved, asking for the hand of girl, reassured that she wants to marry and asking the boy also, dinner); 4. Prendorio (fair recording, local traditions, wedding, marriage, both sides of the family meet and get to know the chosen girl and the boy, the eldest daughter was supposed to marrry first, then the others, sometime a family would try to switch girls and marry off one of the others, this custom prevented this from happening); 5. Local traditions (fair recording, expense of family planning marriage, today bride pays everything, in past groom paid for all expenses, that he was responsible for taking care of the girl, starting then, when Nora was married the groom covered the wedding dress and ring, and the parents shared the cost of the reception); 6. Predorio, both families meet each other, they just wore regular clothes, had dinner, dance, and next day was the wedding); 7. La Mancuerna (fair recording, conversation, Nora did not know the definition of this tradition); 8. Local traditions (fair recording, Las arras, along with ring, a gift of groom to the bride, Nora recites a verse from the entriega about the arras); 9. Wedding day (fair recording, local marriage traditions, conversation, night before wedding, matron of honor slept in home of bride, pressed her dress, fixed her hair, helped with dress; groom is with the padrino, before going to church, groom is given a drink of alcohol, then is taken to the wedding hall and altar).
Harold Tafoya, Red Cliff, Colorado. Begins at 11:24 and ends at 21:18. 1. Wedding day (fair recording, marriage traditions, after ceremony, march in procession around the Church, la gran marcha, go to the reception hall, dance, dinner, guitar and accordion music, both blessed by parents, gifts); 2. Entriega (fair recording, local tradition, singer creates song for the couple and family, telling that now padrinos are no longer responsible for the couple, they are responsible to each other, etc., then creates verses and song directed to others in the group, shows respect and honor to sing to them, they also will pay for this honor; sometimes the bride or groom are kidnapped and family has to give money to ransom them); 3. Wedding dance (fair recording, local traditions, marriage, baile de novios, first is the marcha de novios, people line up in order by family, sponsors, etc, marchers form a ring and then an arch, then regular music, wedding started at 8 AM ends at 5 PM, they rest for three or four hours, then dance from 9 PM to 1 PM); 4. Wedding cake (fair recording, torta, after the dance, sometimes have a marcha de la torta, cake dance, to raise money for the couple, she describes it here); 5. Wedding tradition (fair recording, local traditions, sometimes money pinned on the bride and groom, if you dance with them have to pin money on them, etc.).
Nora Tafoya. Begins at 21:19 and ends at 23:08. Versos (good recording, wedding, marriage, complimentarios, recites verses, singers direct songs toward the guests to honor them, the guest pays money to the singer for this respect, he creates them accordingly, fitting verses to the individuals, poetry).
Harold Tafoya. Begins at 23:09 and ends at 25:48. 1. Local traditions (good recording, customs for wedding, marriage, best that the couple sneak out of the reception quietly so no tricks played on them or their car, or plan to get groom drunk); 2. Local traditions (good recording, marriage, bridal car, wedding traditions, automobile used after the wedding is over is decorated by the family of the groom or bride, when the couple leaves the church they ride in the car, honk horns, go on to the reception); 3. Local traditions (good recording, marriage, wedding photography, pictures of wedding, at the church or at a photography studio, choice, party, celebration was held in a hall because homes were too small in Colorado).
Nora Tafoya. Begins at 25:50 and ends at 29:40. Mourning (good recording, widow, quebrar el lute, breaking the mourning period, sorrow, after a death, parent or family, muerte, funeral, dress in black for a year, widow after that she can go change dresses, go to a dance and have fun, and this informed everyone she is over the death, example of a woman Nora knew, at a wedding two men danced with her to celebrate the breaking of the mourning time).
Harold Tafoya, Red Cliff, Colorado. Begins at 11:24 and ends at 21:18. 1. Wedding day (fair recording, marriage traditions, after ceremony, march in procession around the Church, la gran marcha, go to the reception hall, dance, dinner, guitar and accordion music, both blessed by parents, gifts); 2. Entriega (fair recording, local tradition, singer creates song for the couple and family, telling that now padrinos are no longer responsible for the couple, they are responsible to each other, etc., then creates verses and song directed to others in the group, shows respect and honor to sing to them, they also will pay for this honor; sometimes the bride or groom are kidnapped and family has to give money to ransom them); 3. Wedding dance (fair recording, local traditions, marriage, baile de novios, first is the marcha de novios, people line up in order by family, sponsors, etc, marchers form a ring and then an arch, then regular music, wedding started at 8 AM ends at 5 PM, they rest for three or four hours, then dance from 9 PM to 1 PM); 4. Wedding cake (fair recording, torta, after the dance, sometimes have a marcha de la torta, cake dance, to raise money for the couple, she describes it here); 5. Wedding tradition (fair recording, local traditions, sometimes money pinned on the bride and groom, if you dance with them have to pin money on them, etc.).
Nora Tafoya. Begins at 21:19 and ends at 23:08. Versos (good recording, wedding, marriage, complimentarios, recites verses, singers direct songs toward the guests to honor them, the guest pays money to the singer for this respect, he creates them accordingly, fitting verses to the individuals, poetry).
Harold Tafoya. Begins at 23:09 and ends at 25:48. 1. Local traditions (good recording, customs for wedding, marriage, best that the couple sneak out of the reception quietly so no tricks played on them or their car, or plan to get groom drunk); 2. Local traditions (good recording, marriage, bridal car, wedding traditions, automobile used after the wedding is over is decorated by the family of the groom or bride, when the couple leaves the church they ride in the car, honk horns, go on to the reception); 3. Local traditions (good recording, marriage, wedding photography, pictures of wedding, at the church or at a photography studio, choice, party, celebration was held in a hall because homes were too small in Colorado).
Nora Tafoya. Begins at 25:50 and ends at 29:40. Mourning (good recording, widow, quebrar el lute, breaking the mourning period, sorrow, after a death, parent or family, muerte, funeral, dress in black for a year, widow after that she can go change dresses, go to a dance and have fun, and this informed everyone she is over the death, example of a woman Nora knew, at a wedding two men danced with her to celebrate the breaking of the mourning time).
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