Luisa Chavez, recorder, September 1975
File — Box: 4, CD: 410
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
- September 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 Torres, born May 30th, 1904, Truchas, NM. Cont. from CD 409. Begins at 00:16 and ends at 48:10. See Cobos notes in folder. 1. Adivinanzas (poor recording, riddles, recites sixteen of them, La uva, different version, La letra A, santo mas cuadrado, San Marcos, el ano, una pasa, un caballo blanco, el fundio, el canon del difunto, la vaca y el raton, una carta, la vela, una lucerna, lucierniga, el matrimonio, marriage, wedding, un barco, los zapatos, una borrega); 2. Dichos, proverbs (fair to poor recording, recites twenty six sayings, look head, not be left behind, pan y perro ajeno, pantele la bota, el ladron, mata vaca, agarra la pata, el cuero de vecino y tuyo remojar; 3. Personal information (fair to poor recording, about her birth and education, speaker studied until the ninth grade, school, she married in 1933, her husband is named Doroteo, they had ten children, marriage, family, she became a widow in 1948, raised them all by herself, learned folklore on her own); 4. Rezos, prayers (fair to poor recording, verses, recites, la sinal de la cruz, sign of the cross, bless yourself, religious traditions, frente, boca y pecha, God will give you good thoughts, no bad words and no bad deeds); 5. Cuentos, stories (poor recording, religious traditions, during the month of October, she recites the prayer Ave Maria, Virgin Mary); 6. Velorios (poor recording, local traditions, wakes, burial, funeral, death, muerte, in church or home, alabados, she recited prayer, cena, meal at midnight, procession with the santos from the church, Los Penitentes, alabados, prayer to commend the soul to heaven, to Dios, Cofradia del Senoras, women, group, Confraternity of the Virgin Mary); 7. School, education (poor recording, personal experiences, she sings a song that students sung before studying, honor and opportunity to go to school, also a song learned in school about a vender, seller, with wonderful apples sweetness, make you happy); 8. Personal conversation (poor recording, about what speaker told her grandchildren, about life in past, working at home, ranch life, stringing beads, weaving, she taught religion in Santa Cruz, was a widow for twenty years, later 1948 moved to Albuquerque, taught religion in city, recites a prayer from the catechism, about being a Christian, sinal de la Cruz, sign of the Cross of Jesus); 9. Weddings (poor recording, local traditions, customs, prendorio, marriage, arrangements, role of the parents, boy's family write letter to girl's family, if not, got calabazas, squashes, if yes, replied in fifteen days, in meantime courting and letter writing prohibited, she reads letter of September 9, 1919, from Truchas, from Cornelio Emilio Sandoval and wife Senovia Romero, in behalf of his son Apolonario Sandoval, for hand of daughter Pablita, parents Manuel Lopez and Margarita Romero, if yes, all meet and plan for wedding, padrino de bautismo de la novia, she reads here a letter of rejection of proposal from Apolonio, conversation on attitudes toward marriage, even if rejection, families remained friendly, no envy or anger like seen in courting today, entriega, from dawn to dance, she sings a verse from the entriega, and conversation about young couple setting up home and starting own family).
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