Ruben Cobos, Ida S. Carrillo, Juliette Ortega, Nancy Martinez, recorders, 1970, 1971, 1972
File — Box: 5, CD: 449 A
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
- 1970, 1971, 1972
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 I of III. Cobos, 1971: Introduction. Recorded at the New Mexico Folklore Society Conference, at the Taos Junior High School Auditorium, May 8, 1971, Taos, New Mexico. Begins at 00:02 and ends at 1:15. Introduction (good recording, Jennie Vincent presiding, introductions, Jake Bernal and Maggie Trujillo, Mr. Pacheco, Juan Tenorio, and other speakers from the event, conference theme - Forty Years of Folklore. Program flyer for event in Cobos folder for CD 449, notes on program by Cobos. Cobos and his students only recorded a few selections from the event).
Cobos, 1971: Jacobo Manuel Bernal, Jake Bernal, born 1892, from Ranchos de Taos, NM. Begins at 1:35 and ends at 11:10. Lecture on Forgotten Indian and Spanish folk games. 1. Traditional games (good recording, Telesfor Romero, Taos Pueblo, talking about El Chueco, Indian basket games from Taos Pueblo, and he requested that Bernal speak on the subject of traditions, past times, leisure, games, youth, children, Bernal talking about La canasta, flat disk, basket bottom, thrown and people would shoot arrows at it, El chueco, like hockey, played with a ball and two twisted sticks, El canute, gambling, four batons were hidden, el cinchado, el mulato, el uno, el dos, two groups took sides, leader of one hid the batons and player from other side tried to locate them, hidden in a pile of sand, one baton had a nail in it, if found by other side, the group would lose $10 dollars, betting, gambling).
Cobos, 1971: Maggie Trujillo, of Canon, near Taos. Begins at 11:11 and ends at 16:20. Verses (good recording, sings the verses to El Canute, El torito, sung by women, indita, in Indian chant style, sung while players trying to locate the batons during the game).
Cobos, 1971: Meliton Trujillo, from Ranchitos, Taos. Begins at 16:21 and ends at 26:43. 1. Songs (good recording, conversation and various folk songs, versos, Las Taosenas, La Primavera, popular around 1910); 2. Un triste leon (good recording, song).
Cobos, 1971: Guadalupe Baca Vaughn, from Taos. Begins at 26:44 and ends at 55:27. Her notes, text to songs and games and Cobos notes in folder. Conversation (good recording, about children, games, nursery rhymes, los deditos, this little finger, pon pon, lanza, lanza, este burrito tonto, sana, sans colita de rana, puno, punete, chango, pirango, pirinola, pirulero, Juan Pirulero, is a song, naranja dulce, dona Ana, game movements, steps, games and songs are demonstrated by the Third Grade Class, from Taos Primary School, teacher was Lucille Fernandez, children learned songs and games specifically for this ocasssion, youngsters can and do learn differt languages through games and folklore).
Cobos, 1971: Anita Thomas, from Santa Fe. Begins at 55:31 and ends at 63:54. Part I. Lecture (good recording, on traditional Spanish folk dances down through history, well documented presentation, local traditions, bailes, dances, invite people to the dance, prendorios, weddings, birthdays, valses, New Mexico Folklore Society, New Mexico folk dances are mostly of European origin, fused with a strong New Mexico regional touch, for example the valse, cuadrillas, polkas, colonial dances, Chihuahua trail, the indita, el vaquero, la comancha, Comanche, are all New Mexico dances, Folk Art Foundation, Zebulon Pike, Ojo Caliente, etc., cont. on CD 449 B).
Cobos, 1971: Jacobo Manuel Bernal, Jake Bernal, born 1892, from Ranchos de Taos, NM. Begins at 1:35 and ends at 11:10. Lecture on Forgotten Indian and Spanish folk games. 1. Traditional games (good recording, Telesfor Romero, Taos Pueblo, talking about El Chueco, Indian basket games from Taos Pueblo, and he requested that Bernal speak on the subject of traditions, past times, leisure, games, youth, children, Bernal talking about La canasta, flat disk, basket bottom, thrown and people would shoot arrows at it, El chueco, like hockey, played with a ball and two twisted sticks, El canute, gambling, four batons were hidden, el cinchado, el mulato, el uno, el dos, two groups took sides, leader of one hid the batons and player from other side tried to locate them, hidden in a pile of sand, one baton had a nail in it, if found by other side, the group would lose $10 dollars, betting, gambling).
Cobos, 1971: Maggie Trujillo, of Canon, near Taos. Begins at 11:11 and ends at 16:20. Verses (good recording, sings the verses to El Canute, El torito, sung by women, indita, in Indian chant style, sung while players trying to locate the batons during the game).
Cobos, 1971: Meliton Trujillo, from Ranchitos, Taos. Begins at 16:21 and ends at 26:43. 1. Songs (good recording, conversation and various folk songs, versos, Las Taosenas, La Primavera, popular around 1910); 2. Un triste leon (good recording, song).
Cobos, 1971: Guadalupe Baca Vaughn, from Taos. Begins at 26:44 and ends at 55:27. Her notes, text to songs and games and Cobos notes in folder. Conversation (good recording, about children, games, nursery rhymes, los deditos, this little finger, pon pon, lanza, lanza, este burrito tonto, sana, sans colita de rana, puno, punete, chango, pirango, pirinola, pirulero, Juan Pirulero, is a song, naranja dulce, dona Ana, game movements, steps, games and songs are demonstrated by the Third Grade Class, from Taos Primary School, teacher was Lucille Fernandez, children learned songs and games specifically for this ocasssion, youngsters can and do learn differt languages through games and folklore).
Cobos, 1971: Anita Thomas, from Santa Fe. Begins at 55:31 and ends at 63:54. Part I. Lecture (good recording, on traditional Spanish folk dances down through history, well documented presentation, local traditions, bailes, dances, invite people to the dance, prendorios, weddings, birthdays, valses, New Mexico Folklore Society, New Mexico folk dances are mostly of European origin, fused with a strong New Mexico regional touch, for example the valse, cuadrillas, polkas, colonial dances, Chihuahua trail, the indita, el vaquero, la comancha, Comanche, are all New Mexico dances, Folk Art Foundation, Zebulon Pike, Ojo Caliente, etc., cont. on CD 449 B).
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