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Mary Ann Baca, John Williamson, Alejandro Gonzales Aller, recorders, 1975

 Item — Box: 6, CD: 567

Scope and Contents

Baca: Esperanza Padilla, b. 1918, Albuquerque. Begins at 00:00 and ends at 9:22. Story (El Sultan, fairy tale, about a sultan king that liked to disguise himself and walk around the town to ask for the citizen's opinion of him, he met three sisters discussing who they wanted to marry, sultan marries the youngest sister, they tried many times to have a baby but it seemed animals were born instead, as her sisters were jealous and kidnapped her babies, two boys and one girl, the sultan imprisoned the girl, the eldest son turns to stone, speaking to animals, calabacitas con perla, etc. Notes in Cobos folder for this CD).

Williamson: Nasario Angel, from San Miguel, Sapello, NM, b. 1914. Begins at 9:23 and ends at 21:09. 1. Datos personales, personal information (good recording, story of life, he was born in a log cabin, went to one room school, teacher taught eight grades, one student in each grade, education, walked to school eight miles, had few books, if you finished the eight grade then could teach in school, 1920, he lived in Las Vegas in 1930, during the Great Depression, graduated from high school in 1939, was champion in baseball 1932, sports, moved to Albuquerque, town was small then, campus, University of New Mexico only had Carlisle Gymnasium and Hodgin Hall, used to play baseball at Tingley Park); 2. Cuento (good recording, story of small girl, age four, children, met a lion, was running, but then did not move, had sticker in paw, stopped to take it out, girl takes it out, later she grew up, met lion again, she got a sticker in her foot, he takes it out, paid back the favor and then ate her up, animal story); 3. Personal experience (good recording, Nazario's life in New Mexico, 1920-1930, life, memories, few cars and buses, lots of horses, gravel and dirt streets, poor roads, small stores called pendejones, bought large amount of food, flour, coffee, bread 5 cents a loaf, milk 10 cents a quart, exchanged wheat for flour, corn for other staples like salt and coffee, home grown fruit and vegetables, water mellon stored, probably soterano, eaten in December, cigarettes were rolled up, as child he worked on farm, children, he trapped birds for meat, was afraid of el abuelo figure, used to discipline children, Navidad, Christmas, they were forced to go to velorios, wakes, funerals, death, muerte in his community); 4. Penitentes (good recording, during his childhood, children, recalls a time he went with his father to a morada de San Centerio, favorite saint of his father, at night he saw a Penitente man, hermano all dress in white pants, no shirts or shoes, with his face covered with a flour sack that was tinted black, beating his back until it was bleeding, bloody, then he went to the calvario, kneels to pray, people followed him from cross to cross, stations of the cross, he was beating himself at each stop, repeating prayers, songs, Holy Week, Semana Santa, etc.).

Aller: Maria Dolores Romero. Begins at 21:11 and ends at 27:27. Story (fair recording, verses, versos de Spain, El Rey David, Margarita, about a pricess and a star, and a fable, fabula, un cuento de un burrito y una flauta, burro and flute, story of false intelligence, also various dichos, poesia del perla, rey del mar, long story or song of the pirate, treasure, speaker claims to be from Spain does not want to share where she was born); 2. Verse (fair recording, speaker recites verses. Good notes in Cobos folder).

Aller: Eduardo Martinez, from Albuquerque, NM. b. in 1937. Begins at 27:28 and ends at 28:48. Adivinanzas (poor recording, speaker tells adivinanzas, riddles, that his father and grandfather used to share with him when he was a boy).

Aller: Maria Martinez, b. 1930, Escobosa, NM in Bernalillo County. Begins at 28:50 and ends at 36:49. Stories (fair recording, her father and grandfather used to tell her, Navidad, Christmas, El abuelo, the bogeyman, the grandfather, parents used to scare children when they were small, family, behaviour, discipline, women, an aunt would dress up the grandfather in black with a chain, made a noise, scared the children, when they grew up they found this out, as children they used to like to go to see the bon fires, so at bed time if threatened with the abuelo they would go quickly to bed without arguement).

Aller: Catalina Gray, Katie, b. 1952, Albuquerque, Relato, in Cleveland, New Mexico, she heard a story about the devil, diablo, handsome man, good dancer, girl danced with him and he had chicken feet and flew out the window. In Cleveland also stories of witches flying over the hills. Give account of a velorio, as told to her by Dan Olguin, of Chimayo, New Mexico, his uncle at a velorio, sees a man at door asking for food, was day of the velorio of his grandfather, dream or ghost story).

Music. Begins at 36:50 and ends at 39:15. Performance (fair recording, live performance, song in Spanish, lyrics are unintelligible, multiple performers, no introduction given).

Aller: Ana Martinez, b. 1961, Albuquerque. Cuento, couldn't remember the name).

Aller: Anonymous, notes said, a song, La Senaida, about a man goes on train to visit her and ask for her hand, marriage.

Aller: Maria Luz Oliveras, b. in Fort Worth, Texas, but lived in Albuquerque 24 years, b. in 1924. Begins at 39:16 and ends at 40:30. Story (fair recording, that her father used to tell her, La Llorona, woman could not find her children, in this version woman has too many children, lost her patience with them, and killed them all and threw them into the ocean, she felt very bad but could not undo this, just cried every night).

Aller: Roberto Gallegos, b. in 1932, Cuba, NM. Begins at 40:31 and ends at 49:42. Stories (poor recording, personal information, spoke about parents, learned the Spanish culture, oral traditions, of Cuba, NM, family, curtains, home décor, story of mano fachicos, lived in the mountains, went to town for the fiesta, joke about going to confession, where did God go, story of dona cebolla, don cacahuate, lights of the motorcycle, car, humor, laughter).

Aller: Ulterio Martinez, b. 1930 in Walsenburg, Colorado. Begins at 49:43 and 53:45. Stories (poor recording, brujas, witches, superstition, fire ball, no radio was available in those days, speaker told stories to pass the time).

Aller: Catalina Grace, Catalina Gray?, Katie, b. 1952, Albuquerque. Begins at 53:46 and ends at 55:29. Stories (poor recording, woman, don Cacahuate, dona Cebolla, walking the railroad, ferrocarril to Guadalajara, humor).

Aller: Antonio Esquibel, b. in 1942 in Milltown, near Dennison, Colorado. Begins at 55:30 and ends at 57:40. Story (poor recording, in Colorado, notes state Cuento de la sierra, story about La Sangre de Cristo, how the Sangre de Cristo Mountains got their name, when Coronado was in Southern Colorado, there was a priest, a padre with them, when he was killed by the Native American Indians he looked at the mountains which in the afternoon are red like the blood of Christ, religion, mostly unintelligible).

Aller: Abe Armendares, b. in 1942 in Anthony, New Mexico, near Las Cruces. Begins at 57:42 and ends at 64:15. Stories (poor recording, folklore, La Llorona, parents threatened children with her if they misbehaved, she appeared in different forms, children were very cautious, if a mishap occurred they blamed it on La Llorona, family, discipline).

Aller: Adan Armijo, b. 1951, Clayton, NM. Begins 64:16 and ends at 68:20. 1. Cuento (poor to fair recording, fairly tale, brujas, wtiches, women, La muchacha hermosa, story of a jealous witch who puts a pin into the head of a beautiful girl and turns her into a butterfly, a prince meets her, takes it out and she is a girl again, witch would eat children); 2. Cuento (poor to fair recording, La Llorona, his version, story was used to scare children, discipline, family, they were told La Llorona would come, take them, and eat them up because she did not like children, and had eaten her own children, story told to children to make them behave and come home before dark in the evening. Notes in Cobos folder).

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.)

Creator

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