Roberto Martínez Festival Performances with Los Reyes de Albuquerque
Collection
Identifier: MSS-791-BC
Scope and Content
This collection contains recordings of live performances by Los Reyes de Albuquerque at important regional festivals in the Southwest, recorded 1991-1995. The venues include: The Festival of the American West in Logan, Utah; The New Mexico State Fair at the Villa Hispana in Albuquerque, New Mexico; The Colorado State Fair in Pueblo, Colorado; The Hispanic Arts Commission in Raton, New Mexico.
The performances cover a wide repertoire of popular and traditional New Mexico music including mariachi and ranchera music, corridos and songs, interspersed with comments by group leader and song writer, Roberto Martínez. Some recordings feature family members Debbie, Sheila and Larry Martínez.
Brief reports and copies from exhibits document the audio recovery project that produced the digital version of the music. It also includes a brief biography of Martínez.
Tape letters on the CD labels refer to the original cassette recordings, still in the possession of Roberto Martínez.
Forms part of the John Donald Robb Archive of Southwestern Music.
The performances cover a wide repertoire of popular and traditional New Mexico music including mariachi and ranchera music, corridos and songs, interspersed with comments by group leader and song writer, Roberto Martínez. Some recordings feature family members Debbie, Sheila and Larry Martínez.
Brief reports and copies from exhibits document the audio recovery project that produced the digital version of the music. It also includes a brief biography of Martínez.
Tape letters on the CD labels refer to the original cassette recordings, still in the possession of Roberto Martínez.
Forms part of the John Donald Robb Archive of Southwestern Music.
Dates
- 1991-2006
Language of Materials
English Spanish
Access Restrictions
The collection is open for research.
Copy Restrictions
Limited duplication of CSWR material is allowed for research purposes. User is responsible for compliance with all copyright, privacy, and libel laws. Permission is required for publication or distribution.
Biographical Information
Roberto Martínez was born in 1929 in the village of Chacon in northern New Mexico, where he grew up. He was exposed to regional musical traditions by his parents who sang romance, indita and corrido ballads. He married and moved to Denver, Colorado, where he reacquainted himself with guitar playing, which he had learned as a child. In 1960 he relocated to Albuquerque and joined Mariachi Aguila. Two years later he formed his own music group, Los Reyes de Albuquerque, with Miguel Archibeque, Rey Flores, and George Benavidez.
Writing corridos whenever he was inspired, his most popular was also his most controversial, "Corrido de Rio Arriba," written in 1967 about Reyes Lopez Tijerina and the Tierra Amarilla Courthouse raid. As the group's local popularity grew, they also became recognized in a wider region and began producing commercial recordings. They have performed at prestigious folk festivals such as the Smithsonian's American Folk Life Festival. Martínez himself has received national recognition and was inducted into the National Corridistas Hall of Fame in 2002.
Writing corridos whenever he was inspired, his most popular was also his most controversial, "Corrido de Rio Arriba," written in 1967 about Reyes Lopez Tijerina and the Tierra Amarilla Courthouse raid. As the group's local popularity grew, they also became recognized in a wider region and began producing commercial recordings. They have performed at prestigious folk festivals such as the Smithsonian's American Folk Life Festival. Martínez himself has received national recognition and was inducted into the National Corridistas Hall of Fame in 2002.
Extent
1 box (0.6 cu. ft.)
Abstract
Recordings of live performances by Los Reyes de Albuquerque at important regional festivals in the Southwest, recorded 1991-1995. Contains a wide repertoire of popular and traditional New Mexico music including corridos and songs interspersed with comments by group leader and song writer, Roberto Martínez.
- Title
- Finding Aid of the Roberto Martínez Festival Performances with Los Reyes de Albuquerque, 1991-2006
- Status
- Edited Full Draft
- Author
- Teresa Cordova and Enrique La Madrid
- Date
- © 2008
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid is in English
Revision Statements
- Monday, 20210524: Attribute normal is missing or blank.
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