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James S. Griffith New Mexican Popular Music Collection

 Collection
Identifier: MU-19

Scope and Content

This is mainly a collection of New Mexican music recorded in early 1970's on 45 rpm discs, that gave been reformatted to cassettes. Griffith's original part is a unique representation of popular music at that time. A few later items have been added. The lyrics of "Honky Tonk Angels" and "You 'n' Me" are in Spanish and English while "Dejame Ir" is a Spanish translation of "Please Release and Let Me Go," a popular Country and Western song. Also included are "Farmington" and "Navajo Nation '73," sung by Frankie López.

In addition, Elmer Martinez donated a 45 of local Albuquerque popular Hispanic songs from 1978, added to the collection in 2011. It featured Los Bohemios and Miguel Archibeque. Another in his set is the Spanish cancion about the 1963 assasinatiopn of President John F. Kennedy. The 1975 Albuquerque balloon fiesta is romanticized in the "Ballad of the Double Eagle II," added in 2012. The 1967 song "The Lights of Albuquerque" from the Vietnam War era by Billy Mize, "Albuquerque, The Jewel of New Mexico," by Rex Warren, and eight other songs featured in the CSWR Albuquerque 2006 Tricentennial Exhibit song display, organized by CSWR student Kathy McCully, were also added in 2012.

Forms part of the John Donald Robb Archive of Southwestern Music.

Dates

  • 1963-2007
  • 1952-2007

Creator

Language of Materials

English

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 publications or distribution.

Biography

The original set of recordings were donated by Dr. James S. Griffith, formerly of the University of Arizona Library's Southwest Folklore Center. He retired from a faculty position at the University in 1998. Dr. Griffith was the founder and director of Tucson's most popular event, the Tucson Meet Yourself Folk Life Festival. Additional material was added in 2011 and 2012.

Extent

8 CDs

Related Material

New Mexican and Mexican Music from the Collection of Roberto Martinez Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico. Ned Sublette Collection of New Mexico Country Western and Hispanic Folk Music Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico James B. Wright Collection of Southwestern Native American and Hispanic Music, Interviews and Literary Programs Center for Southwest Research, University of New Mexico Ken Keppeler and Jeanie McLerie Collection of Northern New Mexico Hispanic Music Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico Charlemaud Curtis Collection of Southwestern Music, Interviews and Programs Center for Southwest Research, University Libraries, University of New Mexico

General

Contact Information

  1. Center for Southwest Research
  2. Zimmerman Library
  3. University of New Mexico
  4. Albuquerque, New Mexico 87131-1466
  5. Phone: 505-277-6451
  6. Fax: 505-277-0530
  7. Email: cswrref@unm.edu
  8. URL: http://eLibrary.unm.edu/cswr

Processing Information

Cassettes reformatted to cd in June 2011.

CD 4 reformatted from 45 rpm record, courtesy of Elmer Martinez.

NOTE: The order of items on the CDs matches the order of items in the list below. However, due to the reformatting process, CD tracks do not necessarily start or stop at the same events as the list below.
Title
Finding Aid of the James S. Griffith New Mexican Popular Music Collection, 1952-2007
Status
Completed
Author
Processed by CSWR staff
Date
©2000
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

  • June 28, 2004: PUBLIC "-//University of New Mexico::Center for Southwest Research//TEXT (US::NmU::MU 19::James S. Griffith New Mexican Popular Music Collection)//EN" "nmu1mu19.sgml" converted from EAD 1.0 to 2002 by v1to02.xsl (sy2003-10-15).

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