The Rubén Cobos Collection of Spanish New Mexican Folklore is a sound archive (call number R4000) containing over 2000 pieces, including ballads, poems, prayers, nursery rhymes, riddles, proverbs, stories, personal narratives, songs, instrumental music, and descriptions of social customs, ritual practices, and children's games. The recordings were made between 1944 and 1974 in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado. Rubén Cobos donated the recordings to Colorado College in 1974.
In 2005, we received a grant from the Colorado Digitization Project to digitize the music (and only the music) in the Cobos Collection. If you are on the CC campus, all the music recordings are available via digitalCC Beta. A few recordings are in digitalCC, with more coming by the end of summer 2025. All the recordings, most in Spanish, were originally made on 358 seven-inch reels with a playing time varying from thirty to sixty minutes. The reel-to-reels were converted to cassette, and then digitized. The original reels and a set of cassettes are housed in Special Collections. The sound quality is uneven. Pieces 1.1 to 30.18 are individually digitized at the song level; pieces 31.1 to 57.12 are digitized at the cassette level. Researchers may find it useful to use the published catalog of the music collection, Music in the Rubén Cobos Collection of Spanish New Mexican Folklore, edited by Victoria Lindsay Levine and Amanda Chace, available in the Colorado College library and several other U.S. libraries.
Other Cobos collections of Spanish New Mexican folklore are available through the University of New Mexico and the Library of Congress.
Please note: this collection is meant to be an educational resource for students and scholars. It is not for commercial use. Anyone who wishes to use the collection should be aware that the people recorded did not sign consent forms or waivers. At the time of the recording, it was not common practice to obtain such permissions. If you quote from the collection, you should note the the Cobos number and performer and cite the Cobos Collection, Tutt Library, Colorado College. Reproduction of the audiorecordings requires permission from Colorado College.
Cobos Performers
Abeyta, Amador. Sabinal, 1949
Alarcon, Jose F. Rainsville, 1971
Amador, Margaret. Albuquerque, 1973
Aragon, Delfina. San Isidro, 1970
Aragon, Miguel. Las Vegas, 1958
Archuleta, Ricardo. Cerro, 1949
Baca, Luciano C. de. Belen, 1973
Baca, Luciano. Belen, 1972
Baca, Teresa. Lemitar, 1971
Baird, Emmie. Albuquerque, 1970
Barela, Adela. Albuquerque, 1970
Barela, Eulalio. Veguita, 1971
Baros, Lito Emilio. Bernalillo, 1970
Benavidez, Alfredo. Socorro, 1970
Benavidez, Pablo Sr. Montoya, 1970
Bernal, Jacobo Manuel. Ranchos de Taos, 1974
Berry, Edwin. Tome, 1971
Blea, Ricardita. Albuquerque, 1973
Candelaria, Exequiel. Albuquerque, 1949
Candelaria, Rosaura. Los Griegos, unknown
Casados, Leonardo. Cuba, 1949
Casaus, Celilia. Albuquerque, 1974
Castillo, Adolfo. La Alameda, 1949
Cata, Regina Alvarado de. San Juan Pueblo, 1971
Chavez, Emilia. Los Padillas, 1970
Chavez, Emilio (Mr. and Mrs.). Artesia, 1971
Chavez, Mary. Grants, 1972
Chavez, Placido. Valencia, 1949
Chavez, Rafael. Vequita, 1973
Children's Chorus directed by Guadalupe Baca and Vaughn. Taos, 1971
Cortez, Helen. Artesia, 1971
Cruz, Patricio. Chimayo, 1972
Delgado, Mercedes. San Isidro, 1970
Dominguez, Abranita. Bernalillo, 1971
Doña Rosalia. Belen, 1973
Dueto America. Unknown, 1970
Duran, Natividad. San Jose, 1971
Duran, Ramos. Picuris Pueblo, 1974
Esquibel, Manuel A. La Joya, 1949
Fernandez, Salvadora. Paraje, 1970
Flores, Alejandro. San Juan Pablo, 1972
Gabaldon, Maria. Bernalillo, 1971
Gallegos, Cristino. Vallecitos, 1971
Gallegos, Eddie. Albuquerque, 1974
Gallegos, Mary. Los Lunas, 1971
Gallegos, Mela. Tucumcari, 1974
Gallegos, Rafael. Rutherton, 1969 and Tierra Amarilla, 1970
Garcia, Delfina. Albuquerque, 1974
Garcia, Flora. Albuquerque, 1970 and Los Duranes, 1971
Garcia, Gilbert. Belen, 1973
Garcia, Navitidad. Albuquerque, 1970
Garcia, Presvitor. Los Duranes, 1970
Gonzales, Carolina. Mountainair, 1969
Gonzalez, Jenny. Sapello, 1968
Gonzalez, Rosela. Socorro, 1970
Griego, Claro. Albuquerque, 1973
Gutierrez, Juan O. Las Vegas, 1973
Hermanos Castro. Unknown, 1970
Herrera, Fabian. La Zorra, 1973
Herrera, Leandro. Chamita, 1973
Herrera, Socorro. Hernandez, 1972
Horcasitas de Mendez, Maria. Albuquerque, 1969
Jaramillo, Margarita de Mascarenas. Raton, 1969
Korte, Joe Edward. Las Vegas, 1949
L'Esperance, Danny. Socorro, 1970
Lara, Bert de. Albuquerque, 1971 and Placitas, 1971
Lara, Frederico Fructuoso. San Patricio, 1969
Lerma, Adela. Albuquerque, 1971
Leyba, Francisco S. Lebya, 1958
Leyba, Marcario. Leyba, 1958
Lopez, Juan. Tierra Amarilla, 1969
Lopez, Miguel. Lovato, 1974 and Sena, 1973
Lopez, Nalecio. El Manzano, 1971
Lovato, Josie. Santo Domingo, 1970
Lucero, Amadeo. Albuquerque, 1973
Lucero, Filomeno. Bernalillo, 1970
Lucero, Presentacion. Cuba, New Mexico,1949
Lucero, Teresa. Albuquerque, 1969
Lujan, Andres. Albuquerque, 1969
Lujan, Casimiro, El Torreon, 1949
Maestas, Marcos. Tucumcari, 1974
Maestas, Rosie. Las Vegas, 1974
Martinez, Adelino, La Alameda, 1949.
Martinez, Aniceta. Velarde, 1973
Martinez, Antonio, El Guique, 1973
Martinez, Francisco. Chama, 1969
Martinez, Martinez. Albuquerque, 1974
Martinez, Jerry. Ojo Caliente, 1973
Martinez, Juan N. San Juan Pablo, 1973
Martinez, Roberto. Truchas, 1971
Martinez, Sofia. El Guique, 1970
Martinez, Sofia. El Guique, 1970
Martinez, Viola. Velarde, 1973
McGrath, Tom. Las Vegas, 1970
Mendoza Family. Albuquerque, 1971
Mendoza, Amalia. Unknown, 1970
Mercado, Ida. Albuquerque, 1971
Montano, Felicitas. Tome, 1958, 1969, and 1974
Montano, Mrs. Nick. Tome, 1949
Montano, Navitidad. Taos, 1971
Montoya, Demetrio. Rainsville, 1971
Montoya, M. Pena Blanca, 1970
Mora, Carlota. La Constantcia, 1974
Moya, Jose D. Canjilon, 1949
Nunez, Dolores. Albuquerque, 1970
Orona, Maria M. La Constancia, 1974
Ortega, Edupilo. Bernardo, 1971
Ortega, Lelo. Albuquerque, 1969
Ortega, Matilde L. Las Vegas, 1973
Ortega, Trinidad. Chimayo, 1972
Ortiz, Antonio M. Nambe, 1970
Ortiz, Bernardita. Bernalillo, 1969
Ortiz, Jacinta. Rowe, 1972
Padilla, Mrs. Jose de Leon. Tome, 1958
Padilla, Porfirio. Albuquerque, 1971
Padilla, Tranquilino. Albuquerque, 1970
Pena, Jose and Meliton Lovato. Cuba, 1949
Perea, Manuel. Tome, 1958
Quintana, Merced. Santa Cruz, Mew Mexico, 1974
Rael, Leocadio. Albuquerque, 1949
Rivera, Eustolia. Tucumcari, 1974
Rivera, Filomeno. La Alameda, 1949
Rivera, Julian. San Juan Pablo, unknown
Rivera, Tito M. Albuquerque, 1972
Rodriguez, Leonora. Espanola, 1972
Romero, Alberto. Albuquerque, 1972
Romero, Candelaria. Pena Blanca, 1971
Romero, Margarito. San Miguel, 1971
Rosales and Robinson. Unknown, 1970
Rubi, Cristina. Belen, 1971
Sanchez, Abran. Cuba, 1949
Sanchez, Adan. Belen, 1973
Sanchez, Danny. Belen, 1973
Sanchez, Faustina. Albuquerque, 1970
Sanchez, Mary. La Constancia, 1974
Sanchez, Nestor B. Belen, 1973
Sanchez, Vincente. Las Lagunitas, 1949
Sandoval, Donisio. Truchas, 1972
Sandoval, Juan. Albuquerque, 1970 and Chimayo, 1966
Sandoval, Magdalena. San Isidro, 1970
Sandoval, Ricardo. Albuquerque, 1974
Sedillo, Cleotilde. Los Angeles, California, 1971
Segura, Emiliana. Cerro, 1970
Sena, Andalecio. Sena, 1970
Thomas, Anita. Taos, 1971
Torres Family. Escondida, 1971
Trio Aguilillas. Unknown, 1970
Trio Calaveras, Unknown, 1970
Trio Miserias, Unknown, 1970
Trujillo, Alfonso. Chimayo, 1970
Trujillo, Aurelia. Bernalillo, 1972
Trujillo, Benigno or Ezequiel. Chimayo, 1970
Trujillo, Benigno. Chimayo, 1970
Trujillo, J. Felix. Raton, 1971
Trujillo, Maggie and Jacobo Bernal. Ranchos de Taos, 1971
Trujillo, Meliton. Taos, 1971
Trujillo, Napoleon. Bernalillo, 1972
Trujillo, Paul and George. Tierra Amarilla, 1969
Trujillo, Pedro. Chimayo, 1972
Trujillo, Vidal Jesus. Santa Cruz, 1970
Valles, Bennie. Albuquerque, 1973
Vialpando, Domitilia. Albuquerque, 1971
Vialpando, Martha. Albuquerque, 1970
Vigil, Cleofas. Arroyo Hondo, 1969
Wills, Barbara. San Juan Pueblo, 1971
Zamora, Maxine. Albuquerque, 1969
Zamora, Mrs. Mack. Albuquerque, 1969
