Hispanic Folk Music of New Mexico and the Southwest: A Self-Portrait of a People

918 Pages·2014·37.21 MB·English

by  John Donald Robb

HISPANIC FOLK MUSIC OF NEW MEXICO
AND THE SOUTHWEST
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HISPANIC FOLK MUSIC
OF NEW MEXICO
AND THE SOUTHWEST
^n. <L)eJ/-Jor/rai/ of a J eopJe
JOHN DONALD ROBB
foreword By JACK LOEFFLER
Prologue 6y ENRIQUE R. LAMADRID
University of New Mexico Press • Albuquerque
In addition to funding by the UNM John Donald Robb Musical Trust we wish to
acknowledge the Mr. and Mrs. Sanford N. McDonnell Foundation^ the Brabson Library
and Educational Foundation^ and the Frank D. and Marie K. Gorham Charitable
Foundation for their generous support.
University of New Mexico Press edition © 2014 by The Regents of the University of New Mexico
All rights reserved.
University of New Mexico Press edition 2014 published by arrangement with the UNM John Donald
Robb Musical Trust
Originally published in 1980 by the University of Oklahoma Press
Printed in the United States of America
19 18 17 16 15 14 1 2 3 4 56
Cloth ISBN: 978-0-8263-4430-4
Digital ISBN: 978-0-8263-4432-8
Typeset in Plantin 9.5/11
Cover design by Lila Sanchez
To Harriet
who for over fifty years has played
the role of the perfect wife without
missing a cue
Peasant music is the outcome of changes wrought by a natural force whose operation is
unconscious. . . . For this reason the individuals of which it consists—the single tunes are so
many examples of high artistic perfection. In their small way, they are as perfect as the grandest
masterpieces of musical art. They are, indeed, classical models of the way in which a musical idea
can be expressed in all its freshness and shapeliness—in short in the very best possible way, in the
briefest possible form and with the simplest of means. On the other hand, the favourite national
or popular art songs contain, beside a few interesting tunes, so many musical commonplaces, that
their value remains far lesser than that of peasant music in the narrower sense of the term.
Bela Bartok, Hungarian Folk Music
CONTENTS
Illustrations ix
Foreword xi
Prologue xv
Preface xix
Acknowledgments xxiii
Explanation of Format xxv
Introduction 3
Part I. Secular Song Texts and Melodies 17
Section A. Romance 24
B. Corrido 89
C. Cancion 201
D. Relation and Related Forms 314
E. Decima 376
F. Indita 418
G. Trovo 462
H. Cuando 481
I. Occupations 489
J. Patriotism, History, Politics 547
K. Courtship and Marriage 567
L. Social Commentary 578
M. Popular Songs 588
N. Miscellaneous Secular 593
Part II. Religious Song Texts and Melodies 609
Section O. Alabado 612
P. Alabanza 644
Q. Décima a lo Divino 680
S. Himno 690
T. Rogativa 702
U. Despedimento 710
V. Miscellaneous Religious 717
Part III. Instrumental Melodies 737
Section W. Matachines Dance and
Related Forms 741
X. Social Dances 791
Y. Other Instrumental Melodies 826
Appendices
A. Piano-Vocal Arrangements of Selected Songs 831
B. Song Literature of the Villages 860
C. Sampling of Despedidas 864
D. Songs with Chorus or Refrain 865
E. Form for Analysis of Folk Melodies 866
Definitions 869
Bibliography 871
Discography 874
Index of Titles 875
Index of First Lines 881
General Index 885
ILLUSTRATIONS
Francisco Chavez, singer 26
Edwin Berry, singer 27
Francisco S. Leyva, singer 42
Avila, Spain 47
Juan Lujan, singer 196
Jacinto Ortiz, singer 279
Grave of Jacinto Ortiz 279
Rafaelita and Leonardo Salazar, singers 319
Tomas Archuleta, singer 335
Prospero S. Baca, singer 376
Father Juan B. Ralliere 455
Herding sheep in New Mexico 489
Juan Griego, singer 498
TRACING A FOLK SONG (117)
Tracing the corrido 528
Leaving for the site of Maestas' death 528
Cairn of stones in memory of Maestas 528
Antonio Maestas 529
Don Agustin Maestas 529
Epimenio Chacon 529
Pedro Trujillo y Chacon 529
Higinio V. Gonzales, composer 530
Jose Gallegos, singer 530
Threshing wheat in New Mexico 541
Threshing wheat in Spain 541
Juan Sandoval, singer 579
LOS COMANCHES
Folk play Los Comanches in Albuquerque 600
Two young warriors with stolen creches 601
The old drummer 601
Dancer and women singers 601
Jorge Lopez, singer 618
Page of Penitente Manual 619