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Cuadrilla de Pecos / El Tecolotito (Cuadrillas)

from Nuevas Acequias, Rio Viejo: traditional music of Northern New Mexico by Lone Piñon

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    With original, traditional New Mexican-style retablo cover art and contemporary sketches by Sean Wells. Includes a 10-page booklet with lyrics, portraits of the elders we've learned from, and information about the styles and genres that make up traditional instrumental Northern New Mexican music.

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about

The cuadrilla is a dance set that includes six tunes in different rhythms, each to accompany a different dance figure. It’s also a genre of tunes in 6/8 meter (called quadrilles, jigs, or six-eighters in other parts of the US) that are used for one section of the dance. Many have an unmistakably Celtic sound, which could come from Celtic influence in northern Spain or from Celtic-American immigrants to New Mexico, or both. The first tune was played by Gregorio Ruiz, and uses the major/minor mode that has a more Spanish flavor in the first section contrasted with an F-major section that sounds more in line with the Celtic-American influence that came from the Midwest. It involves third-position violin techniques that were characteristic of the playing of Gregorio Ruiz, Librado Leyva, and Cleofes Ortiz.

The second tune in the set, “El Tecolotito,” comes to us from Bayou Seco, who inherited it from Cleofes Ortiz. Jeannie of Bayou Seco tells us they played it as an instrumental with Cleofes for many years until he turned to them and said, “You know, El Tecolotito: he has words.” The lyrics say that the owl can’t go to the dance for various reasons, and suggest ridiculous ways of solving each of his challenges. We added the English verse. The final verse about the coat, Jeanie says, is a reference to the animals molting their heavy winter coats in springtime.

Ya el tecolote no baila, ya el tecolote no baila,
Porque no tiene zapatos.
En la mañana le haremos, en la mañana le haremos,
Con el cuerito de los gatos.

The owl can’t go to the dance because he doesn’t have any shoes.
In the morning we will make him some out of cat skins.

Ya el tecolote no baila, ya el tecolote no baila,
Porque no tiene calzones.
En la mañana le haremos, en la mañana le haremos,
Con el cuero de los ratones

The owl can’t go to the dance because he doesn’t have any pants.
In the morning we will make him some out of mouse skins.

El tecolote can’t get a date, el tecolote can’t get a date,
‘Cause his profile picture really sucks.
We’ll fix it up with Photoshop, we’ll fix it up with Photoshop,
We’ll make him look like a million bucks.

Tecolotito, tecolotón, tecolotito, tecolotón,
Trae tu leva, dame el cotón.

Little owl, big old owl,
Take your jacket, give me the coat.

credits

from Nuevas Acequias, Rio Viejo: traditional music of Northern New Mexico, released December 15, 2019

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Lone Piñon Albuquerque, New Mexico

Lone Piñon is an acoustic conjunto from New Mexico whose music celebrates the diversity and integrity of their region's cultural roots.

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