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.
Includes unlimited streaming of Nuevas Acequias, Rio Viejo: traditional music of Northern New Mexico
via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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about
Inditas like this one are a genre that, as far as we know, is unique to Northern New Mexico. They have a distinct rhythm that fits the traditional indita dance figure that is done with two couples, and which may have been inspired by Native American round dances. Most inditas (all but one that we’ve heard) are in a unique mode that combines major and minor chords in the same key, and may be a descendant of an Arabic maqam that was adopted into Spanish music and then brought with early colonists to New Mexico. Many tunes in this mode were standardized to major keys over time, but the musicians around Pecos preserved the tradition of combining major and minor chords in the accompaniment. Sometimes the accompanists play minor chords against the major scale tones in the melody, which must have been to the specifications of Mr. Ruiz, who was very exacting with his guitar players: Our friend Tomás Maes, who accompanied him in the 1970’s, remembers that he would stop and hit guitarists with his violin bow if they played the wrong chord!
Gregorio Ruiz was born in 1890 in Rowe, New Mexico and in 1920 moved to Pecos, which was then a thriving mining town and a center of Northern New Mexican culture and music. Luckily for us he recorded two albums for local record companies towards the end of his life, and we’ve been able to learn from his unique style and skillful playing. He was one of the best of his generation, and he is still a legend among older musicians in our area.
The lyrics are adaptations of a version sung by Alex Chávez of Capulín, Colorado.
lyrics
Indita, indita, indita, indita de Cochití,
Eres valiente indita, y yo te quiero a tí.
Indita , indita, indita, me voy para Santa Fe,
Y pase lo que pase, no me olvido de usted.
My indita from Cochití, you are bold and strong, and I’m in love with you.
Indita, I have to go to Santa Fe. Whatever happens to me there, I won’t forget you.
supported by 8 fans who also own “Indita de Cochití (Indita)”
Great choice of music, expertly played and sung. Nicely produced. I hope to see The Onlies live, asap. This is an album I listen to over and over. Karamogo
supported by 7 fans who also own “Indita de Cochití (Indita)”
This rendition of Virgil Anderson's "Jenny Hang the Kettle On" is wonderful. It perfectly grabs the simplistic beauty of Virgil's version, but has such clarity. Amazing album! Payton Scott
supported by 6 fans who also own “Indita de Cochití (Indita)”
Powerful collection rooted in the stories that must be re-told. Played by some of the most generous community music people I’ve met during my foray into Old Time music.
This CD is a keeper! Ellen B. (Elly) Marshall