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Songs from the California Traditions
of the Villa Family — Music Folio

Songs from the California Traditions of the Villa Family

Transcribed, edited and arranged by
Vykki Mende Gray

Item Number: BK-202 CAL      $10.00

Description | Contents | Los Villa

In 1903 the ardent promoter of the cultures of the Southwest, Charles Fletcher Lummis, took on an immense project. With his charter in hand for the Southwest Society, a chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America, he purchased an Edison wax cylinder recording machine and proceeded to “catch our archaeology alive” by recording hundreds of the disappearing songs of the californios and Native Americans of the region.

Those of the Edison wax cylinders that are still extant now reside at the Southwest Museum’s Braun Research Library in Highland Park.

This music book reflects a small part of that collection — specifically the songs that Lummis collected from members of the Villa family: Rosa Villa,
Luisa Villa, and Esequia Asevedo de Villa.

Many of these pieces are “sister duets”, with original harmony arrangements. The transcriptions include lead lines, with harmony lines for most pieces, and the accompanying chords are indicated for guitar players or other chording instruments. The books are bound in comb bindings so they’ll stay open. Also included is an Index, a First Line Index and a Phrase Index. These transcriptions finally make this music accessible and available for performers and scholars.

All of these pieces are included in the ten-volume Music of Early California collection, although they are scattered among the various years. If you already have that work, you may not want this one.
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Table of Contents

El abecedario................................................................... 4         ¿Por qué rehusan?...................................................... 16
Adiós, adiós, amores....................................................... 6       La serenata................................................................. 17
La brisa........................................................................... 7       El sueño....................................................................... 18
El capotín........................................................................ 8       Te conocí, mujer.......................................................... 19
Cuando niña.................................................................... 9       Tristes recuerdos........................................................ 20
Ella no me ama............................................................... 10       La viuda...................................................................... 21
Guarda esta flor............................................................. 11       Ya brilla en el oriente.................................................. 22
La hamaca..................................................................... 12       Index.......................................................................... 23
La indita de Santa Fe...................................................... 14       Index of First Lines.................................................... 24
Mujer purísima................................................................ 15       Phrase Index.............................................................. 24

The Villa Family

Rosa and Luisa Villa

Rosa and Luisa Villa

 

 

 

 

The californio family of Rosa and Luisa Villa came to Alta California from Baja California in 1846. These informants also played dance tunes on the mandolin and guitar, and were influential in later romantic revivals of californio dances.
Los Villa

The Villa Family

 

 

 

 

Lummis recorded only about 20 pieces from this family, but a number of them include harmony arrangements with instrumental accompaniment, giving more clues about how to properly interpret the music. Lummis also recorded some charming pieces from their mother, Esequia Asevedo de Villa.

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© Vykki Mende Gray, 2020
All rights reserved.

Web design: Ellen Wallace and Vykki Mende Gray
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