Songs from Rancho Camulos — Music Folio

Traditions of the del Valle Family

Transcribed, edited and arranged by
Vykki Mende Gray

Description | Contents | Charles Lummis & the del Valles

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 Rancho Camulos, a rancho located just west of Magic Mountain, north of Los Angeles. This rancho was the home of the del Valle family, and is now open as a museum.

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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El adiós..........................................................................	2	Levántate, joven divina...........................................	15
El ángel de amor...........................................................	3	Me es preciso...........................................................	16
Las blancas flores.........................................................	4	Memoria cruel..........................................................	17
Bonita plaza de armas..................................................	5	Mi memoria..............................................................	18
El campo........................................................................	6	Mi Pepa....................................................................	19
Cinco años hace............................................................	7	Quisiera verte un día..............................................	20
Cuando el hombre disfruta de la vida..........................	8	El ranchero..............................................................	21
Cuando los indios bajaron............................................	9	La varsoviana.........................................................	22
Dolores hay..................................................................	10	Viva la ronda...........................................................	23
Esta noche....................................................................	11	Yo pienso en ti........................................................	24
La indita cimarroncita..................................................	12	Index.......................................................................	26
La joven........................................................................	13	Index of First Lines.................................................	27
Labios cobardes...........................................................	14	Phrase Index...........................................................	27

Charles Lummis with the del Valles

Los del Valle con Lummis

Charles Lummis poses at Rancho Camulos with women from the del Valle family. Lummis recorded 22 pieces from the del Valle family and one more from Jesus Rodríguez who worked there.

Lummis dancing at Rancho Camulos

Charles Lummis recorded only songs with words, even though some of his informants also played dance tunes, and even though this photograph shows that he was familiar with the dances known by the del Valle family.

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Songs from Rancho Camulos — Music Folio

Traditions of the del Valle Family

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Table of Contents

Charles Lummis with the del Valles