Cantemos al Alba: Origins of Songs, Sounds, and Liturgical Drama of Hispanic New Mexico

Tom�s Lozano

Edited and translated into English by Rima Montoya
Foreword by Anthony C�rdenas

Cantemos al Alba is the first book to trace the origins of Hispanic New Mexico's liturgical drama, early songs, and sounds to ancient European traditions. Tomás Lozano weaves a historical unifying thread of events originating in medieval Spain, passing through Mexico and into New Mexico. In the process, Lozano uncovers folklore never treated before.

Lozano reveals a portion of United States history that to this day goes largely unrecognized. He demonstrates how the first music schools of what today is the U.S. actually began along the Río Grande Valley of New Mexico. In his seventeen chapters Lozano presents over one hundred songs with original music notations, compares full dramatic exemplars, and brings forward recordings of perhaps forgotten sounds. Cantemos al Alba is an innovative study and bank of information that provides testimony for Lozano's anthological work.

Cantemos al Alba is a bilingual English/Spanish study and includes two CDs with examples of the music and the dramas discussed in the text.

"...absolutely fabulous....Complete with chapters in both English and Spanish, as well as sheet music, lyrics, and full dramatic plays, this book is truly a unique publication."--SMRC Revista

"...beautifully produced...wonderfully thorough and well-developed..."--La Herencia del Norte, NM

Tomás Lozano, originally from Spain, is a folklorist and a professional musician.

8 x 10 751 pages 151 halftones, 80 line drawings