http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8vh5qzk No online items Finding aid prepared by Salvador Güereña, Michelle Wilder, January 15, 2004 UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Collections University of California, Santa Barbara Santa Barbara, California, 93106-9010 Phone: (805) 893-3062 Email: special@library.ucsb.edu; URL: http://www.library.ucsb.edu/special-collections 03/07/2014 CEMA 23 1
Title: Adelina García collection Identifier/Call Number: CEMA 23 Contributing Institution: UC Santa Barbara Library, Department of Special Collections Language of Material: English Physical Description: 1.0 linear feet(1 document box and 1 oversize box, Also listed are songs that the library has as records and digital files.) Date (inclusive): 1938-1978 Abstract: Adelina García is consider to be the most renowned singer of the Mexican bolero movement of the 1930s and 1940s. Adelina García had a wide following throughout the United States, Mexico and Latin America. She began her singing career in 1937 at the age of 15 and continued to enjoy success all the way through the late 1950's. Throughout her career she was fortunate enough to work with many of her contemporaries and tour all around the the United States and Latin America. The Adelina García Collection contains biographical documents and a large selection of printed and published material about or including the singer. The collection spans two boxes (one document box and one oversize box) occupying almost 1 linear foot of space. The archival material includes photographs, playbills and programs, posters, magazines, sheet music and a few biographical documents. Each of the seven series are arranged alphabetically by folder title. An assortment of sound recordings were acquired over the years and while these were not originally part of the collection a listing of these have been added as Series VII as a convenience to the researcher. Physical Location: CEMA stacks in Del Norte, digital sound files are on the Library server and 78s are in Special Collections Performing Arts stacks. Language of Materials: The collection is in English and Spanish. creator: Garcia, Adelina, 1923-1999 Use Restrictions Copyright has not been assigned to the Department of Special Collections, UCSB. All requests for permission to publish or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Head of Special Collections. Permission for publication is given on behalf of the Department of Special Collections as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained. Access Restrictions The collection is open for research. Acquisition Information Some of the materials purchased from Yolanda Retter Books, Encino, California, 1997. Charles Rojo donated a CD along with several 78s. Records were also purchased from various record dealers and two were donated by Brandon McGrath in 2010. Preferred Citation [Identification of Item], Adelina Garcia collection, CEMA 23. Department of Special Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara. Biographical/Historical note Adelina García is considered to be the most renowned singer of the golden era of the Mexican romantic bolero. Aficionados of this genre of music are found far and wide throughout the United States, Mexico, and Latin America. Originally from Cuidad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, Adelina García made her debut on radio station XEP in that city. It did not take long for her singing talent to become known throughout the region and soon after she was offered a professional contract. Her singing career was launched in earnest in 1937. She sang live on radio stations throughout the U.S. that broadcast to the Latino community. Her blossoming singing career went from one hit song to another on record labels such as Columbia and RCA Victor. Among her most well-known songs recorded in the 1940 s were Muchachita, Vereda Tropical and Desesperadamente. She made Los Angeles her permanent home in 1938. It was then, at the age of fifteen, that she landed her first recording contract on the Columbia label. Following a successful tour of Brazil, her many live performances on Radio Station XEW in Mexico City gave her broad exposure in that country, and that helped to extend her fame throughout Latin America. Adelina García collaborated with many composers and artists, one of whom was the popular Mexican composer Gonzalo Curiel. Her tours took her to many Latin American countries. She also toured throughout the United States. Her singing career continued until the late 1950 s. Related Material Charles Rojo collection (CEMA 91) Scope and Contents note CEMA 23 2
The Adelina García Collection consists of of biographical documents and a large selection of printed and published material about or including the singer. The collection spans two boxes (one document box and one oversize box) occupying almost 1 linear foot of space. The archival material includes photographs, playbills and programs, posters, magazines, sheet music and a few biographical documents. Each of the six series are arranged alphabetically by folder title. An assortment of sound recordings were acquired over the years and while these were not originally part of the collection a listing of these have been added as Series VII as a convenience to the researcher. SERIES DESCRIPTION Series I: Biographical, 1949-1952. This series contains only 3 folders. Of particular interest is the selection of newspaper clippings from Cuba, all of which are in Spanish, dating from 1949. Series II: Photographs, 1941, 1944, n.d. The photographs, mostly performances and publicity stills, are delineated by year, radio station or purpose and are grouped in separate folders to preserve apparent distinctions within the photographs. Series III: Playbills and Programs, 1945, 1978, n.d. This series contains a selection of playbills and programs from various geographic locations. Series IV: Posters, 1940-1944. Series IV is a small selection of performance posters. Series V: Publications, 1939-1956, n.d. This series contains a variety of magazines in which Adelina was featured, along with a couple of record catalogs and an unsigned autograph book. Series VI: Sheet Music, 1950. These are songs for which Adelina wrote neither words or lyrics, however these songs became famous because of Adelina s exceptional talent, and were therefore printed with her photograph on the cover. Series VII: Sound Recordings. There are four 78 rpm discs produced by Azteca Records, representing eight songs sung by Adelina Garcia, all with Rafael Mendez and his orchestra. Additionally a separate audio-tape with four songs was later added, recordings that originally were on two 78 rpm discs (Rendido tango, Ruleta fox, Misterio bolero, Melancolia bolero) all with the Orquesta de Manuel S. Acuña. These latter songs are believed to be among her earliest recorded songs for Columbia Records. There are twelve 78 rpm (two songs per disc, in Special Collections Performing Arts as well as 16 digital recordings on the library server. Subjects and Indexing Terms Boleros (Music) Mexican Americans -- Music Photographs Playbills Popular music -- Mexico Posters Sound recordings Series I: Biographical Box 1, Folder 1 Certificate of Appreciation from Cruzada Nacional Contra la Tuberculosis 1950 Box 1, Folder 2 Correspondence from U.S. Embassy 1952 Box 1, Folder 3 Newspaper Clippings, Cuba 1949 Series II: Photographs Box 1, Folder 4 El Patio 1944 Box 1, Folder 5 Photographs Undated Box 1, Folder 6 Postcards Box 1, Folder 7 Radio XEMR Undated Box 1, Folder 8 Radio XEP Undated Box 1, Folder 9 Radio XEW Undated Box 1, Folder 10 Teatro Municipal, San Paulo Brasil September 22, 1941 Box 1, Folder 11 Series III: Playbills and Programs Undate Box 1, Folder 11 21 Club, Tijuana Undated Box 1, Folder 12 Club Social Avalos Chihuahua Inc. 1978 Box 1, Folder 13 Jockey Club, Brasil 1945 CEMA 23 3
Series III: Playbills and Programs Undate Box 1, Folder 14 Box 1, Folder 15 Box 1, Folder 16 "Show" Undated Tipica Revue at Liberty Hall, El Paso, handbill Undated Tipica Revue souvenir program Undated Series IV: Posters Box 2, Folder 1 "An Evening in Mazatlan and in person...adelina Garcia" 1940 Box 2, Folder 2 "An Evening in Santa Fe presenting in person...adelina Garcia" 1944 Box 2, Folder 3 RCA Victor, New Records Poster 1944 Series V: Publications Box 1, Folder 17 Autograph Book, unsigned Undated Box 1, Folder 18 Cinema circa 1950 Box 1, Folder 19 Columbia Recording Corporation General Catalog of Records Undated Box 1, Folder 20 Couplets (Cancionero Popular) 1949 Box 1, Folder 21 Espectaculos, No. 325, 326, 328, 329, 330 & 346 1950 Box 1, Folder 22 Figuras Del Arte 1944 Box 1, Folder 23 Folklore 1949 Box 1, Folder 24 La Novella Cinegrafica, two different issues, both lack covers 1956 Box 1, Folder 25 Maracas...Album Melódico de Cuba 1949 Box 1, Folder 26 Novelas Del Radio, No. 74 & 97 1956 Box 1, Folder 27 O Copacabana, Brasil 1949 Box 2, Folder 4 Parada Musical April, 1950 Box 1, Folder 28 Progreso, cover only, (phot of young Adelina) 1939 Box 1, Folder 29 Radio Nacional (Brasil) 1945 Box 1, Folder 30 Radiolandia, No. 177, 337, 345, 500 1946 & 1951 Box 1, Folder 31 RCA Victor Mexicana, New Records brochure Aug-Sept 1944 Series VI: Sheet Music Box 1, Folder 32 Hipócrita, Lyrics and Music by Carlos Crespo 1950 Box 1, Folder 33 Malos Pensamientos, Lyrics and Music by Alberto Domínguez 1950 Box 1, Folder 34 Vida, Lyrics by Ricardo López Méndez, Music by Gabriel Ruiz 1950 Series VII: Sound Recordings 6086-X Item library Item Azteca 255 Item Vocalion 9221 Item Azteca 248 5968-X, Server Item Azteca 254, server 6062-x Item Victor 82-5170 Adoración/Desesperadamente 1941 Aventura/Por la cruz 1938 La Borracha/Morena linda 1939 Conozco a los Dos/Alma llanera Mi espenenza/hay que olvidar 1939 Mi tormento/un gran amor 1938 Misterio/Melancolía Preferible es llorar/siete puñales 1946 CEMA 23 4
Series VII: Sound Recordings 6107-x Item OKeh 9326, server : 6106-X Item Azteca 249 Rendido/Ruleta Supiste quererme/siempre 1940 Tormento/Tardecita 1941 Ya No Me Acuerdo/Deuda 1938 CEMA 23 5