This online presentation of Hispano Music and Culture of the Northern Rio Grande: the Juan B. Rael Collection, was organized and developed by National Digital Library Program team leader Thomas Bramel and folklorist and Digital Conversion Specialist Robin Fanslow. We would like to acknowledge the contributions of many other persons and organizations:
Essential support was provided by a generous grant from The Texaco Foundation.
Enrique R. Lamadrid, associate professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of New Mexico, performed scholarly research, wrote the collection's interpretive essays, transcribed song texts, and translated both the transcribed texts and the interpretive essays. In addition, Larry Torres and Gabriel Meléndez provided specialized knowledge and editorial assistance in this undertaking. The Rael family, especially Carolina Rael Dominguez, Glorianna D. Atencio, Maria Rael Nowell, Maximina Rael Traynor, and José Ignacio Rael, patiently responded to all our inquiries regarding the life and work of Juan B. Rael.
Archivist Nora Yeh, digital projects coordinator for the American Folklife Center, coordinated the efforts of Center staff. Other Center staff who contributed to the development of this online presentation include Alan Jabbour and James Hardin, who provided editorial guidance; Camila Bryce-Laporte and volunteer Marie-Louise Walter, who performed background research on the collection; and Christa Maher, Rachel Howard, and Laurel McIntyre.
Many dedicated professionals on the staff of the National Digital Library Program worked with us on Hispano Music and Culture of the Northern Rio Grande. Glenn Ricci coordinated the web page design framework and graphics. Mary Ambrosio and Lisa Fruth programmed the indexing and display of the documents. Melissa Smith Levine coordinated copyright and permissions for the collection. Steve McCollum coordinated image quality review. Deborah Thomas assisted with database conversion and technical support. Jeff Finlay and Emily Lind Baker assisted in the editorial process.
Brad McCoy in the Magnetic Recording Laboratory of the Motion Picture, Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Division made the original disk-to-tape transfers. Robin Fanslow and Thomas Bramel created the digital audio files. Katherine Arrington in the Prints and Photographs Division helped in obtaining the morada photo on the home page. Georgette Dorn and Juan Manuel Pérez of the Hispanic Division provided editorial assistance.
Stanford University Press granted permission for the online reproduction of material excerpted from Juan B. Rael's book The New Mexican Alabado, the California Folklore Society granted permission for use of the article "New Mexican Spanish Feasts," originally published in California Folklore Quarterly, and the University Press of Kentucky granted permission for use of "New Mexican Wedding Songs," originally published in Southern Folklore Quarterly.