Created to honor the Comanchito Danzante tradition, a type of Comanche dance, this has traditionally been performed during the Christmas time posadas, and on Christmas Eve for the Santo Nino.
Although not danced for decades, the songs have been preserved and sung as lullabies to children and grandchildren. Portions of the songs were recorded in 1950 and are maintained in the Robb Music Archive at UNM.
The Comanchito Danzante tradition has recently been revived and in 2018 a procession was led by Hermanos de La Morada de San Miguel de Carnuel. The dance is significant to the remembrance of captive Kiowa, Pawnee, Apaches and Utes that were adopted into Land Grant families as Genizaros of the Sandia Mountain region. The dance group has a FaceBook page.
“Here is my 91 year old grandma singing a song her grandfather use to sing to her. She would sing to her children. Then her grandchildren and now her great grandchildren. I love my grandma so much ❤️??.”
As noted below, Moreen Mendiola posted a video on FaceBook of her Grandmother singing songs handed down to her by her Grandfather.
“In my grandmas words: La Golondrinas will fly away. They are the birds that make the mud nest and they will all fly over the sea. She said they are swallows but the elders call them Golondrinas. She said she would sing it to put us all to sleep. A wonderful lullaby ❤️??”
Moreen Mendiola to Everything New Mexico: Photos, memories, canciones, recipes, art, y masMay 23 at 10:25 AM