Songs From The Pima

Pima Indians: Arizona

Canyon Records
Amos Richards and his group: Amos Richards, leader; Josiah King, David Lewis, Jeanette King, Elizabeth Garcia, Lydia Richards

Here recorded are social songs from the Pima, songs for pleasure dancing. The Pima, sometimes called the "River People" live chiefly along the valleys of the Gila and Salt Rivers in South Central Arizona.

In early evening the singers arrive at the place appointed for the fiesta or party, and as the people gather, begin with the Evening Song, the 'starting song'.

Pima songs are in series; once a song is begun, the series to which it belongs is followed; songs from a different set are not interspersed. One group of singer will know a set of songs; another group will specialize in a different group of songs, as "Bluebird Songs", "Swallow Songs", etc.

Throughout the evening the songs follow for dancing (as many as seventy songs sometimes belonging to a series), and the party may end towards dawn, with weary-footed dancers and singers with tiring voices – as the songs conclude.

Mostly the dancers dance in a big circle, with a man and woman alternating, their arms extending across the shoulders of those adjoining. Limited somewhat by this position, foot movements are simple stamping steps; bodies sway with the rhythm; the circle itself sometimes shifts in direction as the music dictates.

The Pima has four types of musical instruments – but these social songs are sung to the beat of a drum. Among these Indian people, a storage-type basket is inverted and forms a drum. It is struck with a stick (or sticks if there is more than one drummer) in rapid, glancing blows. The stick is usually tapered.

For the most part, present day Pima singers cannot interpret the words of the songs for non-Pimans, as the songs are so ancient that the language is archaic and not easily translated to modern speech. The songs have been handed down from generation to generation – with certain young people being taught patiently by older singers. Even though the words are obscure, and all but the most general significance of the song lost in antiquity, both singers and listeners immediately recognize the type of songs, and identify the music as Pima . . . as 'belonging to us'.

Occasionally new songs are composed – inspired or dreamed in solitude – and taught by the composer to another so that the songs will not die with him.

Almost 70 years ago, Frank Russell in a report of the Bureau of American Ethnology to the Smithsonian Institute, translated some Swallow Songs as given to him by the old Pima patriarchs of those days (1904). Canyon Records has no way of knowing if they might refer to these songs here recorded, but includes the verses as a matter of interest.
Now the Swallow begins his singing,
Now the Swallow begins his singing.
And the women who are with me,
The women commence to sing.
The Swallows met in the standing cliffs,
The Swallows met in the standing cliffs,
And the rainbows arched above me,
There the blue rainbow arches met.
The songs go on to say
The Black Swallows running hither,
The Black Swallows running hither,
Running hither came to lead me,
Lead me here, lead me there.
We are beating the basket drums,
We are beating the basket drums,
I am singing, I am listening . . . .

Play song

Name

Performed by

Description

Native Words

Translation

Notes

Evening Song Pima
Blue Swallows Pima
Camelback Mountain Song Pima
Papago Park Mountain Pima
Tempe Butte Pima
South Mountain Song Pima
Komatke Mountain Song Pima
Blue Humming Bird Pima
What Kind Of Flower Pima
Rainbow Song Pima
Superstition Mountain Song Pima