Guide to the Adelina García collection
CEMA 23
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
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
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
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
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 12
Club Social Avalos Chihuahua Inc.
1978
Box 1, Folder 15
Tipica Revue at Liberty Hall, El Paso, handbill
Undated
Box 1, Folder 16
Tipica Revue souvenir program
Undated
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
Box 1, Folder 17
Autograph Book, unsigned
Undated
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 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
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
Item Columbia 6086-X
Adoración/Desesperadamente
1941
Item library server, Item Azteca 255
Aventura/Por la cruz
1938
Item Library server, Item Vocalion 9221
La Borracha/Morena linda
1939
Item Azteca 248
Conozco a los Dos/Alma llanera
Item Columbia 5968-X, Item Library Server
Mi espenenza/Hay que olvidar
1939
Item Azteca 254, Item Library server
Mi tormento/Un gran amor
1938
Item Library server, Item Columbia 6062-x
Item Library server, Item Victor 82-5170
Preferible es llorar/Siete puñales
1946
Item Library server, Item Columbia 6107-x
Item OKeh 9326, Item Library server
Supiste quererme/Siempre
1940
Item Library server, Item Azteca 249
Ya No Me Acuerdo/Deuda
1938
