Imagine being woken up early on New Year’s morning to singing from musicians outside your door. Some people may expect it, for others it might be a surprise, but for either party it’s a traditional way to ring in the New Year that has been occurring for at least a century in northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.
The tradition of Dando Los Dias, or simply Dias, is a custom where musicians go from house to house singing for neighbors and friends to celebrate the New Year in song. Originating in Spain, the tradition continues in northern New Mexico thanks to the families that seek to keep it alive. With the recent loss of two musicians, including his brother Andy Torres, finding the motivation to establish a new group proved difficult this year for Bernie Torres of Costilla, New Mexico.
Bernie Torres is the lead “versista” or singer of verses specific to family surnames for the Los Dias songs which he learned from his mother, a master versista. “My mother and a handful of ladies had their own group and would visit houses for Dias. My mother would not want me to let this family tradition die. Beginning at the age of 12, during Dias celebrations my mother would tell me in Spanish to follow my brother Andy out the door and learn from him. So I did,” says Bernie. Thinking of his mother, brother Andy, and the many families that enjoy this celebration gave Bernie and his team of musicians inspiration to keep the tradition going another year.
This celebration of the New Year has biblical roots. In the smaller villages of northern New Mexico and southern Colorado, Los Dias was originally only celebrated in those homes with the names of Manuel and Manuelita due to their connection to the name Emmanuel, meaning “God is with us.” “People loved the tradition so much that others would ask the musicians to stop at their houses too,” says Bernie, “so we started to do that.”
Starting at 1 a.m. and continuing until noon on New Year’s Day, musicians would go from house to house first asking if they may enter, saying goodbye to El Año Viejo (old year), welcoming el año nuevo (new year), and then addressing individual family surnames in song. El Año Viejo is represented by an older person and el año nuevo by a younger person. Bernie is a master versista coming up with lyrics on the spot for each family. Bernie says, “It got harder and harder to wake up families at 1 a.m. so now we start in the early morning hours and visit families’ homes. There was a time when we used to visit about 35 homes.” The group also visits community centers, serenading families at the Amalia Community Center and the Cerro VFW. “There’s a big breakfast and we sing, bringing joy to everyone by creating unique verses for each of the families there. It’s a big celebration,” says Bernie. Some houses will still be visited, especially those elderly who can’t make it out anymore.
Bernie mentioned mother and daughter Velma Bailon and Inez Monotoya of Cerro, and how their home has been a central location for many families to come celebrate Los Dias. “There must be 50 families who would come out to join and they would throw a big celebration,” says Bernie. Loveida Cisneros of Cerro says she has always participated in Dias. “I remember one time when I was young and Bernie and his mom came to our house. They brought El Año Viejo which was represented by Bernie’s mom and my dad participated as El Año Viejo as well. Bernie’s mom and my dad danced around the table saying goodbye to the old year. It was so much fun,” says Cisneros. Loveida also remembers being woken up by singing outside the door of her home on another occasion and “the singers saying in Spanish, ‘Don’t be lazy and sleep. Wake up and welcome the new year.’ So we woke up and made some coffee and offered some goodies to the singers,” says Cisneros.
The musicians participating this year include a top violinist from San Luis, Danny Quintana, versista Bernie Torres, David Garcia, a master musician from Española, Dean Swift playing bass, Eric Rivera and Virgil Arellano on guitar, and Aron Eichwald playing the harmonica. Ron Quintana, coordinator, Lino Trujillo as El Año Viejo, and Lalo Quintana as El Año Nuevo will be joining as well.
Bernie would like to extend his gratitude to all those who participate, with special recognition for Adelita Mead and David Cisneros of the Cerro group and Karen Gonzales of the Amalia Community Center.
