José de la Rosa

José de la Rosa was a Mexican composer, printer, singer and guitarist who moved to California in 1833, where he became known as Don Pepe. He may have also been the first professional printer in Californian history. He was "Alcalde" of Sonoma, California, for a time, and played a role in the 1846 Bear Flag rebellion, wherein he assisted in assuring the release of Mariano Vallejo. [cite journal|title="He Said It with Music": Spanish-California Folk Songs Recorded by Charles F. Lummis|author=Frances E. Watkins|journal=California Folklore Quarterly|volume=1|issue=4|month=October|year=1942|pages=359-367] Rosa documented the oldest-known transcription of Mexican-Californian song lyrics, in a notebook that is now archived in the Southwestern Museum. [cite book|title=The Garland Encyclopedia of World Music|chapter=Hispanic California|last=Loza|first=Steven|authorlink=Steven Loza|pages=734-753]

Reference

* cite book
last = Koskoff
first = Ellen (ed.)
id = ISBN 0-8240-4944-6
publisher = Garland Publishing
title = Garland Encyclopedia of World Music, Volume 3: The United States and Canada
year = 2000

Notes