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169 Tamale Ridge by: Chuck Cusimano

There were a lot of Immigrant families in that community. There were Slavs, Italians, Greeks

and of course a large number of Spanish or Mexican families. Growing up in that area made it

possible to learn the Spanish language. Although I don’t consider myself “Fluent” enough, I can

mostly carry on a conversation in Spanish. I’ve always been intrigued by smart, although

slightly uneducated folks who spoke any form of “broken” English.

My Grandma Cusimano was such a person. She said things in such a way that was very

entertaining to me. I loved to imitate her. She was a lovely person and I really don’t think she

got her feelings hurt over it.

I intend no form of ridicule to the ones who speak “broken” English but to be as accurate as I

can, I must write their “broken English” into this story.

The song, “Tamale Ridge” and this book all started because of my take on a printed word I read

somewhere and I believe, or at least to the best of my knowledge, I saw a word like “tamaldrige”

or something of the same and my mind turned it into “Tamale Ridge”. That stuck with me and I

composed a guitar instrumental by the same name. Then one day, I just started writing lyrics for

the tune. I sang it at a Cowboy Symposium for the first time several years ago in Ruidoso New

Mexico at the Lincoln County Cowboy Symposium and judging by the crowd’s response, I

decided to record it on a cowboy project I was working on at the time. I contacted the recording

studio and made arrangements to record it and have it released on my (then, up-coming) album,

“We Were Cowboys”.

The album has been in print since June, 2003. Several friends made comments as to the story

being told in the song and it was suggested I write a book. The book you just read. Thank you.

Chuck Cusimano

Chuck Cusimano’s music is available on his website: www.chuckcusimano.com

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