Luis R. Conriquez was on the stage of a popular fair in Texcoco, Mexico, as one of the main artists.
Billboard magazine came to say that Conriquez was the “King of the Corridos” because the Mexican musician is famous for his specialty in the so -called Narcocorridos, a version of the Mexican traditional ballads that exalt the drug cartels.
But, hours before acting earlier this month, Conriquez announced on social networks that he was not going to interpret several of his emblematic songs. Instead, it joined a movement that extends throughout Mexico to gradually eliminate this outstanding musical genre, whose detractors argue that it encourages violence and criminal activity that the country has ravaged.
The public booed Conriquez and destroyed the instruments after he and his band left the stage.
“It feels ugly to not be able to sing what people want to hear,” said Conríquez on social networks, “but we join the cause of zero runs.”
It was a crucial moment for Mexico, which is struggling so much with the effects of organized crime throughout the country, particularly in the midst of Donald Trump’s government to end cartels, and the definition of their identity through popular culture.
In particular, the fierce debate about narcocorridos – who, according to their critics, glorify cartels and, therefore, the damage they have inflicted on Mexicans – has become a referendum about freedom of expression in Mexico.
In the last month, more and more municipalities and states have virtually prohibited the genre, penalizing the reproduction of music that celebrates drug trafficking and other crimes. In the State of Mexico, where Conriquez was going to act, the authorities had warned that interpreting songs that would cause or exalt criminal activities could carry fines and jail sentences.
“We believe that a refusal to the contents that apology of violence, drugs or misogyny have to be built in society,” said Mexico’s president, Claudia Sheinbaum, after the Conriquez concert.
Corridos exist since the mid -nineteenth century, according to José Manuel Valenzuela Arce, professor of sociology and author of three books about gender. The songs became an important part of Folklor’s narrative, telling stories of war heroes such as Pancho Villa and key moments in history.
But as the drug cartels began to take firmer control in Mexico in the 1970s, the runs also began to reflect it, said Valenzuela Arce. In recent decades, as previous governments librab El Chapo Guzmán, said the expert.
Other narcocorridos styles also emerged, such as the so -called lying, which combine song, rap and traditional Mexican music. “The lying movement arises mounted on social networks, and artists no longer needed a producing industry,” said Valenzuela Arce.
Artists such as Natanael Cano (which attracted the record figure of 310 thousand people to a concert in Mexico last year), weight weight (which received 85 billion visits on YouTube in 2023) and others have become large international stars.
However, in recent months, the industry has resent the reaction against narcocorridos.
Experts consider that this last offensive is the strongest so far because Sheinbaum has positioned himself publicly against gender. Earlier this month, he announced a national talent contest organized by the Government, in which record contracts have been offered as a prize to runs that did not have violent or drug -related letters.
“What we want is to promote that music has other contents,” said Sheinbaum, who has also rejected the absolute prohibitions of narcocorridos.
Another factor, according to experts, is the United States government. Valenzuela Arce indicated that the Trump government has not only classified cartels as terrorist groups, and therefore has made any association with them a more serious crime, but essentially has pressed Mexican officials to act, while having scared musicians. The Times contacted the representatives of at least nine great artists and none made comments.
Last month, the American visa retired to the Los Alegres del Barranco group, which acted in Guadalajara, Mexico and projected the face of a high leader of a cartel on stage. In a state recently traumatized by the violence of the cartels, the group apologized and the legislators mobilized to penalize all public expressions that encourage committing crimes, even in nightclubs.
“I firmly believe in freedom of expression, but that does not mean that the expression should be free of consequences,” said Christopher Landau, Undersecretary of the American state on April 1. And he added: “We are not going to extend the red carpet to those who exalt criminals and terrorists.”
Arturo Ávila, Mexican deputy who advocates more strict federal laws regarding incitement that covers music, television, films and video games that “glorify” crime or “promote violence against women”, applauded the revocations of US visas such as “the strongest action” and “the one that will work the most” against artists.
“It is a time where we all have to reflect on what kind of Mexico we want,” he said.
Since February, at least seven cities or states have prohibited or introduced regulations for narcocorridos. In Chihuahua, one of the first cities of Mexico to regulate violent letters in 2015, Mayor Marco Bonilla said in an interview that the laws have worked. The local government raised US $ 270 thousand in fines last year.
“While in Mexico we do not eradicate the narcoculture, we will not be able to eradicate violence and crime in our country,” said Bonilla.
After his concert at the beginning of the month, Conriquez said he would modify his lyrics so that they were less explicit and adapt their repertoire based on local prohibitions. This week begins a tour of the United States.
The artist did not want to comment.
Other musicians have followed their example: Firm Group, a well -known group, announced last week before a concert in the state of Aguascalientes, where the government prohibited songs that prompted violence, which would not play its narcocorridos again.
Jesús Eulogio Sosa, founder of the Mexican Regional Music Group The vultures of Culiacán Sinaloa, who has several known narcocorridos, said in an interview that he knew of other musicians who had been denied the US visa since the joy of the ravine were removed their.
Sosa said he has observed “sadly” how this movement against genre has developed throughout Mexico “because it all affects us.” He affirmed that the runs have long been an important part of Mexican culture because they have told stories about key figures without always glorifying crimes.
“The solution is not prohibition,” said Sosa, adding that he was in favor of a certain regulation, perhaps on the Internet to protect the youngest public from certain letters. “The solution is education. Because saying that you will want Avengers And you will want to leave the cinema and be a superheroe. ”
Sosa said that 15 years ago his band faced censorship in Tijuana and gradually began to sing more romantic songs, instead of those of narco themes. However, he admitted that now, as a father, he would not have recorded the greatest success of the band, a 2010 narcocorrido dedicated to a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel already deceased.
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He said that the government, and not the cartels, is the culprit of corruption and the problems of Mexico. The power of music only reaches some extent.
“It’s each person,” he said. “You can listen to runs and not be a bad person.”