Narcocorridos+in+Mexico

=**Narcocorridos in México** =
 * - Cecilia De La Cruz**




 * [|Narcocorrido], **ballad of the drug traffic, combines the words //narco// and //corrido// to create a type of ballad featuring drug traffickers as protagonists.The early //corridos// mostly told the stories of heroic outlaws and gunmen, or of trail drives and horses. The //corrido// took on a new importance and achieved national popularity during the Mexican Revolution (1910-1920). //Los Tigres del Norte// ( the Tigers of the North) are the kings of norte ño, the Mexican country music, but their most popular hits are those of the //narcocorridos//. Since their rise in in the 1970's, the //narcocorrido// has been taken up by thousands of bands and singers. First in the United States, but now as far afield as Colombia and wherever the Latin American drug traffic thrives (Wald, 2).


 * < Contents


 * 1) The Corrido
 * 2) Corrido Characteristics
 * 3) About the Narcocorrido
 * 4) Narcocorrido Controversy
 * 5) Artists
 * 6) References ||


 * The Corrido**

The term //corrido// comes from Spain where it gained entry into the //Diccionario de Autoridades// as early as 1729( Simmons, 7). Though the Spanish //corrido//, as defined in the Diccionario, still characterizes perhaps a large majority of Mexican //corridos//. //Corridos// as a musical form can be tracked back to the romantic ballad tradition of fourteenth-century Spain. Spanish //conquistadores// brought this style of music to Mexico, where by the nineteenth century, it had become a vehicle for expressing and commenting on people's lives ,events, and sentiments. Below is an interview with a University professor who further talks about the origin of the //corrido//. The interview is in Spanish. media type="youtube" key="Ac0j4hAxOCk" height="219" width="294"

It can be said that the " ligereza y velocidad" associated with the Spanish //corrido//, still characterizes a large majority of Latin American and Mexican //corridos//. The experts generally agreed that corridos had evolved from earlier Spanish ballad styles, and they arose as a uniquely Mexican form in the nineteenth century. Just how Mexican ghost stories and mural paintings express the Mexican culture, music has the ability to do this but in a way people can identify themselves with.

With the evolution of //corridos//, the meaning, musical instruments, and lyrical topics also revolutionize. For example a corrido from the 1900's sung by a //corridista, corrido// singer, the //Corrido de José Lizorio// is about the tragic tale of a miner whose mistreatment of his mother prompted her to hurl upon him a curse which resulted in his death (Simmons). In comparison to 2011 you may hear the //corrido// //Mal Encachado Y Buchon// by Larry Hernandez. He describes his //corrido// as the real story of life, when one has money everyone talks to you but when you don't have any, no one even notices you, this //corrido// is about someone who was very poor, that used second hand clothing, afterwards his life changes and everyone looks for him.

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 * Corrido Characteristics**

The //corrido// is an integral part of Mexican life. Of, by, and for the pueblo, it is one of the most typical expressions of the Mexican masses (Simmons, 7). Below is a table with the different //corrido// characteristics that make them so integral to Mexican life.


 * __Corrido Characteristics__ ||
 * It may just be a simple narrative ballad which relates an event of interest to only a small region. ||
 * A song with a love theme and lyrical overtones. ||
 * Mere comments on the political or economic situation. ||
 * Narratives with strong epic flavor if the singer chooses to report an incident which concerns some heroic figure, either bandit, general or president. ||

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 * About the Narcocorrido**

In Mexico, Sinaloa is the heartland of the Mexican drug world with many //carteles// starting our from this very same place. For this reason some artist will incorporate Sinaloa in their artist name and even incorporate cartel names belonging to or originating from Sinaloa. Below is a video where a selection of //narcocorrido// artist get together and call themselves //El Movimiento Alterado//, the Overset Movement, with the song "Sanguinarios del M1", which is said to be a shout-out to a Sinaloa Cartel chief.

media type="youtube" key="7x93aqiZ51w" height="219" width="384"

With the current situation in Mexico new, young, Mexican artists have debuted with their //narcocorridos// telling stories of the current drug and violence situation in Mexico. Older and still existing artists like //Los Tigres del Norte// continue to build up on their legendary career: //Los Tigres// began a series of political //corridos// that attacked corruption in the Mexican government.

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 * Narcocorrido Controversy**

Though it is known that since the Mexican Revolution hundreds of //corridos// about legendary figures such as Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata were composed and are still heard today, it is also known that over the past 30 years the biggest growth has been the //narcocorridos//. In recent years the //narcocorridos// have been classified as a dangerous musical genre to the point of being banned from radio stations in Mexico. The //narcocorridos// are accused of glamorizing drug trafficking and gangsterism.

"The first thing a drug runner would do after a successful run was to hire someone to write a //corrido// about it" says Elijah Wald Author of //Narcocorridos A journey into the music of drugs, guns, and guerrillas//. Most //narcocorrido// composers and performers deny writing bespoke songs for the drug barons which for some artist may be true but for others it is uncertain. Even though //narcocorridos// have created hits for dozens of bands throughout Mexico and the US, they create something of an occupational hazard as well. Rosalino "Chalino" Sanchez is a legendary //narcocorrido// artist who was murdered in Culiacan, Sinaloa in May 1992. His son Adan "Chalino" Sanchez, following his father's footsteps, also sang //narcocorridos// and was also murdered in Sinaloa March 2004 at the age of 19. More than a dozen Mexican musicians were murdered between 2006 and 2008, motives are shadowy, but it is suspected that some were killed for what they sang(NPR.org). Recent Murders include [|Valentin Elizalde] and [|Sergio Vega] "El Shaka".

In defense of //narcocorrido// artists, Mariluz Gonzalez, a spokes women for LA-based Fonovisa Record, says they are not glamorizing the drug dealers lives, they are simply telling a story, not promoting it( BBC). Furthermore she states " They are a way of telling the people what is going on. It might be the truth or it could be twisted, you can't really tell." She also admits there are some groups who have taken money and glorified these //narcos//.

Why sing //Narcocorridos// then if all they cause is a possible death and controversy? The reality is //narcocorridos// equals money. If //corridos// were not making money, a lot of them would be writing love songs or disco hits(Wald, 6). In the US the market for Mexican Regional music, including //narcocorridos// is worth about $300m a year, with Los Angeles being the hub of the //narcocorrido// industry(BBC).

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 * Artists**

Below are listed some of the original, older generation //narcocorrido// artists.
 * Chalino Sanchez
 * Los Tigres del Norte
 * Ramón Ayala
 * Los Cadetes de Linares
 * Los Bravos del Norte
 * Los Tucanes de Tijuana
 * Los Originales de San Juan
 * Grupo Exterminador

Below are some of the modern //narcocorrido// artists as of 2011.
 * Gerardo Ortiz
 * Noel Torres
 * Larry Hernandez
 * Roberto Tapia
 * El Komander
 * Los Buitres de Culiacan
 * Calibre 50
 * Voz de Mando

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 * References**


 * 1) "Narcocorridos: Ballads Of The Mexican Cartels : NPR." //NPR : National Public Radio : News & Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR//. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. .
 * 2) “Mexico’s forbidden songs.” BBC 3 Oct. 2004. Web. 28 Nov. 2011.
 * 3) Shachtman, Noah. "Narcocorridos | Magazine." //Wired.com//. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. .
 * 4) Simmons, Merle E. //The Mexican Corrido As a Source for Interpretive Study of Modern Mexico, 1870-1950//. Bloomington, Ind: Indiana University Press, 1957. Print.
 * 5) Wald, Elijah. //Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas//. New York, NY: Rayo, 2002. Print.
 * 6) Edberg, Mark C. //El Narcotraficante: Narcocorridos and the Construction of a Cultural Persona on the U.s.-Mexico Border//. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2004. Print.