Narcocorrido
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A narcocorrido (, "narco-corrido" or ''drug ballad'') is a subgenre of the
Regional Mexican Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and the Southwestern United States. Genres include banda, country en español, Duranguense, grupero, mariachi, New Mex ...
corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...
(narrative ballad) genre, from which several other genres have evolved. This type of music is heard and produced on both sides of the Mexico–US border. It uses a danceable,
polka Polka is a dance and genre of dance music originating in nineteenth-century Bohemia, now part of the Czech Republic. Though associated with Czech culture, polka is popular throughout Europe and the Americas. History Etymology The te ...
,
waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...
or
mazurka The mazurka ( Polish: ''mazur'' Polish ball dance, one of the five Polish national dances and ''mazurek'' Polish folk dance') is a Polish musical form based on stylised folk dances in triple meter, usually at a lively tempo, with character ...
rhythmic base. The first corridos that focus on
drug smugglers The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market dedicated to the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of prohibited drugs. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs through ...
—the ''narco'' comes from "
narcotic The term narcotic (, from ancient Greek ναρκῶ ''narkō'', "to make numb") originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with numbing or paralyzing properties. In the United States, it has since become associated with opiates ...
s"—have been dated by Juan Ramírez-Pimienta to the 1930s. Early corridos (non-narco) go back as far as the
Mexican Revolution The Mexican Revolution ( es, Revolución Mexicana) was an extended sequence of armed regional conflicts in Mexico from approximately 1910 to 1920. It has been called "the defining event of modern Mexican history". It resulted in the destruction ...
of 1910, telling the stories of revolutionary fighters. Music critics have also compared narcocorrido lyrics and style to gangster rap and mafioso rap. Narcocorrido lyrics refer to particular events and include real dates and places. The lyrics tend to speak approvingly of illegal activities, mainly drug trafficking.


History

This genre of music is the evolution of traditional
corrido The corrido () is a popular narrative metrical tale and poetry that forms a ballad. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for criminals, the vaquero lifestyle, and other socially relevant topics. Corridos were widely popular ...
ballads of the Mexican-US border region, which stemmed from the 16th-century Spanish genre of
romance Romance (from Vulgar Latin , "in the Roman language", i.e., "Latin") may refer to: Common meanings * Romance (love), emotional attraction towards another person and the courtship behaviors undertaken to express the feelings * Romance languages, ...
. Among the earliest exponents of narcocorrido music were Los Alegres de Teran, who recorded many. In the 1980s, Rosalino "Chalino" Sánchez contributed to narcocorridos. Known throughout Mexico as "El Pelavacas" (Cow Skin Peeler), El Indio (The Indian, from his corrido "El Indio Sánchez"), and "Mi Compa" (My Friend), Chalino was a Mexican immigrant living in Los Angeles. He then began distributing his music for a sale price. His lyrics dealt with heartbreak, revolution, and socioeconomic issues. Soon he was selling mass copies. Chalino Sánchez was murdered in 1992 after a concert in
Culiacán Culiacán, officially Culiacán Rosales, is a city in northwestern Mexico, the capital and largest city of both the Culiacán Municipality and the state of Sinaloa. The city was founded on 29 September 1531, by the Spanish conquerors Lázar ...
. In death, he became a legend and one of the most influential Mexican musicians to emerge from California, he was known throughout Mexico and United States as El Rey del Corrido (The King of the Corrido). Various companies, governmental agencies, and individuals have sought to ban narcocorridos. These attempts include a voluntary
radio station Radio broadcasting is transmission of audio (sound), sometimes with related metadata, by radio waves to radio receivers belonging to a public audience. In terrestrial radio broadcasting the radio waves are broadcast by a land-based radio ...
black-out in
Baja California Baja California (; 'Lower California'), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Baja California ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Baja California), is a state in Mexico. It is the northernmost and westernmost of the 32 federal entities of Mex ...
. Representative Casio Carlos Narváez explained that radio executives did not want to make "people who break the laws of our country into heroes and examples". Former
President of Mexico The president of Mexico ( es, link=no, Presidente de México), officially the president of the United Mexican States ( es, link=no, Presidente de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos), is the head of state and head of government of Mexico. Under the ...
Vicente Fox Vicente Fox Quesada (; born 2 July 1942) is a Mexican businessman and politician who served as the 62nd president of Mexico from 1 December 2000 to 30 November 2006. After campaigning as a right-wing populist, Fox was elected president on the ...
also proposed banning narcocorridos. On the other hand, former Mexican foreign secretary Jorge Castaneda has argued that "corridos are attempts by Mexican society to come to terms with the world around them...You cannot blame narcocorridos for drug violence. Drug violence is to blame for narcocorridos".


Narcocorridos and their lyrical content

Since music plays an important role and major influence in the narcoculture in Mexico, some songs have been tagged as "anthems" and banned from airplay in Mexico and parts of the United States. However, the banning has failed in Mexico because the music is still displayed and available on several radio stations in the United States, near the border with Mexico, which still reaches the northern Mexico audience, while another important point of narcocorrido distribution method has been the internet for listening and downloading. Pirated (bootleg) copies of this music are sold in the "tianguis" (outdoor and
flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal ...
s). Narcocorridos describe the lives of the poor, the destitute, and those who seek power through illegal means. Like hip-hop and rap music, the narcocorrido is heard by many Spanish speakers who vary in age, and is popular among people who are not associated with cartels or gangs. The genre is becoming mainstream in many Spanish-speaking countries in recent years, along with the emergence of Narco-subcultures and Drug consumption cultures; it is now entering countries like
Guatemala Guatemala ( ; ), officially the Republic of Guatemala ( es, República de Guatemala, links=no), is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico; to the northeast by Belize and the Caribbean; to the east by Hon ...
,
Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. The republic of Honduras is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Oce ...
,
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the ...
,
Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
and
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, where the music is available on an everyday basis. Examples of such anthems include: * "En Preparacion" (In Preparation) (a song that refers to the life of violent sinaloa cartel lieutenant Manuel Torres Félix known as "El Ondeado", brother of Javier Torres known as "El J.T.") by singer
Gerardo Ortíz Gerardo Ortiz (born October 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter and record producer in the Regional Mexican Regional Mexican is a Latin music radio format encompassing the musical genres from the different parts of rural Mexico and ...
* "El Señor de los Cielos" (The Lord of the Skies) (refers to Drug lord Amado Carrillo) by singer Los Plebes del Rancho de Ariel Camacho * "A Mis Enemigos" (To My Enemies) by
Valentín Elizalde Valentín Elizalde Valencia (; 1 February 1979 – 25 November 2006) was a Regional Mexican singer. Nicknamed "El Gallo de Oro" (The Golden Rooster), he was known for his off-key style and his biggest hits included: "Vete Ya," "Ebrio de Amor", " ...
* "El Coco" (The coke head) by El Halcon de la Sierra * "Nave 727" (refers to the "
Boeing 727 The Boeing 727 is an American narrow-body airliner that was developed and produced by Boeing Commercial Airplanes. After the heavy 707 quad-jet was introduced in 1958, Boeing addressed the demand for shorter flight lengths from smaller air ...
" aircraft) by Grupo Laberinto * "Cuerno de Chivo" ("Goat's Horn", Spanish slang for
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...
rifle.) by Los Huracanes del Norte * "Mis Tres Animales" (My Three Animals) (refers to the 3 top selling Mexican narcotics: cocaine, marijuana and heroin). by Los Tucanes de Tijuana * "El Macho Prieto" (a supposed tribute to drug trafficker
Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza (17 August 1971 – 18 December 2013), commonly referred to by his alias El Macho Prieto, was a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal group based in Sinaloa, Mexico. He worked ...
) by Luis Salomon "El Arremangado" * "Ajustes Inzunza" (Retaliations Inzunza) (dedicated to the hitman squad led by
Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza Gonzalo Inzunza Inzunza (17 August 1971 – 18 December 2013), commonly referred to by his alias El Macho Prieto, was a Mexican suspected drug lord and high-ranking leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, a criminal group based in Sinaloa, Mexico. He worked ...
) by Colmillo Norteño * "La Vida Mafiosa" (The Mafia Life) by Los Canelos de Durango * "El Chapo Guzmán" (a tribute to Sinaloa cartel drug lord Joaquín "Chapo" Guzmán) by Los Tucanes de Tijuana * "El Jefe de Jefes" (The Boss of Bosses) (dedicated to
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (born January 8, 1946), commonly referred to by his aliases ''El Jefe de Jefes'' ("The Boss of Bosses") and ''El Padrino'' ("The Godfather"), is a convicted Mexican drug lord Kingpin. He was one of the founders of th ...
) by
Los Tigres del Norte Los Tigres del Norte (English: ''The Tigers of the North'') are a norteño band from San Jose, California. Originally founded in Mocorito, Sinaloa, Mexico, with sales of 60 million albums, the band is one of the most recognized groups in the ...
* "Chuy y Mauricio" (Jesus and Maurice) by Los Canelos de Durango * "Chingon de Chingones" (The Badass of Badasses) by Los Razos de Sacramento y Reynaldo * "Los Duros de Colombia" (The Colombia Hardhitters) by Gerardo Ortiz * "Carteles Unidos" (United Cartels) (Anthem to an anti-zetas cartel alliance) by Edicion de Culiacan/Edicion Norteña * "El Sr. Mayo Zambada" (Mr. Mayo Zambada) (a song dedicated to Sinaloa cartel top Drug lord, Ismael "Mayo" Zambada) by Enigma Norteño. * " El Regreso Del Chapo" (The Return of El Chapo) by El Komander * " Pancho Loco" (Crazy Frank) by Roberto Tapia * " El Corrido de Los Zetas" (The ballad of the Zetas) by
Beto Quintanilla Norberto "Beto" Quintanilla Iracheta (May 23, 1948 – March 18, 2007) was a Regional Mexican singer and songwriter. He was known as "El Mero León del Corrido" (The Lion of the Corrido). Biography Beto Quintanilla was originally from Gener ...
(Dedicated to the infamous enforcer gang Los Zetas) *"Corrido a Felix Gallardo" (dedicated to
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (born January 8, 1946), commonly referred to by his aliases ''El Jefe de Jefes'' ("The Boss of Bosses") and ''El Padrino'' ("The Godfather"), is a convicted Mexican drug lord Kingpin. He was one of the founders of th ...
) by Los Jilgueros Del Pico Real *"Miguel Angel" (dedicated to
Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo (born January 8, 1946), commonly referred to by his aliases ''El Jefe de Jefes'' ("The Boss of Bosses") and ''El Padrino'' ("The Godfather"), is a convicted Mexican drug lord Kingpin. He was one of the founders of th ...
) by Dareyes de la Sierra This verse of the song "El Cabron" (1998) by Los Capos is an example of typical narcocorrido subject matter. Original Spanish verse: :Desde que yo era chiquillo tenia fintas de cabrón; ya le pegaba al perico, y a la mota con más razón :Es que en mi México lindo ahí cualquiera es cabrón Exact English translation: :Ever since I was a lad
hild Hild or Hildr may refer to: * Hildr or Hild is one of the Valkyries in Norse mythology, a personification of battle * Hild or Hilda of Whitby is a Christian saint who was a British abbess and nun in the Middle Ages * Hild (Oh My Goddess!), the ult ...
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] with more reason :It's because in my beloved Mexico anyone there is a badass.


Movimiento alterado

A recent trend of hyper-violent narcocorridos has been labeled ''Movimiento alterado'', a Spanish term translated as ''Agitated movement'' or the ''Altered movement'', The name is a reference to the physiological effect of
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
consumption, an altered state of mind. In the same way that normal narcocorrido lyrics contrast with old traditional corridos (that narrated stories about revolutionaries, "benevolent bandits" or that attempted to give moral message), the lyrics of the 'Movimiento Alterado' songs contrast with previous narcocorridos. More traditional narcocorridos romanticized the trafficking lifestyle, but used many
euphemism A euphemism () is an innocuous word or expression used in place of one that is deemed offensive or suggests something unpleasant. Some euphemisms are intended to amuse, while others use bland, inoffensive terms for concepts that the user wishes ...
s (with words like "polvo" (dust) for
cocaine Cocaine (from , from , ultimately from Quechua: ''kúka'') is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant mainly used recreationally for its euphoric effects. It is primarily obtained from the leaves of two Coca species native to South Am ...
and "cuerno" (horn) for the
AK-47 The AK-47, officially known as the ''Avtomat Kalashnikova'' (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is a gas-operated assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms d ...
), and kept violence at a minimum (used only when or where a tragic event occurred). However, in the ''Movimiento alterado'' trend, the songs cynically and deliberately express the pride that modern narcotraffickers have in murdering, torture, beheading, and dismembering their rivals, using explicit descriptions of their exploits, and also naming the military grade weaponry they use (grenade throwers, body armor, "bazucas", AR15, 50 caliber bullets, knives etc.) The lyrics of a famous ''Movimiento alterado'' song, dedicated to the notorious cartel enforcer Manuel Torres Félix, starts as follows: The songs under this trend have been also labeled as: *corridos arremangados (rolled-up sleeves ballads) *corridos alterados (alertness ballads) *corridos progresivos (progressive ballads) *corridos enfermos (sick or insane ballads)


Narcocorrido and crime


Narcocorrido as money laundering scheme

In Mexico, parts of South America and some regions of the US south border it is common to hear the sudden appearance of "new artists", mainly in folk radio stations, who are not known in the music industry, have no previous career and with no explanation of where they come from. These music groups and singers start to appear consistently on radio, television and public broadcasts with a strong promotion of their concerts. This happens for a fixed amount of time, and in the same sudden way they appear, they stop their promotion and disappear from the music scene, or change their stage name. Such artists are commonly manufactured by producers of dubious origin, who pay
payola Payola, in the music industry, is the illegal practice of paying a commercial radio station to play a song without the station disclosing the payment. Under US law, a radio station must disclose songs they were paid to play on the air as spons ...
and do events in order to launder money from drug trafficking, prostitution or other illegal operations.


Violence in narcocorrido industry

Between 2006 and 2008, over a dozen prominent Mexican musicians, many of them connected to the ''narcocorrido'' genre, were murdered. The violence came in the midst of the Mexican drug war. The most popular musicians killed were
Valentín Elizalde Valentín Elizalde Valencia (; 1 February 1979 – 25 November 2006) was a Regional Mexican singer. Nicknamed "El Gallo de Oro" (The Golden Rooster), he was known for his off-key style and his biggest hits included: "Vete Ya," "Ebrio de Amor", " ...
and Sergio Gómez, the lead singer of Chicago-based Duranguense band
K-Paz de la Sierra K-Paz de la Sierra is a Mexican Duranguense band that was formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States. About The group was formed in the summer of 2001 by an idea of Armando Rodríguez, Tambora, now with AK-7 and Juan Loredo, owner and artist d ...
. In December 2007, both men were nominated posthumously for
Grammy Awards The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
in the banda category. On June 26, 2010, Sergio Vega, known as El Shaka, was gunned down in Sinaloa state. He was shot dead only hours after he had denied reports of his own murder. Ramiro Caro, Gerardo Ortiz's manager and cousin, was also killed when Ortiz's Chevy Suburban was attacked by men with AK-47's in an attempt to kill Ortiz. Ortiz escaped unhurt. Other murdered music industry figures include Javier Morales Gómez (a singer for Los Implacables del Norte), four members of Tecno Banda Fugaz, four members of Los Padrinos de la Sierra, Zayda Peña (a singer for Zayda Y Los Culpables), trumpeter José Luis Aquino of Los Conde, record producer Marco Abdalá, manager Roberto del Fierro Lugo, Jorge Antonio Sepúlveda, Jesús Rey David Alfaro Pulido, Nicolás Villanueva of tropical group Brisas del Mar, four members of Los Herederos de Sinaloa, and the singer Fabian Ortega Pinon (El Halcon de la Sierra), who was executed along with two other victims in Guerrero,
Chihuahua Chihuahua may refer to: Places * Chihuahua (state), a Mexican state **Chihuahua (dog), a breed of dog named after the state **Chihuahua cheese, a type of cheese originating in the state **Chihuahua City, the capital city of the state **Chihuahua Mu ...
, in August 2006. Additionally, three members of Explosión Norteña were shot and wounded in
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, in August 2006. While few, if any, arrests have been made in these cases, experts and musicians themselves say that the murders can be explained by many Mexican musicians’ proximity to drug traffickers. Some speculate the killings could be related to romantic disputes and jealousy. Others cite cases in which a musician has written a song praising or criticizing a drug trafficker; many assert that Valentín Elizalde's murder, for example, was related to his song, "A Mis Enemigos", which some interpreted as an attack on the Gulf Cartel following its appearance in a widespread
YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
video. There has been debate about the motives behind the killings and about whether or not the media has exaggerated the trend. Narcocorrido expert Elijah Wald has disputed the assumption that any of the murders were related or that musicians on the whole are targets for drug traffickers. But given the grisly nature of the murders, some of which were accompanied by torture and disfigurement, few doubt that drug cartel hitmen are to blame. In the wake of the high-profile murders of Elizalde and Gómez, among others, some prominent ''corrido'' musicians postponed concert dates in certain parts of Mexico. ''Narcocorrido'' singers travel with relative ease and security inside the United States, but many Mexican American ''narcocorrido'' singers take extra precautions while venturing into Mexico by hiring extra security, traveling in well-guarded caravans, not being as open to the public in larger concerts, and limiting their tours in high violence cities in Mexico. Others have said they are afraid to sing ''narcocorridos'' in public for fear of offending the wrong person. Likewise, some vendors of ''narcocorrido'' CDs have reported low sales, citing fear among listeners of buying a CD featuring songs favoring one group of traffickers over another. The Zetas cartel has been known to torture and kill online and social media bloggers who speak about them. In one incident, the tortured and mutilated bodies of a man and a woman who had posted about cartels on social media were found hanging of a bridge in the city of Nuevo León, in September 2011. A sign stating, "This is going to happen to all the Internet busybodies", was found next to them signed with the letter Z.


Growing popularity in the United States

Recently, many of the new narco corridos music is being aimed directly at the American market, and produced mainly by Mexican-American entrepreneurs. Like many other concerts or sport events, many corrido artists are choosing American cities as venues for the ability to fill the concert halls at higher ticket prices than would be affordable by the average Mexican citizen. Many of the music and CDs are distributed by American labels as well as videos intended solely to be sold in the United States. The growing popularity of the music in the U.S. is correlated with Mexican immigration. Over a quarter of the residents of the Los Angeles area are now Mexican, and they have brought this folk music style with them. Narcocorridos are now played in L.A. clubs, on radio stations, and do not have the negative stigma attached to them by some in Mexico, this is mainly because the Spanish lyrics are only understood by Hispanophones, and the distance American society has with the reality of Mexico, makes them feel they are only listening to works of art and fiction.


In art, entertainment and media


Films

''
Mexploitation Mexploitation (sometimes called Cabrito Western or Mexican video-home) is a film genre of low-budget films that combine elements of an exploitation film and Mexican culture or portrayals of Mexican life within Mexico often dealing with crime, d ...
'' films, especially the subgenre narcocinema, feature ''narcocorridos''. Many of these feature appearances by famous ''narcocorrido'' singers and are rumored to be financed by
drug lord A drug lord, drug baron, kingpin or narcotrafficker is a high-ranking crime boss who controls a sizable network of people involved in the illegal drug trade. Such figures are often difficult to bring to justice, as they are normally not directly ...
s themselves (although only a few cases of the latter have been proven). Some other films which feature ''narcocorridos'' include: * ''Al Otro Lado'' (2006, ''To the Other Side'') * ''
Narco Cultura ''Narco Cultura'' is a 2013 documentary film about the Mexican drug war in Ciudad Juárez, directed by Shaul Schwarz. The two main focal points of the movie are Edgar Quintero of the narcocorrido band Bukanas de Culiacán and crime scene inves ...
'' (2013, ''Narco Culture'')


Radio

On the radio, airplay of ''narcocorridos'' has increased significantly in recent years. Although illegal in Mexico, given the prohibition of lyrical content promoting crime and violence, US-based Spanish-speaking stations have promoted artists such as Larry Hernández, El Compa Chuy, and El Potro de Sinaloa, and songs such as "El Katch", "El Piloto Canavis" ("The
Cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...
Pilot"), and "El Señor de la Hummer" ("The Man with the Hummer") have increased the genre's popularity. Listener requests have helped to overcome radio stations' reluctance to play this type of music.


Television

*In 2008, the Fox TV show ''
America's Most Wanted ''America's Most Wanted'' (often abbreviated as ''AMW'') is an American television program whose first run was produced by 20th Television, and second run is under the Fox Alternative Entertainment division of Fox Corporation. At the time of i ...
'' mentioned the genre while depicting the case of a criminal wanted for murder and trafficking, who may be traveling back and forth between Mexico and the United States. * ''Breaking Bad'' season 2, episode 7 ("
Negro y Azul "Negro y Azul" (Spanish for ''"Black and Blue"'') is the seventh episode of the second season of the American television drama series ''Breaking Bad''. It was written by John Shiban and directed by Felix Alcala. Plot summary The episode opens w ...
"), opens with a ''narcocorrido'' by
Los Cuates de Sinaloa Los Cuates de Sinaloa are a Regional Mexican band that specializes in the Sierreño genre. They are led by cousins Gabriel and Nano Berrelleza, originally from La Vainilla, Sinaloa, Mexico, but currently based in Phoenix, Arizona, United States. ...
, co-written by Vince Gilligan and inspired by the events depicted in the series. *In the ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' episode "Snakes" (2005), a freelance reporter who has gone undercover in the ''narcocorrido''-producing subculture is killed for writing an article critical of the genre. *In ''Law & Order'' season 20, episode 7, a ''narcocorrido'' is used as evidence in a murder. *"Tuyo" ("Yours"), the theme song of the
Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
Original series ''
Narcos ''Narcos'' is an American-Colombian crime drama television series created and produced by Chris Brancato, Carlo Bernard, and Doug Miro. Set and filmed in Colombia, seasons 1 and 2 are based on the story of Colombian narcoterrorist and drug ...
'' (which debuted in September 2015), is a Spanish-language ''narcocorrido'' written and vocalized by Rodrigo Amarante, which reflects the type of music drug kingpin
Pablo Escobar Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed "the king of cocaine", Escobar is the wealthiest criminal i ...
’s mother would have listened to when raising her son. The song debuted at No. 6 on the Latin Pop Digital Songs around the 2015 series premiere and was nominated for a
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Main Title Theme Music This is a list of the winning and nominated programs of the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music. In the 1980s and early 1990s, the award was presented with the "possibility of one, more than one, or no award given, ...
. *''
The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt pol ...
'' season 3 episode, "Safe", contains a ''narcocorrido'' about an unrequited love and the man killed her. However, several bodies are found, from killed by
meth lab A rolling meth lab is a transportable laboratory that is used to illegally produce methamphetamine.Staff writerMethamphetamine, meth-lab assessment and clean-up" ''Forensic Applications Consulting Technologies Inc.'' Retrieved on 2009-02-14. Ro ...
exposure. Later evidence proves that the "victim" is alive and living with the boyfriend, so the ''narcocorrido'' turned out to be fake. The detectives use the ''corridos'' albums to close cases from stories that are true. *'' NCIS: Los Angeles'' season 4 episode, "Resurrection", featured a young ''narcocorrido'' singer who was sponsored by a cartel boss and witnessed his illegal activities.


Video games

*In the 2017 video game '' Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Wildlands'', the fictional Santa Blanca Drug Cartel (a dangerous
drug cartel A drug cartel is any criminal organization with the intention of supplying drug trafficking operations. They range from loosely managed agreements among various drug traffickers to formalized commercial enterprises. The term was applied when the l ...
from
México Mexico ( Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatem ...
), which has taken control of
Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...
, has a radio station called Radio Santa Blanca, which plays
Reggaeton Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico. It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
and ''Narco-Corrido''. In the game's lore, the most famous ''narco-corrido'' singer is Marcelo Rios. Rios has many fans worldwide and in the Santa Blanca Cartel. He works for Santa Blanca's Influence branch as "El Chido" (The Cool), and plays his songs on Radio Santa Blanca.


References

Jose Gutierrez 8185381690


Further reading


Academic articles and books

* * * * * * * * * * “‘Esos malditos meneos’: La homosexualidad en la corridística mexicana.” A Contracorriente: Journal of Social History and Literature in Latin America. Vol. 17, No. 1 (Fall 2019): 246-277. “Narcocultura temprana: El consumo de drogas en la corridística de la primera mitad del siglo XX.” Studies in Latin American Popular Culture. Vol. XXXVII. (2019): 201-216. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. “El narcocorrido en la frontera y la frontera en el narcocorrido.” Revista Iberoamericana. 265 (2018) *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. “Narcocorridos and Internet: Demonopolizing Mexico’s Narco History in Cyberspace.” Hilda Chacón, ed. Online Activism in Latin America. London: Routledge, 2017. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos.Camelia la texana y otras mujeres de la narcocultura. México: Editorial Universidad Autonoma de Sinaloa, 2016. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos.Cantar a los narcos. voces y versos del narcocorrido. México: Editorial Planeta, 2011. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. “El tema de la traición en tres corridos de narcotráfico y narcotraficantes: ‘Carga Blanca’,‘Contrabando y traición’ y ‘Chuy y Mauricio.’ Hispanic Journal. XXXII.2 (Fall 2015): 161-177. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos.“El Pablote: una nueva mirada al primer corrido dedicado a un traficante de drogas.” Mitologías Hoy. Revista de Estudios Literarios Latinoamericanos. Vol. 14. 2016: 41-56. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. “De torturaciones, balas y explosiones: Narcocultura, Movimiento Alterado e hiperrealismo en el sexenio de Felipe Calderón." A Contracorriente: Journal of Social History and Literature in Latin America. (Refereed scholarly e-journal). Vol. 10, No. 3 (Spring 2013): 302-334. http://acontracorriente.chass.ncsu.edu/index.php/acontracorriente/article/view/570/1192#.UmXjVflJOSo * * *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. “Sicarias, buchonas y jefas: perfiles de la mujer en el narcocorrido.” The Colorado Review of Hispanic Studies. Volume 8 - 9 (2010-2011): 311-336. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos.“Doscientos años de corrido y algunos menos de narcocultura.” Conciencia mexicana: Bicentenario de la independencia y centenario de la Revolución. Rodrigo Pereyra Espinoza, ed. Edinburg: Céfiro Press, 2010. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. "Del corrido de narcotráfico al narcocorrido: Orígenes y desarrollo del canto a los traficantes." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture. Special issue on border culture. XXIII (2004):21-41. *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. "Búsquenme en el Internet: Características del narcocorrido finisecular." Ciberletras # 11. Special issue "End of 20th Century Mexican Literature". (July, 2004) *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan Carlos. "El corrido de narcotráfico en los años ochenta y noventa: un juicio moral suspendido". The Bilingual Review/ La Revista Bilingüe. XXIII.2 (May–August 1998): 145-156. * *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan. "Chicago lindo y querido si muero lejos de ti: el pasito duranguense, la onda grupera y las nuevas geografías de la identidad popular mexicana." Mexican Studies/Estudios Mexicanos. (2010): 31-45.XXVI.1 *Ramírez-Pimienta, Juan. De El Periquillo al pericazo: Ensayos sobre literatura y cultura mexicana. Ciudad Juárez: Universidad Autónoma de Ciudad Juárez Press 2006. *Sauceda, Jonathan. "Smuggling, Betrayal, and the Handle of a Gun: Death, Laughter, and the ''Narcocorrido''." ''Popular Music and Society.'' 37(4): 425-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/03007766.2013.816542 Free version: https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3GB25VX * * A journalistic book about this style, including interviews with most of the foremost composers. *Wellinga, Klaas. "Cantando a los traficantes."Foro Hispánico: Revista Hispánica de los Países Bajos, 22 (2002): 137-54. *


News items

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External links

*
Narcocorridos.info
*
Narcocorridos.net
* Juan Ramírez-Pimienta
Narcocorrido.wordpress.com
* Includes the story of narcocorrido legend Chalino Sánchez. * * * Cantar a los narcos / Sing to the Drug Dealers (Spanish Edition). This book traces the history of narcocorridos since the 19th century. * https://www.amazon.com/Cantar-narcos-Sing-Dealers-Spanish/dp/6070707206 {{Music in Spanish Mexican styles of music Norteño (music) Regional Mexican songs Songs about drugs Works about Mexican drug cartels 20th-century music genres 21st-century music genres