The ban on narcocorridos in certain Mexican states have most recently caused chaos at a Luis R Conriquez show in Texcoco, a city in the State of Mexico just 15 miles outside Mexico City.
“There are no corridos. What do we do? Should I just go home instead?” Conriquez, who pioneered the regional Mexican subgenre corridos bélicos, told the rowdy crowd that protested his firm stance on not performing corridos that night. He was following the rules and regulations established by Texcoco, a municipality that, since April 9, prohibited expressions that glorify violence following the implementation of a law targeting mass events.
“It feels awful not to be able to sing what people want to hear, but we join the cause of zero corridos,” the Sonora-born artist added, stirring up a strong reaction by the audience who booed him, threw punches and caused significant damage to the venue, ending the show abruptly. (Read Conriquez’s exclusive interview with Billboard detailing exactly what happened that night.)
Corridos are a style that dates back to the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. Over the past few decades, the subgenre has birthed various iterations, including corridos bélicos, corridos alterados, corridos verdes, corridos tumbados and narcocorridos, to name a few.
While Conriquez’s situation has sparked mass media attention, the ban on narcocorridos, songs that often name-check Mexican drug kingpins or cartel figures, goes way back to the 1970s, when Los Tigres del Norte ushered a new era for corridos. Since, calls for censorship of this popular style of music — which has only gone global over the past few years thanks to a new generation of hitmakers, including Gerardo Ortiz, Peso Pluma, Natanael Cano and Conriquez — have only intensified.
Sinaloa was among the first states in Mexico to call for a ban on narcocorridos in the 1980s. Other states followed in efforts to regulate or control the diffusion of narcocorridos. Today, 10 (out of 32) states in Mexico have implemented bans and limitations on the broadcasting of corridos in public spaces, including Baja California, Chihuahua, Guanajuato, Quintana Roo, Nayarit, Jalisco, Michoacán, Aguascalientes, Querétaro and Estado de México. Without a federal law, the local government would apply penalties that range from fines or up to one year in prison to those who play music that advocates violence.
“This censorship has followed regional Mexican music for many years but in reality, it reflects what happens every day in our environment,” Rafael Valle, programming director of Guadalajara radio station La Ke Buena, previously told Billboard. “If the song says some word that is not allowed on the radio, obviously we modify the song, but we don’t censor it because that would mean not playing songs that people are constantly requesting.”
States have gone so far as to banning actual artists from performing in certain cities. In 2012, Los Tigres were “indefinitely banned” from Chihuahua after the norteño band sang narcocorridos during a weekend concert there. “We ask concert organizers and the artists themselves to think about the difficult situation the country is in,” government officials said then. Murders and drug-related violence linked to organized crime in Mexico continues to engulf the country today.
This year alone, a number of new bans have taken into effect in Mexico and have even expanded into the U.S. In an unprecedented move, the U.S. State Department canceled work and tourist visas of Mexican corrido group Los Alegres del Barranco after they displayed images of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, also known as “El Mencho,” during a concert on Saturday (March 29) at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara.
Below, see Billboard‘s updating timeline on state and federal actions against narcocorridos implemented this year in Mexico, and their impact on Mexican artists.
A narcomanta, a type of banner often used by criminal groups to communicate messages, was reportedly found in Sonora, Mexico, with alleged threats against corridos tumbados star Natanael Cano, as well as Mexican singers Tito Torbellino Jr. and Javier Rosas.
The prosecutor’s office in Sonora says it is sending the investigation into the alleged threats against Cano, Torbellino Jr. and Rosas to the Mexican attorney general’s office.
Nayarit joins other Mexican states in prohibiting the interpretation or reproduction of narcocorridos and other musical genres that advocate crime.
Grupo Firme cancels its show at the Carnaval de Mazatlán, Sinaloa, following the appearance in Tijuana of a narcomanta message with alleged death threats.
Los Alegres del Barranco performs “El del Palenque” during its concert at the Telmex Auditorium in Guadalajara, while images of a criminal leader are projected.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, through the Ministry of Culture, presents the binational contest “Mexico Canta,” which seeks to promote songs that steer clear of glorifying violence.
The government of the State of Mexico urges authorities of the municipalities of Texcoco, Metepec and Tejupilco, where popular fairs are held, to ensure that they do not advocate violence during public activities and shows.
Luis R Conriquez announces prior to his concert in Texcoco’s Feria del Caballo that he will exclude corridos bélicos from his setlist that night. The show ends in a riot. Hours before, the government of the state of Jalisco presented an initiative against narcocorridos in public or private shows.
Luis R. Conriquez issues a statement about what happened at his concert in Texcoco. He announces changes to his lyrics.
President Claudia Sheinbaum condemns what happened at the show in Texcoco, and reiterates that her government does not prohibit any musical genre.
President Sheinbaum states that she is not in favor of prohibitions, in the case of narcocorridos, and that her government will continue to promote a culture of peace. This same day, the local congress of the state of Aguascalientes approves the prohibition of narcocorridos in public events.
A local law goes into effect in the state of Michoacán prohibiting the performance of narcocorridos at public events. Penalties range from fines to cancellations of events.