Corridos tumbados, a world hit that divides Mexico: why?

MEXICO CITY — In many Mexican towns where drug cartels wreak havoc, seeing a young man dressed in black with a balaclava would be terrifying. One Saturday night in November, Peso Pluma strutted across the stage of Mexico City's Foro Sol in that outfit, to applause.

The 24-year-old star wore a Fendi version of a hitman uniform. “Are you ready to witness the most war concert of your lives?” she shouted. The crowd responded with a roar. Later, during “El Gavilán,” the audience sang in unison “I am from the people of Chapo Guzmán,” in reference to an infamous drug lord.

Peso Pluma, along with artists such as Natanael Cano, Grupo Firme, Eslabón Armado and Banda MS, is at the forefront of a musical movement that has found growing audiences beyond Mexico. They perform corridos tumbados, which combine singing and rapping familiar to hip-hop and reggaeton fans with melodies from traditional Mexican music, along with lyrics inspired by narcocorridos — songs that tell stories of drug trafficking. But even as Peso Pluma racks up millions of streams and Grupo Firme tours the United States, these artists often find themselves in contested territory at home, where the war on drugs is not a fantasy but a bloody everyday reality.

“They are striking a chord in Mexican culture,” said Camilo Lara, 48, a music producer. He cited how artists have exploited “the relationship with violence, with the street, with politics, with what is happening with fashion,” adding, “It is the most exciting moment in Mexican music in 20 or 30 years.” .

The Peso Pluma concert at Foro Sol, a venue with capacity for more than 60,000 people, took place after several cancellations due to security threats. Days before, Tijuana authorities had banned corridos lying down in public with fines of up to $70,000.

“The decision to prohibit these lying corridos is to protect the mental health of the children of Tijuana,” said Montserrat Caballero Ramírez, Mayor of the City, through a spokesperson. In May, Cancun banned public shows “that promote violence.” Grupo Firme soon canceled a concert there. Two months later, the Chihuahua City Council voted unanimously to fine public spectacles that promoted violence.

The artists say the lyrics are not aimed at children. “I know sometimes it's not okay for kids to see or hear this, but it's a reality,” said Peso Pluma.

Children came en masse to their presentation in Mexico City. Oliver Medrano, 35, said his 9-year-old daughter, Sofia, had asked to go. He said he had gotten hooked on “El Belicón,” a song about a man who boasts of owning sports cars, bazookas and Kalashnikovs.

The controversy reflects decades of debate in the United States over the real-life implications of rap lyrics. From NWA to Jay-Z to Rick Ross, many popular hip-hop artists have relied on images of drug lords for flash and punch.

“You see these guys partying with these luxuries and suddenly you think: 'How can I get this?', especially in this country, our country, which has very strong social limitations,” said Graciela Flores, a professor at the Autonomous University of Coahuila, who specializes in 19th century crime and justice in the Mexican border areas.

By: ELDA CANTÚ