Narcocorrido
A narcocorrido (Spanish pronunciation: [naɾkokoˈriðo], "narco-corrido" or drug ballad) is a subgenre of the Regional Mexican corrido (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, waltz or mazurka rhythmic base.
| Narcocorrido | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Polka, ranchera, norteño, corrido, banda |
| Cultural origins | Early 20th century Mexico |
| Derivative forms | Country, corridos alterados, corridos progresivos |
| Regional scenes | |
| Mexico (with origins in the states of Sinaloa, Baja California, Sonora, Chihuahua, Zacatecas, Nuevo León, Durango, Tamaulipas, Jalisco, and Michoacán) United States (notably in the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas) Central America (notably in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala) South America (notably in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia) | |
The first corridos that focus on drug smugglers—the narco comes from "narcotics"—have been dated by Juan Ramírez-Pimienta to the 1930s. Early corridos (non-narco) go back as far as the Mexican Revolution 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.