Mexican President Organizes Song Contest To Counter Popular Genre Glorifying Cartels

Mexican president Claudia Sheinbaum has announced a song contest in an effort to counter narcocorridos, the genre that glorifies cartel culture in the country.

The contest in question is called "Mexico Canta" (Mexico Sings), its motto being "for peace and against addictions."

Sheinbaum promoted the contest in a video. "You probably heard this musical genre," she said, showing a cellphone with videos and the word "corridos."

"Many of them feature content referencing violence, drugs, they speak poorly about women," she added. "That's why this initiative called 'Mexico Canta' comes up. If you're a singer, have a group, are a solo artist, sign in. Many companies participate, both from Mexico and the U.S. They can be songs about love, despair, Mexico, many other contents," she added.

The contest is aimed at interpreters from Mexico and the U.S. between the ages of 18 and 34. The songs are supposed to be up to three minutes long and can be both originals and covers. Participants can send their songs between April 28 and May 30.

The initiative comes as events related to the genre dominate headlines. Members of the Mexican band Los Alegres del Barranco recently had their U.S. visas revoked after projecting images of "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, and Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán during a concert in Guadalajara.

Another related episode took place last weekend when hundreds of narcocorrido fans attended Luis R. Conriquez's concert in the city of Texcoco—15 miles outside of Mexico City When Conriquez informed the attendees that he would not be performing any narco-related tunes due to a government ban, the crowd responded violently.

Conriquez—who is mostly known for singing songs related to the Sinaloa Cartel—tried to calm the crowd by empathizing with their disappointment. "It's a law that must be respected... I also feel bad for not singing what you want to hear," Conriquez said.

Despite the artist's efforts to continue with the show, Conriquez and his crew were escorted out of the venue for safety. His manager later posted on social media that his team was simply following the government's order not to sing narcocorridos.

Those opposing the narcocorrido bans—which are already in effect in states including Nayarit, Baja California, Chihuahua, and Quintana Roo—argue that they violate freedom of speech. Many artists have also defended the controversial genre, suggesting it reflects the reality of many Mexicans. While some songs glorify drug lords and the narco lifestyle, others criticize the government. One of them is Cristian Nodal, who said it is the public who accepts or rejects their proposals.