I thought I should chase up the Cidinho e Doca track with a classic Mexican narcocorrido.
Narcocorridos are ballads, sung in the traditional Mexican style (heavy on the accordion), which detail the exploits of drug-traffickers in the area. They are phenomenally popular in Mexico (although not with everyone of course).
The fact that anyone in a drugs-ravaged country wants to listen to the tall tales of gangsters might be surprising. I think they are popular because they reflect an inescapable reality about Mexican society, and because they have a subversive appeal similar to that of gangsta rap. But a critical point is that the Mexican police/state are not incorruptible or well-loved institutions, and narcos often contribute financially to the improvement of their city of origin. Although it's an uncomfortable truth, narcos have often been folk heroes.
Chalino was one of the first popular singers to narrate narcocorridos, and had a very colourful life himself: in 1992 he was murdered at the age of 31 (probably by the government), but not before foiling a previous assassination attempt, by shooting his assailant. On stage. After he himself had been shot. In the lung.
This archetypal corrido tells the story of "El Gallo de Sinaloa" - slang for "The Boss of Sinaloa" (Sinaloa is one of the states most associated with drug-trafficking, thanks to the infamous Sinaloa Cartel). The lyrics are are sung in the first person - the "gallo" recounts what good luck he has, and the dangers of his trade, his skill in outwitting the police and the DEA, and the fate that will befall anyone who turns against him.
This is piece of Mexican history and culture: I'm no fan of drug lords, but I love the narcocorridos.
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