President of Mexico Claudia Scheinbaum she publicized a plan to reduce the popularity of "narco corridos," a music genre often associated with violence drug cartels.
Sheinbaum vowed to launch a campaign to promote other, less violent styles of music that are not so closely associated with the drug dealers they glorify.
The campaign involves "competition among corrido bands that have a different kind of lyrics, that glorify other behaviors, other cultural visions," Scheinbaum said, according to the AP.
"Banning is not an option"
However, she pointed out that banning "narco corridos" is not an option, but that the campaign is aimed at promoting a different vision of such music.
Her secret weapon is a 47-year-old governor from northern Mexico who occasionally sings more traditional "banda" songs.
"One of the ideas we came up with was in Durango. "We talked about it with the governor, I don't know if you knew, but he's a 'band' singer," Scheinbaum said.
Governor Esteban Villegas had several performances in which he sang 'band' music, dominated by horns and bass, and its theme was the lives of cowboys and poor workers.
People love "narco corridos"
Peso Pluma, one of the biggest names in regional Mexican music, on the other hand, prides itself on signing "belicon" or aggressive "tumbado" songs laced with references to the drug trade.
Some Mexican cities have tried from time to time to ban the performances of "narco corridos" singers, with varying success.
Marco Antonio, the leader of the musicians' union in the northern city of Mazatlan, said he would like to see other types of music succeed, but that some audiences simply prefer "narco corridos."
"People are asking for it." Who am I to deny that to someone," concluded Gordoa Obeso.
