Corridos are a big part of Mexico’s music. And the narco-corridos apparently are becoming more and more so. I remember hearing them…and being amazed that such kind of glorification was deemed acceptable. So I read this article with great interest:
A new proposal from Mexico’s ruling party could send musicians to prison for performing songs that glorify drug trafficking.
The law would bring prison sentences of up to three years for people who perform or produce songs or movies glamorizing criminals.
“Society sees drug ballads as nice, pleasant, inconsequential and harmless, but they are the opposite,” National Action Party lawmaker Oscar Martin Arce told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The ballads, known as “narcocorridos,” often describe drug trafficking and violence, and are popular among some norteno bands. After some killings, gangs pipe narcocorridos into police radio scanners, along with threatening messages.
Martin said his party’s proposal, presented before Congress on Wednesday, also takes aim at low-budget movies praising drug lords. It was unclear when lawmakers would vote on it.
“We cannot accept it as normal. We cannot exalt these people because they themselves are distributing these materials among youths to lead them into a lifestyle where the bad guy wins,” he said.
Martin said the proposal’s intention is not to limit free expression, but to stop such performances from inciting crimes.
So…just what are the limits of freedom of speech?
I wonder how far a corrido glorifying rape or racism or “homophobia” would get in the free expression market?
dice el Miguel “ojala que asi fuera!!”
Interesting, that the country that gave us “La Cucracha” with its original line “ya no puede caminar/porque no tiene marijuana por fumar”, now is outlawing such songs?