Corrido

The corrido is a Mexican narrative genre whose origins lie in Spanish romances of the 16th century, adapted over the centuries to the realities of life in Mexico and in border communities. A true sung chronicle, it recounts the exploits of popular heroes, revolutionaries, legendary outlaws and, more recently, figures associated with drug trafficking. The corrido of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920) represents its literary and musical golden age.

Musically, the corrido rests on a simple 3/4 or 6/8 structure, originally accompanied by guitar and vihuela. In the 20th century, the accordion and brass instruments of the banda enriched its ensemble. The lyrics, typically in verses, follow a linear narrative with a beginning, dramatic development and a conclusion. The voice is direct and unadorned, carrying the story more than lyrical emotion. It is the oral literature of the Mexican people.

Since the 1990s, the narcocorrido has renewed — and controversially — the genre by openly celebrating drug traffickers. Artists like Chalino Sánchez and Los Tucanes de Tijuana popularised this subgenre, while voices such as Edgardo Nuñez perpetuate the tradition with a strong regional grounding. The corrido also converses with banda sinaloense and cumbia to form the heart of northern Mexican popular music.

In festival settings, the corrido thrives at Mexican patron saints' festivals, rodeos and major cultural gatherings in the Latino community across the United States. Events like the Festival de la Voz y el Acordeón or dedicated stages at Fiesta Broadway in Los Angeles welcome the genre's finest performers. The audience, often multigenerational, knows the lyrics by heart and joins in on the choruses, making every concert a celebration of Mexican identity.