Latest news with #ElConsejo
Los Angeles Times
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Criminal investigation against Los Alegres del Barranco suspended after band releases anti-narcocorrido
Months after facing backlash for projecting the image of an alleged drug cartel leader during a concert, Los Alegres del Barranco have reached an agreement with Mexican authorities that would temporarily pause a criminal investigation into the band. The Council of the Judiciary of the State of Jalisco agreed on Monday to lift the criminal proceedings that began after the Mexican corrido band behind songs like 'La Gente del Chapo' and 'La Muerte del Comandante' displayed a photograph of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes (also known as 'El Mencho'), the reputed leader of the Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación, during their March 29 concert at the Telmex Auditorium in Zapopan, a suburb of Guadalajara. The decision was made after the members of Los Alegres del Barranco agreed to several conditions, including releasing an anti-narcocorrido track and agreeing to a probationary period of six months, Billboard reported. On June 15, the band released a song called 'El Consejo,' about the consequences youth can face if they get involved with drug lords and cartels. 'It's worth noting that after accepting [Jalisco] Gov. Pablo Lemus's invitation to record an anti-corrido, the song 'El Consejo has more than 2 million cumulative plays on all of the band's platforms,' Los Alegres del Barranco said in a statement to The Times. The agreement requires that the band members maintain residency in Guadalajara, that they periodically check in with state authorities and that they hold conversations with incarcerated youth, encouraging them to stay away from organized crime. The case will be dropped after a six-month period if the musicians meet the conditions, the band said. Days after the group's controversial concert, the U.S. State Department revoked the band's work and tourist visas, which resulted in the cancellation of its scheduled U.S. show dates, including a stop on May 25 at Pico Rivera Sports Arena. 'I'm a firm believer in freedom of expression, but that doesn't mean that expression should be free of consequences,' Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau wrote in an April 1 post to X announcing the visa revocations. 'In the Trump Administration, we take seriously our responsibility over foreigners' access to our country. The last thing we need is a welcome mat for people who extol criminals and terrorists,' he added. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also criticized Los Alegres del Barranco during a May 31 press conference. 'No apology can be made for violence or criminal groups,' she said. Roughly a third of Mexico's states and many cities have banned the performance of narcocorridos in recent years.
Yahoo
17-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mexican band changes its tune after cartel leader's face shown at concert
A popular Mexican band under investigation for glorifying a wanted drug lord has released an anti-narco song in a bid to clear its name. The band, Los Alegres del Barranco, is accused of condoning crime over a song praising Nemesio Oseguera, head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in western Mexico. In April, the United States, which has designated the cartel as a terrorist organization, revoked the band's visas for displaying images of Oseguera during a concert and last month prosecutors in Jalisco state opened an investigation into the group. Oseguera — better known as "El Mencho" — has a $15 million U.S. bounty on his head. In a bid to curry favor with the authorities, the band released a new song on YouTube on Sunday titled "El Consejo" (The Advice). Its lyrics warn that there are only two avenues open to those who become involved in drug trafficking: "the pantheon (of dead traffickers) or prison." The Jalisco prosecutor's office reacted positively to the new track, which had garnered nearly 80,000 views on Monday, saying that "by spreading a positive message in a song, there is a possibility that the investigation will be suspended." However, the band remains under investigation for suspected illicit funding, prosecutors said. The Jalisco cartel, one of the country's most powerful drug cartels, developed rapidly into an extremely violent and capable force after it split from the Sinaloa cartel following the 2010 killing of Sinaloa cartel leader Ignacio "Nacho" Coronel Villarreal by the military. Several Mexican states have cracked down on "narcocorridos," a controversial subgenre of regional Mexican folk music that includes shout outs to drug traffickers. Earlier this month, the popular Los Tucanes de Tijuana band was fined more than $36,000 for performing songs glorifying drug cartels in the northern city of Chihuahua. Performers of drug ballads have themselves also been targets of gang violence. In late May, five members of the group Fugitivo were found dead in Tamaulipas state, days after being hired to perform a concert. Their deaths were blamed on suspected drug traffickers. Mexico's President Claudia Sheinbaum launched a music competition in April "for peace and against addictions" in an attempt to counter the popularity of "narcocorridos." Contestants are from both Mexico and the United States. The second phase of the competition is set to start July 5 after a panel of judges selects the participants who will advance. The finale is set for Oct. 5 in Durango, Mexico. New York City mayoral candidate Brad Lander detained by ICE Trump says U.S. knows where Iran's supreme leader is, but won't kill him "for now" Sen. Alex Padilla breaks down in tears on Senate floor recounting Noem news conference removal
France 24
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Mexican band accused of glorifying cartels changes its tune
The band, Los Alegres del Barranco, is accused of condoning crime over a song praising Nemesio Oseguera, head of the powerful Jalisco New Generation Cartel in western Mexico. In April, the United States, which has designated the cartel as a terrorist organization, revoked the band's visas for displaying images of Oseguera during a concert and last month prosecutors in Jalisco state opened a probe into the group. In a bid to curry favor with the authorities, the band released a new song on YouTube on Sunday titled "El Consejo" (The Advice). Its lyrics warn that there are only two avenues open to those who become involved in drug trafficking: "the pantheon (of dead traffickers) or prison." The Jalisco prosecutor's office reacted positively to the new track, which had garnered nearly 80,000 views on Monday, saying that "by spreading a positive message in a song, there is a possibility that the investigation will be suspended." However, the band remains under investigation for suspected illicit funding, prosecutors said. Several Mexican states have cracked down on "narcocorridos," a controversial subgenre of regional Mexican folk music that includes shout outs to drug traffickers. Earlier this month, the popular Los Tucanes de Tijuana band was fined more than $36,000 for performing songs glorifying drug cartels in the northern city of Chihuahua. Performers of drug ballads have themselves also been targets of gang violence. In late May, five members of the group Fugitivo were found dead in Tamaulipas state, days after being hired to perform a concert.
