The corrido, or ballad, is one of Mexico’s oldest song styles. During the 19th and early 20th century, it was the Mexican equivalent of Spanish romances or cowboy songs of the old West. A new breed of corridistas has popularised the form again. But the protagonists in these modern ballads are drug traffickers or immigrants fighting for survival. The genre has inspired dozens of hit movies, as well as condemnation by conservative politicians.
Producer: David Swatling
Broadcast; March 14, 2002