Mexican band changes its tune after projecting wanted cartel leader’s face onto screen 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.

The Associated Press

contributed to this report.