Corridos: Bringing New Perspectives
Class: MAS 410 Narcocorrido and Mexican Folk Culture
Taught by: Jonathan Alcantar, Ph.D., Hispanic Studies
Course Description: This course examines Mexican and Mexican-American Popular Folk culture in the context of historical and contemporary issues.
READING MATERIAL: Chicana Traditions: Continuity and Change by Norma E. Cant煤 and Olga N谩jera-Ram铆rez; Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas by Elijah Wald.
Every culture has a song. Assistant Professor Jonathan Alcantar, Ph.D., explores a very specific subgenre of cultural music called the Narcocorrido in his Mexican-American Studies class: MAS 410, Narcocorrido and Mexican Folk Culture.
The Corrido has been a cultural staple in the lives of Mexican-Americans for more than 100 years. 鈥淔or some, Corridos resist an official history,鈥� Alcantar says. 鈥淭hey provide an alternative perspective from the bottom to the top.鈥�
Usually, Corridos focus on a significant historical event or person. They are written about deeds, people and life changing events from the perspective of the common folk and shared with the population.
Culturally significant, Corridos follow the ages and flow with events. Starting with early Corridos like The Ballad of Joaquin Murrieta, written for the Mexican-American War, focusing on battles, leaders and cultural conflict; the Chicano Movement of the 1960s, singing about certain protests and actions; and current issues with the most recent of the subgenres: the Narcocorrido.
As the name suggests, the Narcocorrido deals with drug trading. It鈥檚 a sensitive subject, with songs that may both praise drug lords鈥� deeds and criticize the violence and deaths that occurs. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 try to glamorize this, because a lot of people have died,鈥� Alcantar said. 鈥淭his is a real, critical issue that involves both countries. When I teach this class, I want (my students) to know how to look critically at these issues.鈥�
Professor Alcantar鈥檚 Selected List of Most Notorious Corridos
- Los Madrugadores, 鈥淓l Corrido de Joaqu铆n Murrieta鈥� (Corrido of California Gold Rush Era)
- Los Alegres de Ter谩n, 鈥淓l Corrido de Gregorio Cort茅s鈥� (Corrido of South Texas-Mexico Border)
- Tr铆o Nava, 鈥淓l Corrido de Heraclio Bernal鈥� (Corrido of the Pre-Revolutionary Period in Mexico 1870-1910)
- Hern谩ndez y Sifuentes, 鈥淟a Punitiva鈥� (The Punitive Expedition)(Corrido of the Mexican Revolution 1910-1920)
- Los Hermanos Ba帽uelos, 鈥淓l Lavaplatos鈥� (The Dishwasher) (Corrido of the Mexican Immigrant Experience 1920-1930)
- Los Mascarones y los Alacranes Mojados, 鈥淓l Corrido del Bracero鈥� (The Bracero Program 1942-1964)
- Rumel Fuentes y Los Ping眉inos del Norte, 鈥淢茅xico-Americano鈥� (Corrido of the Chicano Movement)
- Daniel Valdez, 鈥淓l Corrido de C茅sar Ch谩vez鈥� (Corrido of the Chicano Movement)
- Los Tigres del Norte 鈥淟os Hijos de Hern谩ndez鈥� (Corrido Dedicated to Mexican Immigrants and Chicanos who served in the U.S. Military) (1986)
- Los Tigres del Norte 鈥淭res Veces Mojado鈥� (Three Times Wetback) (1998)
Alcantar wants his students to engage the issues head-on. He doesn鈥檛 expect his students to have simple solutions to the problems inherent in drug trafficking, but he does want them to think and reflect on them. He encourages them to ask questions and share concerns, often during his free, in-office 鈥渃offee hour,鈥� giving them the opportunity to explore, discuss and engage in tough, contemporary issues.
鈥�(The class) is always evolving, obviously,鈥� he says. 鈥淎s new policies are implemented, the Corridos are evolving, because now Corridistas are pondering how the cartels and the countries are dealing with this social problem.鈥�
鈥揂ustin Huber
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