The Enemies of Compa Chalino: Who Killed the King of Corridos?
A mysterious note, delivered during a concert in Culiacán 24 years ago, was the prelude to the assassination of one of the legends of Mexican popular music, a precursor to the current boom in narcocorridos.
When a song ended, someone in the audience handed him a piece of paper folded in half. It was something common in his concerts. He liked people to come on stage while he was performing, take pictures and ask for songs. Chalino Sánchez was the anti-star of corridos, just another ranch hand having a good time with his buddies. As the first notes of the accordion sounded, Chalino unfolded the note and read what was written on the paper without letting go of the microphone.
It was just a few seconds. When he lifted his head again, he made a nervous grimace with his mouth. He wiped his hand across his forehead to clean the sweat that dripped under his wide-brimmed beige hat. His gaze was lost, as if he was deciphering a message in a limbo that he had just received. He folded the paper again, made a slight nod to someone on his left and began to sing: “My soul is in love just thinking, heart…”.
The next morning, he was found lying in a small stream. His eyes were covered, his hands tied behind his back and two bullet holes in the back of his head.
Translated by urgent.news from El Pais's report; automated translation may contain errors. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
