Los Alegres del Barranco could achieve the suspension of the criminal proceedings against its members for alleged advocacy of crime during a concert in Jalisco held in March, following the release of an anti-narcocorrido that the group recorded at the request of the state governor, Pablo Lemus.
The song, titled “El Consejo” (or “the advice”) and released on Sunday (June 15) on YouTube, is a call to discourage young people from joining the ranks of organized crime and to warn them about the potential consequences of getting involved in criminal activities. “I’m going to give you some good advice/ If you want to grow old/ Don’t get involved with the bad/ Nothing good comes from that/ If you think it’s easy money/ Pay attention to these verses/ There are dreams that come true/ And later turn into nightmares,” the song says in Spanish, set to the rhythm of a traditional accordion.
“This is a step in the right direction to be able to face the legal challenges,” Luis Alvarado, the group’s spokesperson, told Billboard Español on Monday (June 16).
The Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office told Billboard Español on Monday that “the group’s willingness” to send a positive message through a song opens the possibility of reducing some of the restrictions imposed on the four musicians, their representative, and their concert promoter.
The case stems from a performance at an auditorium at the University of Guadalajara on March 29, where the band performed a narcocorrido accompanied by images alluding to the leader of a criminal group. This incident even led the United States to revoke the work and tourist visas of its members.
“If the suspension proceeds, the economic guarantee they deposited with the court could be canceled, and it would also be possible for the precautionary measures to be put on hold,” the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement on Sunday.
The group had 5.8 million pesos (about $302,000) frozen, representing the alleged profits from their concert at the Auditorio Telmex, which led the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office to open a fifth investigation against the group, accusing them of alleged “operations with resources of illicit origin.” However, state authorities clarified that the conditional suspension of the process for alleged advocacy of crime does not extend to the investigation into their possible involvement in the crime of operations with resources of illicit origin, which remains ongoing.
The precautionary measures imposed by a judge on Los Alegres del Barranco, which could potentially be put on hold, include: appearing in court every week, paying a guarantee of 1.8 million pesos (about $92,000), and remaining within Jalisco. The band continues to defend themselves while out of custody, as preventive detention was not ordered.
However, the Jalisco Prosecutor’s Office is “the only entity that can reach an agreement through alternative means to resolve three — out of four — investigations opened against the group for alleged advocacy of crime” during concerts in other municipalities in the state, a spokesperson for the Government of Jalisco told Billboard Español, adding that they are confident an agreement between the parties will be made public this week.
On the social media platform, X, Jalisco Governor Pablo Lemus praised the group’s new song. “This new song by Los Alegres del Barranco, titled ‘El Consejo,’ deserves to be listened to closely, especially by young people,” he wrote in a post on Sunday. “Music is essential for connecting with future generations and helping them understand everything that choosing what many portray as the easy path entails.”
Following the ban on narcocorridos imposed by local governments in 10 of Mexico‘s 32 states, some corrido artists have announced changes to their music and repertoires. Such is the case of corridos tumbados star Luis R. Conriquez, whose April 12 performance at the Feria de Texcoco in the State of Mexico ended in chaos after he refused to perform war-themed songs in compliance with the new regulations set by authorities.
Grupo Firme has also announced that it has removed the corrido “Se Fue La Pantera” from its repertoire, which allegedly references an operator of the Sinaloa Cartel. Recently, the group, led by vocalist Eduin Caz, canceled their participation in a festival in Napa Valley, California, due to the visas of its members and the team of its promoting company being in “administrative process” by the U.S. Embassy in Mexico.
