The Roots of the Narcocorrido

In Mexican folk music, the corrido is a story told in song. The songs are often about oppression, history, daily life for peasants, and other socially relevant topics. One form of corrido that developed during the late 19th century and lives on is the narcocorrido—ballads about drugs and contraband and their illegal trafficking. Professor James Nicolopulos of UC Berkeley traces the musical history of narcocorridos from the late 19th century to the 1970s. Drawing on recordings from the 1920s to the 1970s, Professor Nicolopulos presents musical stories of bandits, smugglers, drug traffickers, and victims on both sides of the Mexico-USA border.

Track Listing

101	El Corrido de Heraclio Bernal (The Ballad of Heraclio Bernal) Dueto Adán and Eva with Mariachi Guadalajara	03:12
102	Mariano Resendéz Timoteo Cantú y Jesús Maya	03:20
103	Nieves Hernández Los Satélites	03:09
104	Corrido de Mier (Ballad of Mier) Peña and Tijerina	03:01
105	Los Tequileros Jesús Maya y Timoteo Cantú	02:54
106	Contrabando De El Paso (Contraband of El Paso) [Pt. 1] Luís Hernández y Leonardo Sifuentes	02:49
107	Contrabando De El Paso (Contraband of El Paso) [Pt. 2] Luís Hernández y Leonardo Sifuentes	02:54
108	La Cocaína (Cocaine) Pilar Arcos	03:20
109	La Marihuana (Marijuana) Trío Garnica-Ascencio	03:11
110	Corrido de Juan García (The Ballad of Juan García) Los Pingüinos del Norte	02:53
111	García y Zamarripa Los Hermanos Chavarría	03:19
112	Los Pateros (The River Bandits) Los Alegres de Terán	02:35
113	Corrido del Hampa (Ballad of the Underworld) [Pt. 1] Flores and Durán	02:48
114	Corrido del Hampa (Ballad of the Underworld) [Pt. 2] Flores and Durán	02:48
115	La Canela (Ballad of the Cinnamon) Los Alegres de Terán	03:18
116	Por Morfina y Cocaína (Because of Morphine and Cocaine) [Pt. 1] Manuel C. Valdez and Juan González	03:03
117	Por Morfina y Cocaína (Because of Morphine and Cocaine) [Pt. 2] Manuel C. Valdez and Juan González	03:01
118	El Contrabandista (The Contraband Trafficker) [Pt. 1] Juan Gaytán and Frank Cantú	03:02
119	El Contrabandista (The Contraband Trafficker) [Pt. 2] Juan Gaytán and Frank Cantú	03:04
120	Carga Blanca (White Cargo) Los Cuatesones	03:03
121	El Profugo (The Fugitive, Marijuana) Juan Gaytán and Frank Cantú	02:57
122	Corrido de Juan Meneses (The Ballad of Juan Meneses) Las Hermanas Guerrero with Jimmy Morgan's Conjunto	02:29
123	Francisco Martínez Juan Gaytán and Félix Solís	02:47
124	Tragedia de Los Cargadores (Tragedy of the Drug Couriers) Frank Cantú with Conjunto Topo Chico	02:41
125	La Cadena (The Chain Gang) Los Cuatesones	02:45
126	El Rey De Pipa Roja (The King of the Red 18-Wheel Tanker) Los Monteños	03:21