National Action Party lawmaker Oscar Martin Arce said the proposal’s intention is not to limit free expression, but to stop such performances from inciting crimes.
But Elijah Wald, author of the book, ‘Narcocorrido: A Journey into the Music of Drugs, Guns, and Guerrillas,’ said politicians are attempting to censor artists rather than attacking Mexico’s real problems.

On his website, Elijah Wald has posted descriptions of dozens of past efforts to stop the songs, including radio broadcast bans and politicians’ proposals.
“It is very hard to stop the drug trafficking. It is very easy to get your name in the papers by attacking famous musicians,” he told Associated Press.

Stephen Marche wrote in the Canadian newspaper National Post: “The Mexican war on drugs is about to claim another casualty: music.”

The proposed law would bring prison sentences of up to three years for people who perform or produce songs or movies glamorizing criminals. It is not clear when the proposed legislation is going to be voted on.

“Society sees drug ballads as nice, pleasant, inconsequential and harmless, but they are the opposite,” National Action Party lawmaker Oscar Martin Arce told The Associated Press.

Narcocorridos
The ballads, known as ‘narcocorridos’, often describe drug trafficking and violence, and are popular among some norteño bands. The norteño musical form typically feature men in cowboy hats playing guitars, accordions, and drums, and singing about the exploits, trials, and tribulations of people in the drug trade. Traffickers have been known to pipe taunting or threatening messages accompanied by narcocorridos into police radio networks after some killings. And while narcocorridos often lament personal disasters in the drug trade, they also extol successes, lionize leading traffickers, and ridicule security forces.

Cancelled award appearance
These days, narcocorridos are popular on both sides of the border, with norteño groups like Los Tigres del Norte and Los Tucanes de Tijuana pulling in crowds of tens of thousands in Tucson and Torreon, Austin and Aguascalientes.

Los Tigres del Norte canceled their planned appearance at an awards ceremony at a government-owned auditorium in October 2009 after organisers allegedly asked the group not to perform their latest drug ballad, ‘La Granja’.

Greg Etter, an assistant professor of criminal justice at the University of Central Missouri, told Associated Press that Mexican bands have been singing narcocorridos for more than 30 years, and legislators can’t stop such a strong musical tradition.
“I don’t see how you could put a lid on it,” he said. “Yes, these are dangerous. Music affects emotion and emotion affects actions. But if they suppress it, won’t it make it even more popular?”