Los Cuates de Sinaloa – La Reina del Sur

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxUD4AJIr6M

The Spanish novelist Arturo Perez Reverte wrote the great Mexican novel La Reina del Sur. Hugely influenced by the novels of Sinaloan writer Elmer Mendoza, it tells the story of a how a young woman from Sinaloa came to dominate the drug trade in southern Europe, but is then drawn back to her native country for sentimental reasons. The book was a huge sensation, and was turned into a popular television series in Mexico.

Los Cuates de Sinaloa made their name by singing Corridos, or story songs. Many of their songs fall into the category of Narcocorridos, because they tell the stories of famous drug traffickers. In fact I first became aware of them from the narcocorrido they sang in the opening sequence of an episode of Breaking Bad… It seems fitting that they would sing the story of La Reina del Sur.

Ana Gabriél – Tijuana Concert June 15th

It was 1992, and I was travelling aimlessly in South America in the full grasp of a mid-life crisis. In Santiago, Chile, one evening, I turned on the TV and watched with my mouth open as this little woman brought down the house at a large concert venue. I had never heard of Ana Gabriel, but the audience certainly knew her songs by heart. It turned out she was performing at the annual festival in Viña Del Mar, a short bus ride from Santiago. I arrived in time for the final evening of the festival, where I saw some great acts, but none was as exciting as Ana Gabriel had been, even though I only saw her on TV.

She is coming to Tijuana this weekend, and I may take advantage of the chance to finally see her live in concert.