Sinaloa

            Sinaloa is a state located in North-western Mexico famous for-with the exception of Mazatlan-among other things, the saturation of drug culture within its society. Mexican culture is one in which machismo is valued. This reflective in many of the older corridos, where the heroes fight without fear, the men have quick wits, and whether dying or victorious taunt their enemies all the while. Elijah Wald in his book Narcocorrido describes the Sinaloan atmosphere as one of almost unparalleled machismo to the point where T-shirts, hats, and wallets are emblazoned with "cuernos de chiva"-AK-47's, marijuana leaves, and the silhouettes of nude women. He recounts stories told to him while hitchhiking through Mexico where "one can hit on any girl without worrying whether or not she's single simply because when people discover that the offending Don Juan is Sinaloan, he is left to his own devices out of wariness to engage such a figure. The Sinaloans are viewed as the toughest of the tough, the most macho in an already heavily macho society. There it is common for many to travel around heavily armed-after all, this is the land which produces some of the most infamous drug dealers worldwide. These include Ramon and Benjamin Arellano Felix, Raphael Quintero, and Amado Carrillo "El Senor de los Cielos" overseeing a cartel receiving revenues exceeding ten-billion dollars annually (Tribuno del Pueblo). Many of these employ corridistas-corrido writers/performers-to compose a ballad glorifying them in their accomplishments in some way. Most importantly they're embraced by the population on all levels.

            There is even a Patron Saint of the narcotraficantes-"Jesús Malverde." Raphael Caro Quntero and Amado Carrillo were declared by Raul Soto Vazquez, canon of the basilica of Guadalupe, with a theology doctorate, and a professor at the Papal University of Mexico, to be "generous donors"-in effect blessing these men (Tribuno Del Peublo).

             The press in Culiacán named the city a "new Chicago with gangsters in sandals." "The Majority of the most famous drug traffickers past and present, were born in the Northwest, predominately in Sinaloa. The history of drug trafficking in Mexico cannot be understood without recognizing the role played by Sinaloans in the drug business. A great number of corridos are, therefore, related to persons, places, and stories from Sinaloa." (www.unesco.org).