corrido

A corrido is a traditional Mexican narrative ballad that recounts events—often real or reported—through a focused, episodic story. It developed among rural and urban communities in Mexico in the 19th century and spread with Mexican migration to the United States. Corridos function as a musical chronicle, telling about battles, political figures, crime, revolutions, disasters, or heroic deeds, and they can serve as social commentary or historical record.

Songs are typically composed in a simple strophic form with a memorable melody and plain, direct language. They usually employ a refrain or repeated lines and are performed with instruments such as guitar, bajo sexto, accordion, violin, or sometimes full banda ensembles.

Common themes include political and military events (revolutions, uprisings), everyday hardship, and legendary or infamous individuals. Subgenres include historical or revolutionary corridos, love corridos, and narcocorridos, which focus on drug trafficking and cartel life. Because corridos often report on controversial subjects, they can be both praised for storytelling and criticized for sensationalism or glamorization of crime.

Corrido as a cultural form spread beyond Mexico through the Mexican diaspora, influencing regional Mexican music styles such as norteño and banda, and continuing in oral and recorded traditions. In contemporary contexts, corridos remain popular in radio, live performance, and digital media, though some communities regulate or challenge their content due to legal or ethical concerns.