Staging Narcocorridos: Las Reinas Chulas’ Dissident Audio-Visual Performance

Abstract

The four female performers of Banda de Las Recodas (a.ka., Las Reinas Chulas) are a teatro-cabaret group based in Mexico City. Originally conceived as a theatre piece, the musical group has taken on a life of its own, becoming known for its socio-politically engagement. This paper focuses on Banda de Las Recodas’ (re)-interpretation of the narcocorrido in their song “Lo hecho en México.” Banda de Las Recodas utilizes auditory and visual performative strategies as part of a satirical critique of the role of this popular music in Mexican society as well as the government’s pervasive lack of response to the Juárez femicides. The exploration of audio-visual techniques includes the song’s accessibility on iTunes, YouTube, and its live transmission, all of which compliment and complicate the way audiences understand its meaning. Moreover, this study examines how the two modes of watching and listening to “Lo hecho en México” at once inform listener/audience interpretations of the work and emphasize the need to critically consider how cultural products are consumed.