Move aside ‘American Idol’: Mexico launches national singing and composing competition

Five months aft saying popular Mexican euphony indispensable halt glorifying crime, unit and misogyny, President Claudia Sheinbaum this week launched a singing contention that aims to bash conscionable that.

Move speech “American Idol.” Here comes México Canta, a binational euphony contention aimed astatine fostering creativity among young radical portion addressing societal challenges specified arsenic addiction and violence.

Jessy Martínez performed a corrido without convulsive lyrics during the president’s announcement of México Canta connected Monday morning. (Moisés Pablo/Cuartoscuro)

Part of the Sheinbaum administration’s Plan México, the inaugural seeks to beforehand accepted Mexican euphony — specified arsenic corridos, mariachi and ranchera — without lyrics that glorify unit and/or drugs.

Another purpose is to bring elements of the U.S. euphony manufacture to Mexico.

The afloat sanction of the programme is México Canta (Mexico Sings): For Peace and Against Addictions, and it’s unfastened to performers and composers aged 18 to 34 from Mexico and the United States.

Registration volition statesman April 28 and extremity May 30, aft which a Mexican Music Council assemblage volition prime 10 competitors from each Mexican authorities and 15 from each of 3 U.S. regions (West, Central and East). 

Through unrecorded performances successful cities specified arsenic Chicago, Los Angeles, Tijuana and Oaxaca, those 365 competitors volition beryllium whittled down to 48 finalists — 8 from each of the U.S. regions and 8 from each of 3 Mexico regions: North, South and Central.

The expansive finale is acceptable for Oct. 5 successful the northwest authorities of Durango.

During her Monday greeting property conference, Sheinbaum said the singing contention aims to assistance young radical make identities linked to art, culture, sports, acquisition and employment — alternatively than done euphony that condones unit and crime.

Furthermore, there’s a extremity to found choirs successful each Mexican nationalist schools.

La música tiene un papel cardinal en la transformación taste de nuestro país. #MéxicoCanta es una convocatoria para fomentar la composición de canciones que se alejen de la violencia y recuperen la fuerza narrativa de la música mexicana, inspiradas en el amor, la historia,… pic.twitter.com/EozOWMA9N3

— Secretaría de Cultura (@cultura_mx) April 8, 2025

“We are changing the world of young radical by giving them … a antithetic narrative,” Sheinbaum stated successful a Culture Ministry property release. “I’ve ever said this astir the mendacious thought that joining a transgression radical is simply a beingness choice: It’s not a beingness choice. It’s a decease choice.”

Sheinbaum said the singing and composing competition, which volition beryllium broadcast connected nationalist media successful Mexico, includes the U.S. for 2 reasons, 1 of which is “the promotion of Mexican euphony connected some sides of the border.”

Another is an economical tenet of Plan México: “To bring portion of the originative manufacture that exists successful the U.S. to our state … [the euphony industry] generates galore jobs successful the U.S. — and we privation overmuch of that to travel to our country, arsenic well.”

Participants successful the contention are invited to showcase accepted genres specified arsenic mariachi, norteño, banda and bolero, oregon research modern Mexican fusions with rap, rock, popular and hip-hop. Submissions successful Indigenous languages are encouraged.

Registration volition unfastened aboriginal this period astatine mexicocanta.gob.mx.

Composers indispensable taxable an archetypal three-minute song, portion performers tin taxable a three-minute excerpt of immoderate opus fitting the competition’s profile.

México Canta, which is being promoted by the Culture Ministry successful collaboration with the Mexican Music Council (CMM) and the backstage sector, has been praised by manufacture leaders.

CMM manager Miguel Ángel Trujillo called the singing contention “historic;” Guillermo González, the wide manager of the Mexican Association of Phonogram Producers, said Mexico is 1 of the champion bets successful the planetary euphony manufacture and is truthful primed for extracurricular investment; and singer-songwriter Horacio Palencia lauded the program’s absorption connected combating unit done music.

Peso Pluma and narcocorridos – good, bad, oregon simply a world nine doesn’t privation to face?

In caller years, a caller harvest of Mexican artists, specified arsenic Peso Pluma, have taken accepted forms of Mexican euphony and turned them into “narcocorridos” oregon “drug ballads.” These songs condone the lives of criminals successful the cause trafficking commercialized successful Mexico, oregon “narcos.”

Culture Minister Claudia Curiel de Icaza said that portion Mexico ranks 10th successful the planetary euphony manufacture marketplace and eighth successful integer consumption, much than 70% of Latin euphony is corridos, galore of them “narcocorridos.”

With reports from Excélsior, Contra Línea and Sin Embargo