Forum Views () 
Forum Replies ()  
 
 
Read more with google mobile :
Drug violence hits the stage in Mexico City opera  
 
 
 
 
 
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
 
 
 
Asia Pacific
World
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Drug violence hits the stage in Mexico City opera
 
 
  
 
 AFP - Monday, March 22
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Actors are pictured during the play "Camila la Texana" in Mexico City. A multimedia opera about the "narcocorrido" music of "Camilia la Texana", the mistress of a drug dealer shot dead with seven bullets by her lover, has opened in the capital of Mexico, as the nation is plagued by a bloody war between the drug lords.
 
 
 
 
 
 
MEXICO CITY (AFP) - – An opera based on a modern-day myth of a drug trafficker's murderous lover has provoked fresh debate around music that glorifies Mexico's murky world of drug trafficking.
 
The opera, "Camelia The Texan", opened at a Mexico City cultural festival this month as suspected drug violence spiralled in parts of the country, with more than 15,000 killed since the end of 2006.
 
Recent deaths include multiple killings near the beach resort of Acapulco and three US consulate-linked slayings in the most violent city of Ciudad Juarez, on border with the United States.
 
A giant screen projects images of the notorious border city at the start of "Camelia The Texan," which is based on a Mexican drug ballad, or "narcocorrido," made famous by the Los Tigres del Norte band in the 1970s.
 
It includes a cast of dozens dressed in Mexico cowboy outfits, including wide-brimmed hats and colorful dresses, and took 10 years to produce.
 
"If the stories for operas at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century were about violence, crime and scandal, why not make one based on a tragedy in Mexico which appears in the sensational press?" composer Gabriela Ortiz told AFP.
 
The words "drug trafficker" are sung numerous times by the sopranos and tenors, along with Mexican slang and swear words and accompanied by a traditional orchestra, accordions and electric guitars.
 
The composer and her brother, visual artist Ruben Ortiz, trawled through the archives of an out-of-print sensationalist magazine called "Alarm!" in their search for a modern-day Mexican drama that would provide a good opera plot.
 
They found "Camelia The Texan," a popular Mexican myth that has also served as inspiration for the book "La Reina del Sur," or "Queen of the South," by Spanish writer Arturo Perez Reverte.
 
The original aim, Ortiz said, was "to show how the media builds up and keeps myths alive."
 
The opera, which is divided into six scenes, includes various versions of the same myth, including the rape of the protagonist, Camelia, and the claim that she killed 27 people.
 
In one scene, an opera singer who plays the role of the leader of Los Tigres del Norte explains that narcocorridos are relevant because they cover things that "have happened and still happen." Camelia was a brave woman, he says.
 
The work gives a nod from musical academia to the much-criticized narcocorridos at a time when some lawmakers are seeking to punish their composers, who they consider to be criminal accomplices.
 
"Any musical, cultural or cinematographic reference to drug trafficking must include a warning that its subject matter is rubbish," conservative congressman Oscar Martin Ace, who has proposed a law to regulate narcocorridos, told AFP.
 
Some radio stations in the north of the country, the scene of much of Mexico's drug violence, have even banned the broadcast of narcocorridos.
 
"I emphatically reject any attempt at censorship. Ballads and drug ballads depict moments in history and censoring them does not solve the problems of violence," said the drug opera's composer, who is also a respected soprano.
 
In the last scene, singer Nieves Navarro, wearing cowboy boots and a cowboy hat, sings the whole text of the "Contraband and Passion" drug ballad on which the opera is based.
 
"Seven bullets rang out. Camelia killed Emilio. The police only found a fired gun, money, and nothing was known of Camelia ever again," he sings, before loud applause erupts in the Mexico City theater.
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Recommend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Send
 
IM Story
 
Print
 
 
 
 
 
 
Related Articles
 
 
A list of winners at the 4th Asian Film Awards AP -  58 minutes ago
 
'Mother' named best picture at Asian Film Awards AP - 1 hour 1 minute ago
 
Depp says he's always been a Mad Hatter AFP - Tuesday, March 23
 
Washingtonians get intimate meeting with Neanderthal AFP - Monday, March 22
 
Drug violence hits the stage in Mexico City opera AFP - Monday, March 22
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
News Search
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Top Stories
 
 
 
 
BA strike sparks business warning, political row
UN body rejects Tanzania ivory sale
UN body rejects Tanzanian bid for ivory sale
Clinton vows 'rock solid' commitment to Israel
With health vote, Obama claims a new place in history
 
 
 
 More Top Stories »
 
 
 
ADVERTISEMENT
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Most Popular
 
 
 
 
Most Viewed
 
Most Recommended
 
 
 
 
Fish and chips celebrates 150 years as a British classic
 
Hundreds evacuated after Iceland volcano erupts
 
Gene study highlights cancer risk for "never smokers"
 
With health vote, Obama claims a new place in history
 
British Airways strike enters final day
 
 
 More Most Viewed »
 
 
 
 
 
Chile quake moved Earth's axis, shortened days: scientist
 
Experts confirm asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs
 
'Britain's Fritzl' raped daughters for over 25yrs
 
Researchers back cancer-fighting properties of papaya
 
Prince Philip in strip club gaffe
 
 
 More Most Recommended »
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
 
 
 
 
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
 
 
Stars and latest movies
 
 
Best travel destinations
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
More on Yahoo! News
 
 
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
 
Also on Yahoo
 
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
 
Site Highlights
 
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
 
 
 
 Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
  
   
 
 
    
   
 
Other News on Monday, 22 March 2010 UN chief in Gaza calls for lifting of Israeli blockade  
Sarkozy facing rebuke as France votes  
Sarkozy loses heavily in French regional poll
|  
Allawi leads Iraq vote, Maliki asks for recount  
Obama invites defiant Israeli PM for talks  
U.S. missile strike kills 8 militants in Pakistan
|  
ETA ready for 'path of political change'  
Netanyahu firm on settlements before U.S. visit  
Hundreds evacuated after Iceland volcano erupts  
Taliban commanders given training in Iran: report  
UN chief slams Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip  
Darfur donors raise $841 million  
Palestinians warn Israel after troops kill 4
|  
Three Die When Two Planes Collide In Florida  
Darfur donor conference falls short of expectations  
Venezuela punishes 80 firms for power use
|  
Iraq PM rebuffed after demanding vote recount  
Former Interior Secretary Stewart Udall, Dies At 90  
Back On My Feet Comes To Washington D.C.  
U.S. actions contrary to desire for better ties  
Magnitude 4.8 Earthquake Strikes Cuba  
Bomb blast kills 10 in southern Afghanistan  
Democrats Likely Have Enough Votes To Pass Health Care Bill  
Militant group in Kabul with draft peace deal  
Missile strike kills 8 militants in Pakistan  
US drone strike kills four in NW Pakistan: security officials  
U.S. House Democrats expect healthcare bill passage  
Pakistani Taliban kill 4, calling them US spies  
Khamenei accuses Obama of plotting against Iran  
India tests new version of cruise missile  
China's Xinjiang restores access to email, websites  
On the wrong track  
GM Daewoo 'to recall 58,000 vehicles in S.Korea'  
IMF warns wealthiest nations about their debt  
India's Bharti ties up $8.3bn to finance Zain deal  
China warns US against sanctions over currency  
"Alice" stays atop box offices for third week  
Alice stays atop box offices for third week
|  
US may keep terror suspects at Bagram base: report  
British Airways strike enters final day  
Rio employees China trial opens, guilty plea reported
|  
UN housing project could unlock Gaza reconstruction  
Merkel gives Greece EU stability pledge  
Karzai meets Afghan insurgent delegation
|  
Sarkozy reviews options after French poll defeat
|  
Pakistan seeks permission to investigate nuclear scientist
|  
U.S. warns ships off Yemen of possible al Qaeda attack
|  
With health vote, Obama claims a new place in history  
Vatican must take abuse more seriously: Swiss abbot
|  
Gene study highlights cancer risk for "never smokers"  
Cherry blossoms bloom in Tokyo, spring on the way  
Sandstorms across China prompt health warnings  
Thailand raises stakes against 'Red Shirts'  
Obama Hails Passage Of Health Care Bill As Victory "For The People"  
Rio Tinto exec Stern Hu to plead guilty: Dow Jones  
EU Commissioner Predicts Clean Nations Set To Rule Politically  
Cambodia threatens to expel UN envoy  
Hero Pacquiao flies home to face politics  
Hong Kong air pollution hits record levels  
Important dates in surgeon's manslaughter case  
Cyclone Ului leaves destruction in its wake  
Australia investigates deadly crocodile attack  
US Congress passes historic health care bill  
PAKISTAN  
More foreign firms feel unwelcome in China  
Seoul shares fall led by steel, banking issues  
China begins trial of 4 Rio Tinto employees  
India's Bharti says funds raised for Zain buyout  
NZ's Auckland City sets note rate at 6.28 pct  
Hurt, Rossellini join "Late Bloomers"  
Kuwaitis: You Can Call Me 'Al'  
Conan, Fox resume talks for late-night show
|  
Paralympics goes back to military roots  
Police Accidentally Raid House 50 Times ? And Counting  
Paralyzed Woman Takes 8th Floor Plunge  
Rosie O'Donnell at work on daytime talk show
|  
Musicians pay tribute to Alex Chilton at SXSW
|  
Graco Recalls 1.2 Million Unstable High Chairs  
Scientists use carbon-dating to check wine vintages: study  
Clinton vows 'rock solid' commitment to Israel  
Pakistan foils plot to bomb Western targets
|  
EU ministers agree to act on Iran satellite jamming  
US-TECH Summary  
Clinton says Israel settlements obstacle to peace  
Microsoft's browser loses market share in Europe  
Middle East envoy urges calm after settlement row
|  
Israeli warplanes bomb Gaza: officials  
Barroso presses Merkel on Greek aid, Athens warns
|  
Clinton says Israel settlements obstacle to peace
|  
UN body rejects Tanzanian bid for ivory sale  
Beijing-bound Karzai seeks China help in peace push
|  
Stones hurled at Sri Lankan broadcaster's office; 4 hurt
|  
U.S., Israel dispute over settlements deepens
|  
Sumatran tiger kills man as friends try to help  
Karzai meets envoys of Taliban-linked group  
Rio Tinto officials plead guilty to China bribery  
Mob attacks private broadcaster in Sri Lanka  
Four Rio employees plead guilty in China  
CORRECTED  
Sandstorms across China prompt health warnings  
Cambodia says UN envoy interfered, may be expelled  
Amnesty slams torture of detainees in Kazakhstan  
Chinese media launches new attack on Google
|  
New Superbug Trumps MRSA In Hospital Infection Rates  
Angelina Jolie's "Animalistic" Shots At 15 To Be Auctioned  
Depp says he's always been a Mad Hatter  
AT&T to sell Palm, Dell smartphones
|  
Klansman Excused From Jury Duty  
Man Burned In Meth Lab Explosion  
Men Charged For Pirated DVD Operation In Suburban Chicago Salon  
"Pirates Of The Caribbean 4" Looking For Women With Real Breasts In Audition  
U.S. Facing Severe Flooding This Spring  
Microsoft's browser loses market share in Europe
|  
Wild tiger kills Indonesian man  
FEMA Expected To Visit Flooded Dakota Area As Water Recedes  
Researchers Say Seaweed Fiber Efffective In Blocking Fat Absorption  
Florida Firefighter Arrested, Charged With Cyberstalking  
Depp says he's always been a Mad Hatter  
Sex talk show scandalises conservative Georgia  
US firms feel increasingly unwelcome in China  
Cult Pakistan website fires classic cars passion  
Coca-Cola hit by pollution claim in India  
Washingtonians get intimate meeting with Neanderthal  
EU presidency wants Greek aid decision at summit  
Drug violence hits the stage in Mexico City opera  
Conan, Fox resume talks for late-night show  
Weisz wins top actress gong in London theatre awards  
Clinton urges Israel to make difficult choices for peace  
Hurt, Rossellini join "Late Bloomers"  
Teen sensation Bieber gears up for busy year  
Vietnam growth seen at 6%: central bank  
Asian shares lower on Indian rate move  
Seoul shares fall as steel issues, banks drag  
S.Korean bonds edge up, bond index talk helps  
Alice stays atop box offices for third week
|  
Teen sensation Bieber gears up for busy year
|  
Hurt, Rossellini join Late Bloomers
|  
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro  
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found  
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever  
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production  
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time  
AMD to Start Production of piledriver  
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs  
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia  
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air  
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch  
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent  
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up  
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform  
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis  
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets  
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights