The fans that jammed a downtown San Diego concert on a recent night were unmistakable. The men whore imitation bulletproof vests, studded hats and rosaries around their necks. The women?Extremely tight, extremely short dresses, super high heels and long nails tipped with studs.I had seen music videos of corridos enfermos, or sick ballads on YouTube many times but nothing prepared me for what I saw that night at the concert.The fans were passionate followers of a new music genre among Mexicans on both sides of the border, the so-called Movimiento Alterado that glorifies the drug trafficking culture and lifestyle.Law enforcement authorities in Mexico have denounced this music. No matter, its popularity has grown on both sides of the border, spurred by social networks promoting all its trappings.The fans waited in a long line to see the leading interpreters of this music at the House of Blues concert.Most were in their teens and early twenties; a couple of them couldn't even get in although the event was for 18-year-olds and up.Everybody was dressed up as their favorite singer, wearing Ed Hardy, Christian Audigier and Antrax Clothing, the latter a San Diego clothes line worn by leading performers of this genre.While chatting with fans as they waited to get inside I had a déjà vu moment when I saw a couple of young men sporting a polo shirt identical to the one worn by alleged drug lieutenants Edgar La Barbie Valdez Villareal and Jose Jorge El JJ Balderas when they were captured by Mexican authorities.The young women were dressed like the females in the music videos, wearing revealing clothing and lots of make-up and jewelry. They were excited at the chance to see their favorite viejón, a slang term of endearment used by the fans.Everybody agreed they were there to see Alfredo Ríos, El Komander, known as the king of the corrido alterado.Whoever wasn't already buzzing hurried up and drank straight from the bottle they carried with them, not concerned about drinking alcohol on a public sidewalk.Inside HOB, people were getting impatient to see their favorite bands while a DJ tried to keep them entertained.A strong smell of marijuana filled the place, though it was not clear where it came from.Publicity ads could be seen everywhere promoting social networks, magazines, new discs, everything pertaining to this new music, even the imitation bulletproof vests called pecheras, just like the ones El Komander wears in his music videos.This is now a trademark look if you want to be with the in crowd among these fans. You can order yours with special embroidery and in what looks like designer patterns.Around nine o'clock the first of 23 bands came out on stage, Convictos CLN, performing their single Carteles Unidos (United Cartels), from the Movimiento Alterado Vol. 5 disc.The audience sang along to lyrics that talked about cutting off heads, drugs, weapons, women and taking care of business.The ballads told stories about Sinaloa cartel leaders Joaquín El Chapo Guzmán, Ismael Mario El Mayo Zambada and Manuel Torres El M1 Félix.Some of the women who made it backstage waited to take their picture with their musical idols and maybe get hug and a kiss, too.Fuerza de Tijuana, Los dos primos, Oscar García, el RM, Los Buchones, Los Buknas de Culiacán are just some of the bands that set the stage for the headliner, El Komander.He did not disappoint.He drove the crowd crazy with hits like El corrido del Katch, Estrategia de escape, and his trademark phrase, y tiro arriba mi compa, loosely, I aim high, friend.Before the show ended every band came out and shared the stage with El Komander and all performed what became the hymn of the night, with the fans singing along:With a machine gunAnd bazooka at your neckblowing up heads of whoever gets in the waywe are bloodthirstycrazy, highwe like to kill...Micaela.arroyo@sandiegored.com
