TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Baja News Wire

The first Mexican opera to deal directly with the country's drugs conflict has staged its premiere in Mexico City.

The opera, Only the Truth, is based on a popular Mexican song of the 1970s which tells the story of a woman who smuggles marijuana into the US.

Her lover betrays her and in an act of crazy revenge, she murders him.

Violence connected to Mexico's drugs trade has killed more 15,000 people in the past three years.

Since the song was first made popular, the central character of Camelia la Tejana seems to have become a mix of fact and fiction.

Many women have claimed to be the song's inspiration.

Gabriela Ortiz, one of the opera's authors, believes this is because her role goes beyond the expected, submissive part women often have in such tales.

"This is exactly the opposite," she said.

"This is a very strong woman who finally kills her lover and disappears with the money. She became like a hero."

'Narco corrido'

But it is in her role as a drugs trafficker that Camelia's story has more resonance for today's Mexico, as Jose Arean, the opera's musical director explained.

"Out of the last 20 years, I would say, this is the one opera that is telling us a story that is not only on everyone's mind, but also in the headlines. It is how Mexico is perceived outside as well," he said.

The song on which the opera is based is a corrido, a type of Mexican ballad initially created to tell epic stories of heroes from the Mexican revolution a century ago.

In recent years, a whole sub-genre known as "narco corridos" has developed that narrates the adventures of the drugs barons.

Some have called for the narco corridos to be banned, but artists defend their freedom of expression.

The drugs issue seems to have permeated every aspect of Mexico's culture - even that elusive, hard to reach genre that is opera.

art is a reflection of live...

Salieron de San Isidro
Procedentes de Tijuana
Traian las llantas del carro
Repletas de hierba mala
eran Emilio Barela...
Y Camelia la tejana...

Pasaron por San Clemente
Los paró la imigración
Les pidio sus documentos
les dijo ¿de donde son?
Ella era de San Antonio...
Una hembra de corazón..

una hembra si quiere a un hombre...
por el puede dar la vida
pero hay que tener quidado si esa embra se siente herida
la tracion y el contrabando
son cosas incompartidas

a Los Angeles llegaron a Hollywood se pasaron en un callejon oscuro
las quatro llantas cambiaron
alli entregaron la hierba
ya y tan bien les pagaron

Emilio dice a Camelia
Hoy te das por despedida con la parte que te toca
Tu puedes rehacer tu vida
Yo me voy pa' San Francisco
Con la dueña de mi vida

Sonaron siete balazos
Camelia a Emilio mataba
La policia solo halló una pistola tirada
Del dinero y de Camelia nunca mas se supo nada.

Yo conoci bien a Emilio
al que Camelia matara
en un callejon oscuro
sin que se supiera nada
pero los contrabandistas
esos no perdonan nada

La banda la perseguia
en la union americana
tambien mandaron su gente
a buscarla hasta Tijuana
solo Dios podria salvar
a Camelia, la Texana

Una amiga de ella dijo
"señores yo no se nada
pero dicen que la vieron
cercas de Guadalajara
mentando a Emilio Varela
y dicen que hasta lloraba

La banda sin detenerse
para Jalisco volaron
la buscaron en cantinas
hasta que se la encontraron
"Camelia estas sentenciada"
y de ahi se la llevaron

La entregaron con los jefes
la mision ya está cumplida
si regresas el dinero
te perdonamos la vida
yo sin Emilio Varela...
¿para que quiero esta vida?

Se oyeron varios balazos
Camelia cayó enseguida
ahora ella esta descansando
con el amor de su vida
la traicion y el contrabando
terminan con muchas vidas.

Hey Marty, what won the hand?

But Mario looks pretty smug @ <4:05>



La banda del carro rojo (1978)