Jorge Hernández, lead singer of Los Tigres del Norte, made one of his most forceful statements in the midst of his European tour: composing humorous songs about migration today would be disrespectful.
The Mexican band is in Madrid, the starting point of their tour of Spain, and although their corridos have sharply portrayed the migrant experience, Hernández acknowledges that the current context leaves no room for jokes or the mischievous tone that once characterized their lyrics.
However, the tightening of immigration policies in the United States has changed the tone of the conversation.
Hernández admits that the pressure many documented and undocumented migrants are experiencing today is reflected in the public’s mood, making it increasingly difficult to “make people laugh” or avoid the harshness of reality.
“The world is very serious because we all have a problem,” he said. For him, trying to write a festive song at this time would be foolish.
The celebrity explained that writing fun melodies about these types of issues “would be like starting to sing at a funeral without the deceased’s family asking you to,” he noted.
