Rosalino "Chalino" Sánchez Félix (30 August 1960 – 16 May 1992), was a Mexican singer-songwriter. He sang Regional Mexican music and was prominently known for his narcocorridos (drug ballad), posthumously referenced as the king of the Corrido.

Chalino Sánchez
Chalino posing with a M1911 pistol, c. 1990
Born	Rosalino Sánchez Félix (1960-08-30)August 30, 1960 Rancho Las Flechas, Municipio de Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Died	May 16, 1992(1992-05-16) (aged 31) Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico
Cause of death	Murder (two gunshot wounds to the back of the head)
Resting place	Panteón de Los Vasitos Los Vacitos, Sinaloa, Mex. 24°37′47.5″N 107°5′02.9″W
Other names	Chalino Marcelino El Pelavacas El Rey del Corrido
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Spouse	Marisela Vallejos Félix ​ ​ (m. 1984)​
Children	Cynthia Sánchez Vallejos Adan Santos Sánchez Vallejos
Musical career
Genres	Regional Mexican Narcocorrido Norteño Banda
Instruments	Vocals
Years active	1984–1992
Labels	RR (Rosalino Records) Cintas Aquario Discos Musart
Musical artist

Chalino was an initial pioneer in the narcocorrido genre. His songs mostly contained stories of true murder and drug cartel activity set in nineteenth century Northern Mexico, including topics such as the Mexican Revolution, cartels, drug smuggling, murders, serial killers, Mexican standoffs, gambling, and murder-suicides. During a stint in Tijuana's La Mesa Prison, Chalino began composing songs for inmates that had stories they wanted to preserve in a ballad. Chalino also composed and sang romantic and radio-friendly songs.

During his rise in stardom after an attempted assassination four months earlier, in May 1992, Chalino was murdered moments after what was his last live performance in his hometown of Culiacán.

Early life

Rosalino Sánchez Félix was born on "Las Flechas", a small ranch in Sinaloa. He was the youngest of 7 children. His parents were Santos Sanchez (?–1964) and Senorina Felix (?–1991). Chalino grew up poor and lived a difficult life. His sister, Juana, called him a curious and mischievous child who always dreamed about becoming a singer. His birth name is Rosalino, but he preferred his nickname Chalino. since Rosalino sounded too feminine for Sanchez.[1]

In 1975 when he was 15, his sister was raped by "Chapo" Perez.^{[citation needed]} Two years later in 1977, a 17-year-old Chalino saw the man at a party and allegedly shot him in revenge, killing him.[2] After committing this act, Sanchez left for Tijuana with his gun and a Jesús Malverde chain. During his time in Tijuana, he worked as a "coyote" (an immigrant smuggler), taking immigrants into the United States.

The same year, Chalino himself crossed into the United States as an undocumented migrant worker. He began in Oregon and later moved to Los Angeles to live with his aunt in Inglewood, California. He washed dishes, sold cars, and, according to his friends, dealt small quantities of marijuana and cocaine. He also helped his older brother, Armando, run an immigrant-smuggling operation.[1]

Chalino met Marisela Vallejos through his cousin, Rosalba; in 1984 they married in a simple and intimate wedding. They married with their son, Adán Sánchez, on the way and had a second child, Cynthia Sanchez. They were married until Chalino Sanchez's death in 1992.^{[citation needed]}

In 1984, Armando was shot and killed in a hotel in Tijuana, which inspired Chalino to compose his first corrido or ballad.[3] Around this time, Chalino was arrested. He began to compose songs for his fellow inmates and anyone that had a story worth telling.[4] Chalino began to earn money through his compositions and would be gifted with guns and 'presents' by his customers. Among his many customers are Lucio Villareal, El Pelavacas,[5] and Jorge "El Coquio" Castro. A small group known as "Los Cuatro de la Frontera" recommended Chalino go to a recording studio in Olympic Boulevard in Los Angeles. The studio was called San Angel Records and was owned by Angel Mariscal. Originally another artist was meant to sing Chalino's songs, but he canceled, so Chalino sang his own songs.^{[citation needed]}

In 1989, Chalino recorded his first cassette of 15 songs. While selling his cassettes out of his car trunk, Chalino stocked tapes at local swapmeets, bakeries, and various other businesses across South Central Los Angeles. Chalino connected with another Mexican immigrant, Pedro Rivera, who had set up a small recording studio in Long Beach, California. Called Cintas Acuario, this studio allowed aspiring musicians to record for cheap.^{[citation needed]}

Chalino and Rivera pioneered the "prohibited corridos" (corrido prohibido), songs that mythologized drug smugglers, murderers, or "valientes". The Cintas Acuario roster (which later included Pedro’s children, Lupillo, Juan, and the late Jenni Rivera) was not initially aired on radio, but they became the foundation of the Latino genre in Los Angeles.^{[citation needed]}

Promoters across the Southland quickly sought to book Chalino at their clubs. Chalino sang his songs in his cadence and Sinaoloan slang, something no big singer had ever tried to do.[6]

1992 Coachella Incident

Los Arcos Nightclub Shooting
Location	Plaza Los Arcos Nightclub 52447 Harrison St Coachella, CA 92236, U.S.
Coordinates	33°40′04″N 116°10′56.6″W
Date	January 25, 1992; 30 years ago (1992-01-25) c. 11:40 PM – c. 12:40 AM (PST)
Target	Chalino Sanchez, 31
Attack type	Mass shooting
Weapons	C. Sanchez, M1911 (10mm) E. Gallegos, Pistol (.25ACP)
Deaths	1 (Claudio Rene Carranza, 20)
Injured	10 (10, injured with bullet crossfire)
Perpetrator	Eduardo Gallegos, 32
Motive	Inconclusive

On 25 January 1992, Chalino was performing at the Plaza Los Arcos restaurant and nightclub in the desert city of Coachella, 120 miles east of Los Angeles. Reportedly Chalino was set to perform at 10 pm on the main stage. At around 7 pm, the event center was at maximum capacity as four hundred people were in attendance.^{[citation needed]}

During his performance, Chalino began taking song requests from the audience. Shortly before midnight, Eduardo Gallegos, 32, a local unemployed mechanic from Thermal, California, under the influence of heroin and alcohol, requested "El Gallo de Sinaloa" which afterwards Gallegos jumped up on stage and pulled out a .25 caliber pistol at Chalino. In retaliation, Chalino pulled his 10 mm pistol from his waistband and began a gun battle.^{[citation needed]}

Gallegos' first four shots hit Chalino twice in the chest near his armpit striking his lung, and one bullet hit accordionist Ignacio "Nacho" Hernandez in the thigh. Chalino's shots missed Gallegos and accidentally struck 20-year-old Claudio Rene Carranza in the right leg hitting the main artery. He was later pronounced dead at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital. Sanchez and Gallegos opened fire at each other while ensuing in a brief chase into the crowd below. Nine to fifteen shots were fired and around seven more people were reportedly hit in the exchange as well. Gallegos was wrestled to the floor by a bystander until Gallegos was eventually shot in the face with his own pistol. Gallegos and Sanchez were both listed as critical and both transported to Desert Regional Hospital, in Palm Springs.[7][8][9]

Chalino Sanchez, was in the Hospital for 11 days and was released home without any charges due to a self-defense claim.^{[citation needed]}

Eduardo Gallegos, who survived his wounds, was convicted of the crime, and was sentenced to 15 years to life in jail.^{[citation needed]}

The shooting made ABC World News Tonight as well as both English- and Spanish-language newspapers. Chalino saw success with his sales and began getting airplay, although it was a single, old-fashioned, non-narco song called “Nieves de Enero”. For his next Los Angeles appearance at El Parral, doors had to close at 6 pm, 5–6 hours before he was due on stage.[10][11][12]

Murder

On 15 May 1992, four months after the Coachella incident and during a performance at the Salon Bugambilias in Culiacán, Chalino was handed a note from someone in the crowd. The note is believed to have been a death threat. A video recording of the song "Alma Enamorada" shows Chalino crumpling up the note before singing the song. After midnight, Chalino drove away from the club with two of his brothers, a cousin, and several young women. They were pulled over by a group of armed men in black Chevrolet Suburbans. They showed state police ID cards and told Chalino their commandant wanted to see him. Chalino agreed and got into one of their cars while the others followed behind.^{[citation needed]}

The following day, at six in the morning, two farmers found Chalino's body by an irrigation canal near Highway 15, near the neighborhood of Los Laureles, Culiacán. He was blindfolded and his wrists had rope marks. He had been shot in the back of the head twice.[13]

Legacy and family

Chalino's son Adán Sánchez followed his father's footsteps and was also a successful Regional Mexican singer; he passed away suddenly due to injuries sustained in a car accident at the age of 19.[14]

Since his death, his fame and recordings have grown in popularity. Chalino still amasses millions of streams 3 decades after his death and remains popular with young Hispanic listeners.^{[citation needed]}

Select discography

This section does not cite any sources. (November 2022)

• 1988 El Gallo de Sinaloa
• 1989 El Bandido Generoso
• 1989 A Todo Sinaloa
• 1989 Más Éxitos Con Chalino Sánchez
• 1989 17 Exitos
• 1990 13 Mejores Exitos
• 1990 Homenaje a Pollero
• 1991 Chalino Sanchez En Vivo Desde “El Parral”
• 1991 Dos Cruces Negras
• 1991 Nieves De Enero Con Los Amables Del Norte
• 1991 Chalino Sánchez Con Los Amables Del Norte
• 1991 Chalino Sánchez Con La Banda La Costeña De Ramón L. Alvarado
• 1991 Hermosisimo Lucero
• 1991 Alma Enamorada
• 1991 El Pavido Navido
• 1992 El Pela Vacas
• 1992 Adios a Chalino
• 1992 Chalino Sánchez Con Banda La Costeña “Corridos Y Canciones”
• 1992 Chalino Sanchez Con Vaquero's Musical
• 1992 Chalino Sanchez Con La Banda Santa Cruz
• 1993 Mis Mejores Canciones
• 1993 Chalino Sánchez Con Banda Brava
• 1993 Chalino Sánchez Con La Banda Santa Cruz - Corridos Villstas
• 1993 Acompañado Por Los Amables Del Norte – Chalino Sanchez Acompañado Por Los Amables Del Norte
• 1993 Que Me Entierren Cantando
• 1993 Chalino Sanchez Con Mariachi
• 1993 Chuyita Beltran
• 1993 Chalino Sánchez Acomp. Los Amables Del Norte – El Gallo de Sinaloa
• 1994 Desilusion
• 1995 Corridos Con Mariachi
• 1995 Recordando A Chalino
• 1996 15 Éxitos 15
• 2001 Canta Corridos Al Estilo Culiacan
• 2002 Colección De Oro, Vol.1
• 2002 Corridos De Los Felix Y Los Quintero
• 2003 Cantando Con Sus Amigos
• 2005 Corridas Con Banda
• 2006 Historia Musical
• 2007 20 Éxitos
• 2007 Duranguense Con Banda Brava

References

• Quinones, Sam. (2001). True Tales from Another Mexico: The Lynch Mob, the Popsicle King, Chalino and the Bronx University of New Mexico Press www.samquinones.com

На других языках

[es] Chalino Sánchez