Chalino Sánchez, born Rosalino Sánchez Félix on August 30, 1960, was a Mexican singer and songwriter who became a prominent figure in the regional Mexican music genre, specifically in the genre of narcocorridos—songs that depict the lives and struggles of drug traffickers. Chalino's life was difficult, and his songs frequently reflected the harsh realities of life in the Mexican countryside.
Unfortunately, Chalino Sánchez's life was cut short in a tragic manner. The circumstances surrounding his death remain mysterious and have given rise to various theories and speculations. Here is everything you want to know about Chalino Sánchez's death!
Who was Chalino Sanchez?
Rosalino “Chalino” Sanchez was a Mexican singer and songwriter most known for her narcocorridos, a kind of music that celebrated Mexico's drug and gang culture.
Chalino was born in 1960 and raised with numerous siblings in a remote town in Mexico's Sinaloa state. Chalino was obliged to become the man of the family after his father died when he was just six years old.
When he was 15 years old, a local “mafioso” raped his sister Juana, and Chalino later killed the man in retaliation. He escaped to California to avoid Mexican police and resided with his aunt in Los Angeles.
He undertook a variety of professions to support himself, including time as a “coyote” smuggling people across the US border. Chalino married Marisela Vallejos in 1984, and they had two children, Adan and Cynthia Sanchez.
Chalino was sentenced to eight months in prison for a variety of petty charges after his brother died in Tijuana later that year. Chalino trained his musical abilities and shared stories with fellow Sinaloans during his anguish and time in jail.
He did so through a Sinaloan song known as a corrido, which was traditionally used to evoke heroic events from the Mexican Revolution or infamous bandits.
Chalino began earning money by playing, and he was given pistols and “presents” from his fellow convicts who charged him with composing.
Before meeting Pedro Rivera, who had a modest recording studio, Chalino produced a cassette of 15 songs and began selling them from the trunk of his car across Los Angeles.
The pair cooperated and went on to become some of the first and most famous narcocorridos singers. Due to Chalino's cadence and Sinaoloan slang, they moved on to perform at Southland clubs as their fame expanded among the Latino Los Angeles community.
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His most famous performance was at Coachella in 1992, when a local went on stage and started firing a pistol at Chalino in front of 400 people. Chalino pulled a 10mm pistol from his waistband and began exchanging gunfire, resulting in both men requiring critical care surgery.
During the exchange, seven to ten individuals were reportedly hit before the original gunman was shot in the mouth with his pistol after being pulled to the ground by a bystander. Following the incident, his sales increased, and Chalino began to receive recognition, resulting in his music receiving airtime.
How Did Chalino Sanchez Die?
Four months after the pivotal Coachella shot, Chalino performed at the Salon Bugambilias in Culiacán. On May 16, 1992, he exited the club with his two brothers, a cousin, and several young women after a highly successful performance.
Armed men in Chevrolet Suburbans with phony state police identification documents stopped the group and kidnapped one of the brothers. The men encouraged the singer to join them in their vehicle after assuring Chalino that the commandant wanted to see him. The other cars followed.
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His body was discovered hours later beside an irrigation canal near the Los Laureles neighborhood of Culiacan. Chalino had been blinded and his arms bound with rope before being shot twice in the back of the skull.
Even though he died nearly three decades ago, Chalino has continued to amass millions of streams. His music and impact have grown in popularity among Hispanic and Latino populations of all ages.
