Ernesto Barajas, the lead singer of the musical band Enigma Norteño, has died at the age of 38. According to The Associated Press, the musician was fatally shot in western Mexico on Tuesday, August 19.
The state prosecutor’s office told the outlet that the incident took place in a parking lot in Zapopan. Local authorities informed CBS News that two men on a motorcycle approached the singer and opened fire.
Ernesto’s management company, Talento Líder, also shared the news of the singer’s passing on its Instagram page. “Rest in peace,” the post began. “Your Talento Líder family will always be proud of you and remember you as the great artist and human being that you were.”
For those unfamiliar with his work, Ernesto founded the musical band Enigma Norteño in 2004 to promote the “narcocorrido” subgenre of music. Narcocorrido is a musical genre that often glorifies drug cartels. In a 2022 interview with Independent en Español, the singer said, “It can be dangerous to release a corrido without authorization.” He added, “since you could be revealing a lot of information about the character, and the authorities would be using those details as ‘clues’ to arrest them.”
