Chalino Sánchez

Rosalino "Chalino" Sánchez Félix (30 August 1960 – c. 15 May 1992) was a Mexican singer-songwriter. Posthumously called "El Rey del Corrido", he is considered one of the most influential Mexican narcocorrido singers of the late 20th century. He also composed and sang romantic and radio-friendly songs.

Sánchez grew up in a poor and violent rural area of Sinaloa, the youngest of eight children. His father died when Sanchez was 6 years old. At age 15, Sanchez shot and killed a man who raped his sister. In 1984, his brother Armando was murdered in a hotel in Tijuana, inspiring him to compose his first corrido. While serving time in prison for petty crimes, he composed songs for inmates that had stories they wanted to preserve in sentimental ballads.

On January 25, 1992, Sánchez was shot while performing in Coachella, California, but survived. Sanchez fired back in self-defense and accidentally killed a bystander.

On May 16, 1992, Sanchez was shot and killed by unidentified assailants after a performance in Culiacán, Mexico, in which he was handed a note, possibly a death threat. Though his murder remains unsolved, it is suspected to be linked to a Mexican cartel or revenge.

Early life and career
Sánchez was born on "Las Flechas", a small ranch in El Guayabo, a small farming municipality in Sinaloa. His birth name was Rosalino, but he preferred his nickname "Chalino" since he believed that Rosalino sounded too feminine. He was the youngest of eight children. His parents were Santos Sanchez, who died when Chalino was 6 years old, and Senorina Felix. Sánchez grew up poor, with limited opportunities, and surrounded by violence.

At age 15, Sánchez shot and killed a man who raped his sister. He then moved to Tijuana, where he worked as a "coyote", smuggling immigrants into the United States.

In 1977, Sánchez fled to the United States as an undocumented immigrant to avoid Mexican authorities. He worked on farms from Oregon to California and later moved in with his aunt in Inglewood, California. He washed dishes, sold cars, and dealt small quantities of marijuana and cocaine. He also helped his older brother, Armando, run an immigrant-smuggling operation.

In 1984, Sánchez met Marisela Vallejos, from Mexicali, Baja California, through a cousin. They married while she was pregnant with their son, Adán Sánchez, and they later had a second child, Cynthia Sanchez Vallejos. They were married for 9 years until Sanchez's death.

In 1984, Armando was shot and killed in a hotel in Tijuana, which inspired Sánchez to compose his first corrido, Recordando A Armando Sánchez. Around this time, Sánchez was arrested and served a few months in La Mesa prison for petty crimes. He composed songs for his fellow inmates, many of whom were drug traffickers and were illiterate, turning their stories into songs. He was paid in cash, watches, and guns.

Sánchez was introduced to Ángel Parra, who arranged for Sánchez to record his first demos at his studio with a norteño group, Los Cuatro del Norte. Sanchez first began recording in the studio in 1986 or 1987 and would record 15 songs, each commissioned by a local "valiente", and make one copy for each client. By the third recording, his clients were ordering extra copies for their friends, and Parra suggested producing 300 cassettes, which sold easily and was followed by reorders. Sanchez sold the cassettes out of his car trunk or at flea markets and performed at quinceañeras and baptisms.

By 1989, Sánchez was known throughout Southern California and performed in several venues in the area such as the El Parral Nightclub in South Gate.

Sánchez connected with another Mexican immigrant, Pedro Rivera, who had set up Cintas Acuario, a small recording studio in Long Beach, California to which Sanchez signed a recording contract. Rivera, the father of Lupillo Rivera, Juan Rivera, and Jenni Rivera, was one of the first to release Sanchez's albums.

Coachella shooting (January 1992)
On 25 January 1992, Sánchez performed at the Plaza Los Arcos restaurant and nightclub in Coachella, California, with 400 people in attendance. Eduardo Gallegos, aged 32, a local unemployed mechanic from Thermal, California, under the influence of heroin and alcohol, requested the song "El Gallo de Sinaloa" to be played. Immediately afterwards, Gallegos jumped on stage and fired 4 shots at Sánchez. In retaliation, Sánchez fired his gun at Gallegos; it jammed and then Sánchez threw the gun at Gallegos.

Gallegos' four shots hit Sánchez twice in the chest near his armpit, striking his lung; one bullet hit the accordionist in the thigh. Sánchez's shots missed Gallegos and accidentally hit and killed 20-year-old Claudio Rene Carranza. In total, nine to fifteen shots were fired and approximately 10 people were hit. Gallegos was wrestled to the floor by a bystander and was shot in the mouth with his own pistol. Gallegos and Sánchez were both transported to Desert Regional Hospital, in Palm Springs, in critical condition.

Gallegos, who survived his wounds, was convicted of attempted murder and was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison; he was paroled in 2023.

The shooting gave Sánchez additional press and his sales and radio airplay increased particularly for his non-narco song "Nieves de Enero". At his next performance in Los Angeles, the club reached capacity 6 hours before Sánchez was due to perform.

Murder
After the January 1992 shooting and the increase in notoriety that followed, Sánchez began fearing for his life. He distributed his gun collection to his friends and sold the rights to his songs to Musart Records, receiving just enough money for his wife to buy a house but depriving his family of any future royalties.

On 15 May 1992, during a performance at the Salón Bugambilias in Culiacán, Sánchez was handed a note from someone in the crowd. The note is commonly believed to have been a death threat warning that he would be killed that night, but this has never been confirmed. A video shows Sánchez reading the note, showing signs of worry, then crumpling up the note and continuing to sing.

After midnight, Sánchez left the club with two of his brothers, a cousin, and several young women. Their vehicle was pulled over by a group of armed men in black Chevrolet Suburbans. They showed state police ID cards and told Chalino their commander wanted to see him. Sánchez agreed and got into one of their cars.

The following morning, two farmers found Sánchez's body by an irrigation canal near Mexican Federal Highway 15, near the neighborhood of Los Laureles, Culiacán. He was blindfolded and his wrists were red and had rope marks. He had been shot in the back of the head twice.

Sánchez was buried in the Panteón de Los Vasitos in Sinaloa, Mexico.

Legacy, artistry, and influence
Sánchez was not a trained singer; he referred to his style as "barking" and knew he was often out of tune. However, he was praised for the sincerity and specificity in his lyrics. His songs were often true crime stories. He was referred to as "part Billy the Kid, part Bill Monroe". His fans saw him not just as an entertainer, but "the real thing".

Sánchez sang his songs in the Sinaoloan cadence and slang, something no major singer had previously done.

After his death, Sánchez's popularity soared; his widow knew of 150 corridos dedicated to her husband. His vocal tracks were used to create new songs and several imitator acts followed.

Sanchez's music continues to be played on many Spanish language radio stations and is popular with young Hispanic listeners. He has also received praise from artists outside his target audience, such as rapper Snoop Dogg.

An 8-part podcast about Sánchez's life and the circumstances of his murder, Ídolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sánchez, was released in February 2022.

A biopic of his life, starring David Castañeda, is currently in production.

Family
Sánchez's son Adán Sánchez was also a successful regional Mexican American singer. In 2004, at age 19, while riding in his father's 1990 Lincoln Town Car, he died in a roll-over car crash after the tire blew.