REPORTE MÉXICO

By Martín Lazo Cuevas

In a world divided by borders, languages, and politics, music remains one of the most powerful bridges that brings us together. As a Mexican living in the United States, I am filled with hope to see that the Mexican government has launched a contest that transcends geography and connects youth on both sides of the border: Mexico Sings for Peace and Against Addiction.

This binational competition is not just an artistic showcase; it is a call for collective awareness, especially for those of us who form part of the Mexican diaspora in cities like Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles. From these urban centers, which hold a significant part of Mexico’s cultural heart abroad, young people will have the opportunity to raise their voices through mariachi, rap, rock, non-violent corridos, boleros, pop—and even in Indigenous languages or Spanglish. Because in our community, being Mexican is not a single form: it is a symphony of identities.

The regional auditions will be held in those three U.S. cities, as well as in Tijuana, Mexico City, and Oaxaca. This geographic distribution is no accident: it recognizes that our identity is not limited to national territory. Mexico also lives here—in our streets, our homes, and our daily struggles. And the fact that the grand finale will take place in Durango, on October 5, is a powerful symbol: a meeting point where the Mexico within and the Mexico abroad come face to face, united by music.

Registration is open from April 28 to May 30, 2025, via the official portal www.mexicocanta.gob.mx, and it is a direct invitation to our binational youth. This contest not only welcomes multiple genres—mariachi, norteño, banda, tropical, bolero, rap, hip hop, pop, rock, and modern-traditional fusions—but also promotes positive messages, steering clear of any glorification of narcotrafficking or violence. It’s an initiative that embraces prevention, life, and art with a purpose.

From the Consejo Mayor de Comunidades Mexicanas and our binational media outlet Voz de Aztlán: Roots and Renaissance, we wholeheartedly support these kinds of projects. Preventing drug use, rejecting narco-culture, and creating spaces where youth can express themselves freely and responsibly are essential pillars of our future. Music can be protest, catharsis, redemption. But it can also be healing.

As a migrant community, we know what it means to resist, to create, and to transform from the margins. We have proven that Mexican identity is not a fixed idea—it is a river in constant motion. Our young people have so much to say, so much to sing, and this contest offers them a platform with dignity, history, and future.

Because when Mexico sings from the soul, the entire world listens.

— Martín Lazo Cuevas
Editor-in-chief of Voz de Aztlán: Roots and Renaissance
Consejo Mayor de Comunidades Mexicanas