TOLUCA, Mexico, April 13, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - A Mexican artist was forced to flee a concert stage on Saturday after enraging fans by saying he had been banned by the government from singing popular songs glorifying drug traffickers.

"Narcocorridos" are a controversial sub-genre of music in Mexico, which celebrates the exploits of the country's infamous drug traffickers.

The songs have caught the attention of President Claudia Sheinbaum, who in recent days launched a music contest "for peace and against addictions," seeking to counter the popularity of narcocorridos among young people in Mexico and the United States.

Chaos erupted early Saturday in the city of Texcoco, 25 kilometers (15 miles) outside Mexico City, when Luis R. Conriquez told the crowd that he could not sing his popular songs praising leaders of the Sinaloa cartel.

Media reports and online videos show the singer explaining to the audience that the government had banned him from singing the songs.

"It's a law that must be respected... I also feel bad for not singing what you want to hear," Conriquez said in the videos.

Booing soon escalated into objects and beer being thrown at the singer and his band, who were forced to flee the stage.

Later, nearly 20 people stormed the stage, destroying musical instruments and sound equipment.

Conriquez's manager, Freddy Perez, said in a post on Instagram that the artist obeyed the government's order "not to sing corridos."

The situation "led to a violent attack on our artist, band and crew... People reacted very badly, destroying instruments and audio equipment," he added.

The state government confirmed the incident in a statement, saying there were no injuries.

It urged against "condoning violence, referring to figures linked to criminal acts or drug use" at public events.

Narcocorridos are banned at public events in states including Nayarit, Baja California, Chihuahua, and Quintana Roo.

The genre has flourished on digital platforms, its popularity boosted by the rags-to-riches stories in the songs.