Ernesto Barajas, lead singer of 'Enigma Norteño,' shot dead in Mexico

 AP / ABC7

MEXICO CITY -- Regional Mexican music singer Ernesto Barajas was shot and killed on Tuesday in an area of western Mexico that has been engulfed by organized crime violence.

The murder of Barajas, lead singer of the group Enigma Norteño, comes less than three months after five members of another regional Mexican group were murdered in the northern part of the country.

Barajas, a native of Culiacán, in the state of Sinaloa, was attacked by two people riding a motorcycle in the municipality of Zapopan, a suburb of the capital of Jalisco state, according to the state prosecutor's office, which has already opened an investigation

The band Enigma Norteño, which has more than 4 million monthly listeners on Spotify, was founded in 2004 and gained notoriety for the "narcocorrido" genre, which they dedicated to members of the powerful Jalisco Nueva Generación and Sinaloa cartels.

Last May, authorities found the bodies of five members of the musical group "Fugitivo" in a field in the border city of Reynosa, Tamaulipas. The musicians often performed cumbias and corridos at popular festivals and dances in the region.

The murders come amid growing criticism of "narcocorridos," which has led some states to ban the genre. Just this week, the government of the state of Querétaro issued a regulation prohibiting the performance and playing of music in public spaces and private entertainment venues that glorifies violence and promotes a culture of crime.

To fight back against "narcocorridos," the administration of President Claudia Sheinbaum is promoting a Mexican song contest without violent content.

Note from Armadillo:

This represents the most significant murder of a Mexican artist in several years. Ernesto has been considered to have associations with Los Chapitos, though like most corrido artists, he recorded songs about various figures and groups. The killing comes just days after Chapitos-associated influencer Camilo Ochoa was murdered, but Ernesto's death represents a major escalation given his far greater fame and prominence.

An alleged audio has been circulating online purporting to be Ivan Archivaldo Guzman responding angrily to the murder, claiming that Ernesto was targeted for attending Ivan's 42nd birthday last week. However, no one has been able to verify the authenticity of this audio, and there is little to suggest it is genuine, though we know that anything is possible in this field.

This will likely prompt retaliation against other artists viewed as close to Mayito Flaco's organization.