Recently, Italian duo 3XVM became a viral sensation by singing their own take on corridos tumbados, and their tracks “Nike Sporche” and “La Miseria” wouldn’t sound out of place in any Regional Mexican playlist, even with the odd Italian word thrown in the mix. This underlines the global impact the genre is currently enjoying, but it also raises questions of authenticity and ownership. Can there be legitimate corridos if Mexicans aren’t involved?
Talking to brothers Hisoka and Bogos revealed a deep passion and respect for the music. They answered our questions in Spanish, sharing what they love most about corridos and what it takes for them to make this style of music. Turns out, their story mirrors that of many other musicians in Mexico and the U.S.
“The first thing that made me fall in love with corridos was the rhythm,” says Bogos about his experience listening to the genre for the first time. “Later on, I learned some Spanish and started to understand what the lyrics meant, and that sealed the deal for me.”
They first encountered the genre with one of Natanael Cano’s earliest hits, “El De La Codeina,” then it was “AMG” by Peso Pluma and two songs by Netón Vega, his Chino Pacas collab “Gula” and “M&M.” That made them want to explore more Mexican music, like norteño and the wider world of regional music.
3XVM are not the first Europeans to be involved in Mexican music. Some genres that contributed elements to corridos, rancheras, mariachi, and more include Germany’s waltz, Poland’s mazurka, and Czechia’s polka. To this day, music with striking similarity to various Regional Mexicano genres comes out of this part of Europe.
But even if there were similar sounds nearby, for 3XVM, it was the lyrics that resonated louder with them. They saw themselves reflected in these stories. “I think Mexicans have the same mentality as me,” says Hisoka. “Work hard; take care of your family; look for a better quality of life, the whole thing. It’s a similar feeling because we have Moroccan roots. We identify as Italians, but to many people, we’re not. I think it’s the same with how people from the U.S. look at Mexicans. Here, we’re used to police stopping us and asking for our papers because of the way we look. We also love that they have songs about happiness, joy, and desmadre. That’s where we are at.”
To gain their skills, they started practicing their singing every day. However, for the music, they collaborate with various producers, mostly from Mexico, like up-and-comer Emerson O. Morales. “To make corridos, you have to be a Mexican musician,” says Hisoka. “It’s another level how they play their instruments, like the requinto. Few can do that.”
“This music is so much more musical [than trap and reggaeton],” Hisoka continues. “It’s very easy to make a boom boom boom beat. But building a song with a requinto, tololoche, tuba, accordion, and everything else is a lot more challenging and, to me, much more rewarding.” “We love that you see people our age, Gen Z people, make music that’s tied to an older tradition but adapted to a new generation,” Bogos adds.
Although 3XVM is one of the first acts to gain recognition playing this style, Regional Mexicano is enjoying a surge in popularity in Europe. Spain is a major hub, with artists like Peso Pluma and Junior H playing big shows for enthusiastic fans. More surprisingly is that Los Guitarrazos—an event that has surprise lineups of some of the hottest artists in the genre, as well as newcomers—has already made events in Madrid, and there’s no sign of stopping. “To me, it’s just a matter of time before it really goes global,” says Hisoka. “It’s getting there, little by little. People will soon understand why it’s becoming so big. It’s because they talk about their real life, why they have to migrate, and why they have to work hard.”
While virality has been good to 3XVM, they say this is only the beginning. “Right now, it’s more like, ‘Wow, Italians are making corridos. But we don’t want to just make viral posts. We have an artistic direction,” says Hisoka. “We’re about writing a great song, then another one, then another one. Make a full-length album. We’re serious about it. We make music from the heart, and we want to do it with this sound. Cien por cien, cien por cien.”
Although corridos tumbados en italiano might seem like a quick way to gain an online audience, their interest in Mexican music runs deeper. For Hisoka and Bogos, they feel the same about what Nata, Junior, and La Doble P describe in their songs. 3XVM is an example of why Regional Mexicano is connecting with people from all walks of life and beyond their own traditions and language, and making it one of the most exciting genres right now. “We have the Mexican Dream,” says Hisoka.
“The American Dream is so boring. We don’t want McDonald’s; we want tacos. We want tinga de pollo.”