Chalino Sanchez is one of the most notorious singers and songwriters of corrido music. His music has been tied to the Mexican drug culture. The type of music he created was often called narcocorridos. There was never any mention of drugs or gangs in his music, but the drug and gang culture resonated in his songs. Know about Chalino Sanchez and his wife in this article.
Early Life
Rosalino Sanchez Felix is the birth name of Chalino, who was born on August 30, 1960. His birthplace is Sinaloa, Mexico, which is a poor and isolated community. The young Chalino grew up in an impoverished family. Their neighborhood was also a rough one, and his sister was raped as a teen. Chalino was 15 years old at that time. Chapo Perez, a rich and vicious man, raped his sister. Two years later, Chalino shot and killed his sister’s rapist at a party they both attended. After the crime, Chalino fled to Tijuana, where he worked as a smuggler of immigrants to the United States.
In 1977, Chalino illegally migrated to the United States, where he resided in Oregon and later in Los Angeles. He lived temporarily in the home of his aunt in Inglewood, California. The young immigrant worked different jobs to earn a living. One of those jobs was selling illegal drugs. He also helped in the immigrant smuggling business of his brother Armando.
Marriage to Marisela Vallejos
The cousin of Chalino introduced him to Marisela Sanchez, who later became his wife. The couple married in 1984 in a small wedding witnessed by their friends and family. Marisela was already pregnant with their first son Adan Sanchez at the time of their marriage. Later on, they had another child named Cynthia Sanchez.
Music Career
The music career of Chalino started when he was in prison. He was sentenced to 8 months of jail time in the early 80s. While serving his sentence, he began to practice music and swapped stories with the other inmates from Sinoloa, Mexico. Their stories inspired them to create a corridor which is a type of song that originated in Sinaloa. A corrido tells about the adventures of revolutionary heroes and even notorious bandits.
The death of his brother Armando, who was shot in Tijuana, Mexico, inspired his first corrido. When he got out of jail, his corridos became popular. Lots of individuals approached him to have their stories turned into corridos. Later, he recorded his songs at San Angel Records. His first cassette tape was released in 1989, and it contained 15 tracks. The budding artist sold his cassettes from the trunk of his car.
Eventually, he hooked up with Pedro Rivera, who owns a recording studio located in Long Beach, California. They were considered the pioneers in the corridor prohibido or prohibited corridos which were mainly about murderers and drug smugglers. Chalino became popular at the clubs where he sang his songs in the Sinaloan slang.
The Death Of Chalino
Chalino was performing at Salon Bugambilias in Culiacan on May 15, 1992, when somebody passed a note to him. The message stated that he was going to die after his performance on stage. He was in the middle of his performance, but he went on with his show just like any professional performer. The show ended at midnight, and Chalino left the club with his two brothers, cousin, and some women. Armed mercenaries aboard several Chevrolet Suburbans blocked them along their route. The mercenaries pretended to be policemen, and they took Chalino with them.
The body of Chalino was found lifeless in the early hours of May 16, 1992, in an irrigation canal near Los Laureles, Culiacan. He had a blindfold on, and there were rope marks on his wrists. A single gunshot wound on the back of his head caused his immediate death.
The Death of Adan Sanchez
Adan Sanchez is the first-born son of Chalino and Marisela. He was only four years old at the death of his father. It left a massive trauma in their son, but it made him more determined to follow his father’s music career. The young child started singing at the age of nine. By the time he reached his teenage years, he already had a considerable fan base mainly composed of young adolescent girls. Unlike his father, Adan did not want to sing songs about drugs and smugglers. The talented son of Chalino chose another path in music. He preferred to sing romantic ballads, which made him very popular.
Sadly, his life was cut short while he was on a concert tour in Sinaloa, Mexico, his father’s hometown. The car flew into a ditch after busting a tire. Adan died on the spot due to severe head injuries. Over 10,000 fans paid their respects at his funeral mass in Los Angeles.
Where is Marisela Vallejos Felix Now?
Marisela Vallejos Felix has lived a quiet life after the death of her husband. Through the years, she has granted several interviews on television to talk about her husband’s legacy. She is currently living in the United States and has been granted American citizenship. The widow of Chalino is still benefitting from the royalties earned from the music of her deceased husband and son.