Meet the Mexican soldier trying to revamp a musical genre accused of glorifying cartels

MEXICO CITY (AP) — At a Mexican military base, Captain Eduardo Barrón picks up not a rifle but a microphone. Swaying boot-to-boot, he belts out a song as the sounds of trumpets and accordions roar from a band of a dozen camouflage-clad soldiers.The rhythmic style — known as a corrido — is recognizable to just about every soul in the Latin American nation of 130 million. But Barrón’s lyrics diverge sharply from those blaring on speakers across Mexico.“I still remember the day I joined the military,” he crooned. “This is a dream my soul longed for, and if I were to live another life, I’d become a soldier again.”Barrón, who performs under the name “Eddy Barrón,” began releasing music videos and songs on Spotify last year in coordination with the Mexican military. His lyrics extol the army’s virtues, celebrate proud parents and honor the fallen.They stand in stark contrast to the controversial narco corridos, a subgenre that has sparked controversy as famed artists pay homage to cartel bos...