One of the explanations is that the murders should be seen in the  scope of the popular 'narco-corrido' music. This northern Mexican music style has evolved out of the Norteño folk corrido tradition, using a danceable, accordion-based polka as the rhythmic base. The ‘narco-corrido’ lyrics tend to speak approvingly of the criminal activities – in this case often praising the drug-trade, and most importantly praising specific popular figures behind it.

CBC News reports that the Mexican authorities believe that various powerful drug cartels operating in northern Mexico are deliberately targeting singers (and messengers) associated with rivaling drug cartels, and that the continuous killings seem to reflect a mutual practice of ‘killing the messenger’..

Prasing anthem for drug cartel
One of the more known cases is that of ‘The Golden Rooster’, the source of inspiration (both musically and name-wise) for the recently murdered David Pulido, hence his name ‘The little Rooster’.

‘The Golden Rooster’ was murdered in November 2006, after one of his songs titled ‘To My Enemies’ had became a sort of praising ‘anthem’ for the powerful Sinaloa drug cartel led by Joaquin 'El Chapo' Guzman. The competing Gulf Cartel (which he was ‘molesting’ in the song) eventually had its ‘mercenary arm’ Los Zetas deal with him – and silence him forever.

While the murders of 20 musicians may sound alarming, it is however important to take into consideration that in 2007 alone, a total of more than 2,500 persons are believed to have been killed in connections with the drug trade in the country.

The ‘Golden Rooster’ legacy
Jesús Rey David Alfaro Pulido, 26, also known as ‘El Gallito’ (The Little Rooster) was famed for his accordion-based music associated with northern Mexico music genres known as ‘banda’ or ‘grupero’. David Pulido allegedly never made a proper studio recording, but gained his fame locally when he started to recount some of deceased Mexican musician Valentin Elizalde's (The Golden Rooster) most famous songs.