In a black SUV with tinted windows, lawyer Mariel Colón approaches the gates of a secluded mansion, walking past a security guard alongside Emma Coronel, the wife of the infamous drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán.
Dressed in sharp suits and sunglasses, the duo strides into a dimly lit room filled with elegantly dressed men smoking cigars, all to the tune of roaring trumpets.
This vivid scene unfolds in “La Señora,” the latest music video from Colón, who spent several years as a defense lawyer for Guzmán during his trial in the United States. Today, as regional Mexican music surges in global popularity, the 31-year-old is leveraging her high-profile connections to launch her music career under the stage name “Mariel La Abogada” (Mariel, the Lawyer).
“La Señora” honors Guzmán’s wife, who, after being released from prison last year, has struggled to find employment. The music video set the stage for Coronel and Colón to model together last weekend during Milan Fashion Week, drawing significant attention in Italy and beyond.
“My work opens doors for me because of people’s curiosity,” Colón told The Associated Press. “I’ve always told people that Mariel is a singer who became a lawyer.”
Growing up as the Puerto Rican daughter of a music director, Colón was surrounded by Mexican ballads, captivated by their heartfelt passion. Despite her desire to become a singer, her family urged her to pursue a law degree.
Colón entered Guzmán’s defense team in 2018 after responding to a Craigslist ad seeking a part-time paralegal to assist a Spanish-speaking client preparing for trial. It was only later she realized the client was Guzmán, whom she took on full-time along with Coronel. Viewing it as a great professional opportunity, she was undeterred by the potential dangers.
Guzmán, once among the world’s most wanted men, led the Sinaloa Cartel in a violent struggle for control of the international drug trade, gaining legendary status for his dramatic prison escapes before his 2017 extradition to the U.S. Presently, his sons, known as “Los Chapitos,” are embroiled in a deadly power struggle with another cartel faction, leaving a trail of violence in their wake.
“People ask how I can do this job, saying I’m part of the mafia and questioning how I sleep at night,” Colón said. “I don’t care what they say. I sleep very well at night.”
Colón is one of the few people who maintain regular contact with Guzmán, visiting him three times a month in the maximum-security prison in Colorado where he serves a life sentence. She declined to discuss case details due to attorney-client privilege.
To build rapport, Colón sings to Guzmán and other clients, who have included Mexican drug traffickers and, briefly, Jeffrey Epstein before his 2019 death. Guzmán particularly enjoys tunes from bands like Los Alegres del Barranco and Tucanes de Tijuana and remains one of the first to hear her new music.
Her musical journey began just over a year ago with the release of her first video, “La Abogada,” where she appears in a pink suit, singing to law enforcement from a courtroom setting. Her music spans diverse genres, from percussion-heavy banda to narrative corridos.
“La Señora” showcases a table adorned with diamonds, Coronel riding a horse, and walking beside a pool. The song, inspired by Coronel’s life, carries themes of redemption and new beginnings, offering work to the 35-year-old as part of her probation conditions.
Coronel, a former beauty queen, completed her three-year prison sentence for drug trafficking and money laundering related to her husband’s empire last year but declined to be interviewed.
Colón’s rise as a singer comes during a booming period for Mexican music, which has seen a 400% global growth on Spotify over the past five years. In 2023, Mexican artist Peso Pluma surpassed Taylor Swift as the most streamed artist on YouTube.
However, this musical surge also sparks debate on whether it captures the harsh realities facing many Mexicans or glorifies the narco-violence plaguing the nation. Corridos have long idealized traffickers as rebellious figures, a sentiment echoed by cultural researcher Rafael Saldívar.
Despite the controversies, Colón defends narcocorridos, comparing them to Netflix’s “Narcos” series, which draws audiences not necessarily celebrating criminal acts but intrigued by the lives depicted.
While Colón plans to release her first album in December, Coronel has used “La Señora” to launch her career as a model and social media influencer. Designer April Black Diamond invited Coronel and Colón to model during a side event at Milan Fashion Week, attracting significant “shock” for the choice.
“People evolve,” Black Diamond stated. “My platform isn’t about judgment but showcasing different dimensions of women, their strength, and resilience.” Shortly afterward, photos of Coronel in one of the designer’s dresses appeared on a Times Square billboard in New York.
As their video viewership climbs, nearing 750,000 views on YouTube, the world watches closely what this unconventional partnership might do next.
