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A.B. y la bandera

18:00 H | Topics: Mexico - Music - Politics

A.B. Quintanilla, leader of the Kumbia Kings (and brother of the late Selena Quintanilla) was hyped up about touring in Mexico and appearing on Mexican TV. So hyped, it seems, that he basically wrapped himself -- or his guitar -- in the Mexican flag. And that was a mistake:

According to sources in Mexico's Secretariat of Government, somebody in the bowels of an obscure agency called the Department of Civic Promotion saw the Kings on television and decided that the guitar violated Mexico's law on the protection of national symbols.

Not only that, someone in the Department of Civic Promotion concluded that the guitar violated two international treaties, including the Treaty of Paris on trademark protection, said a secretariat spokesman who asked not to be identified.

The violation could result in a diplomatic letter of complaint from Mexico to the U.S. State Department, or a fine levied against the band.

I may not be the status quo, but I thought most people with a good knowledge of Mexico knew that this was a no-no. There have been so many beefs about this in the past 20 years or so that it's kind of hard to ignore. Why do you think you never see people in Mexico walking around with Mexican flag t-shirts? Hypocritically, at Fiestas Patrias time, you can buy just about any article known to man emblazoned with the colors of the Mexican flag: from a huge sombrero (normally reading "Viva México Cabrones!") to sarapes to fuzzy scarves. These articles, while clearly alluding to the Mexican flag, do not contain images of the flag. Also hypocritical, the most common "novelty item" sold at Fiestas Patrias celebrations is, ironically, the flag itself: in miniature versions for your rear view mirror to giant ones to hang outside your house.

But no T-shirts and no guitars. And as obscure as it sounds, every Mexican I know would gasp if they saw this happening on TV. It's just a rule, and however absurd it may seem, is very much engrained in the Mexican psyche.

Poor A.B. He was just trying to represent. I think this mishap is a pretty good illustration of what gets lost in translation between Mexicans and Mexican Americans. Both feel real pride. So similar, yet so different.

For the really curious, check out the Mexican flag code.

Via / The Austin American Statesman and Latin Music News

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