Carlos Mejía Godoy (born June 27, 1943) is a Nicaraguan musician, composer and singer. He was born in Somoto, Madriz. Son of Carlos Mejía Fajardo and María Elsa Godoy, his brother Luis Enrique Mejía Godoy, three years younger than he is, is also an acclaimed and much-loved musician. Carlos and Luis Enrique were pivotal in the New Song Movement in Central America beginning in the 1970s. They were both recently honored with Nicaragua's highest cultural distinction, the Order of Rubén Darío.
Carlos started his career as 'Corporito' on the radio station 'Radio Corporacion', where he would daily compose songs that would rain ridicule and scorn on all politicians and political parties. He would do it with that biting sense of humor that so few artists are able to master.
Many of his songs, performed with his band los de Palacagüina, became associated with the Sandinista movement as songs of the workers and revolutionaries. He even composed a Mass for the working class, the Misa Campesina Nicaragüense. Many of his songs during the late 1970s gave instructions on how to use, assemble, and disassemble the rifles people were capturing from dictator Somoza's National Guard during street battles.[1][2][3][4][5]
Some of his albums include: El Son Nuestro De Cada Día, La Nueva Milpa, Grandes Éxitos, and A Dos Puyas, No Hay Toro Valiente. His music has also been featured on several compilations of songs of Nicaragua and the Nicaraguan revolution: Songs of the Nicaraguan Revolution, Vol.1-2, and Nicaraguita: Music from Nicaragua.
He was the vice-presidential running mate of Edmundo Jarquín of the Sandinista Renovation Movement (MRS) in the November 2006 presidential election. They came in fourth place.
Mejía Godoy is also the father of the U.S. soldier and anti-war activist Camilo Mejía, who was imprisoned for not returning to duty after his request for conscientious objector status was denied.¹