Y la chona se mueve, al ritmo que los Fortniteros toquen. <\/p>\n
Starting Friday, \u201cFortnite Festival\u201d players across the globe can rock out to the story of la chona as Los Tucanes de Tijuana\u2019s mega hit \u201cLa Chona\u201d is the latest track to hit the \u201cFortnite\u201d universe. <\/p>\n
The 1995 song \u2014 which has long been a staple on party dance floors \u2014 has crossed over into international fame thanks to its prevalence on social media and the overall increased visibility of Latinos. People from within<\/a> and outside<\/a> of the culture have embraced the track\u2019s playful nature and undeniably catchy melody\u2014Metallica even got in on the fun with a 2024 live cover<\/a> of the single at a show in Mexico City. <\/p>\n Like \u201cGuitar Hero\u201d and \u201cRock Band,\u201d \u201cFortnite Festival\u201d \u2014 a spinoff of the popular survival\/ battle royale-style online game \u201cFortnite\u201d \u2014 is a rhythm game that requires players to hit notes in-time to properly perform songs as members of a virtual band. <\/p>\n Los Tucanes de Tijuana have long been a staple of the m\u00fasica Mexicana scene on both sides of the border. In 2019, the group became the first norte\u00f1o band to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival<\/a>, and have played massive gigs at Dodger Stadium, New York\u2019s Central Park and Mexico City\u2019s Z\u00f3calo Plaza. <\/p>\n The band made headlines in 2010 when it was banned playing in its hometown of Tijuana<\/a> as a result of a 2008 concert in which the group\u2019s lead singer, Mario Quintero Lara, sent his regards from the stage to the city\u2019s most notorious and wanted men, \u201cEl Teo and his compadre, El Muletas.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cEl Teo\u201d refers to Tijuana drug cartel leader Teodoro Garcia Simental, who was captured by authorities in 2012. \u201cEl Muletas\u201d \u2014 which Spanish for \u201ccrutches\u201d \u2014 was the nickname of Tijuana cartel leader Raydel Lopez Uriarte, who was captured in Mexico in 2010. The moniker stands for the trail of disabled people Lopez Uriarte left behind as part of his brutal attacks. <\/p>\n The shout-out enraged the city\u2019s then-police chief Julian Leyzaola. He said the band\u2019s polka-driven narcocorrido songs glorified drug lords and their exploits and were, therefore, inappropriate to play in a border city that had long suffered from drug-related violence. <\/p>\n \u201cLa Chona\u201d is only the most recent playable song available as part of \u201cFortnite Festival\u2019s\u201d 11th season, which unlike previous iterations, is made up of songs from several performers rather than having only one featured artist. Other artists featured in the latest season include Jennie from Blackpink, Doja Cat, Simple Plan, Elton John, Fall Out Boy, Tyler the Creator, Slipknot and Olivia Rodrigo. Previous seasons of the game revolved around the music of Billie Eilish, Karol G, Bruno Mars, the Weeknd and Lady Gaga.<\/p>\n The \u201cFortnite\u201d franchise first dabbled in the world of music in 2019 when DJ Marshmello performed a virtual concert on \u201cFortnite Battle Royale.\u201d It was estimated that over 10.7 million people tuned in for the concert. <\/p>\n With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fortnite metaverse became a refuge for artists looking to connect with audiences. Travis Scott performed for over 12.3 million players<\/a> in April 2020, and Ariana Grande played inside the game<\/a> in August 2021. Other artists who have rocked the \u201cFornite\u201d stage are Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Juice Wrld, Metallica and Ice Spice.<\/p>\n