When Coachella announced its lineup back in January, norteño fans were thrilled to see that legendary Mexican group Los Tucanes de Tijuana had been booked. Their performance marks the first time a norteño act has played the festival, and the historic moment holds special resonance for the iconic group, considering that Coachella was one of the first US cities the band ever played.
To honor the occasion, Coachella’s Mayor Steven Hernandez even presented los Tucanes de Tijuana with a key to the city, noting “For the first time in the history of the festival, we have a local norteño group that’s actually going to be playing at the festival.”
At a time when anti-Mexican sentiment abounds in the national discourse, there is something thrilling about seeing a norteño group take the stage at one of the nation’s largest festivals. And unsurprisingly, the mood was litty when they played their eternal bop “La Chona.” Twice.
Peep the clips below of “La Chona” going off, and let your soul be lifted.