“La Chona” might actually be the world’s most perfect song. On top of instantly lifting our moods, the Los Tucanes De Tijuana bop lends itself to an infinite number of dance styles. And now, the song is also helping students in Mexico learn English. Tania Selene Félix, an English teacher from Sonora, has translated the song into English to help her students connect to the language.
“I always put on music in English so [my students] can get used to the language,” Félix told El País. “One of my students asked me to put on ‘La Chona,’ but I said no because it was in Spanish.” But rather than straight up rejecting his request, she got creative and translated the lyrics with the class.
And thanks to her decision, we now have a gem of a video, which quickly went viral because “La Chona” needs to be heard in every language.
Though she acknowledges that the song doesn’t follow grammar rules to a tee, she says it incorporates things they have learned in class, which we imagine will help the students retain the information better.
Here are the lyrics:
I’ll tell you the story of a famous city girl.
Everybody knows her and La Chona is her name.
Everybody knows her and La Chona is her name.
Her husband is crying, he doesn’t know what to do.
Daily, she is dancing and spending on her booze.
Daily, she is dancing and spending on her booze.
The band has started, they’re playing the first song.
La Chona is ready, ready looking for a boy.
La Chona is ready, ready looking for a boy.
People are watching and they’re all singing aloud.
Bravo, bravo. Chona, about dancing, you’re the one.
Bravo, bravo. Chona, about dancing, you’re the one.
And La Chona is moving, and the people are yelling.
No one is like La Chona, dancing la quebradita.
And La Chona is dancing, whatever they’re playing.
Music of any kind, never loses her jumping.
H/T We are Mitú