"A cool car" is great, luxurious, a great purchase
The term chingón is used in Mexico to refer to someone who is very good or who stands out in a certain field , although it has different meanings depending on the context. The concept is used in colloquial or vulgar language .
"I'm awesome"
The notion is so broad that filmmaker Nic Santana investigated its different uses in “Soy chingón,” a documentary short he released in 2016. It is important to mention that chingón and other derived words can have a positive or totally opposite meaning.
The documentary lasts nine minutes and aims to study the origin of this word, which we now unequivocally associate with Mexican culture, as well as the various uses it receives in everyday speech. All of this is done with a touch of humor, so as not to overload a topic that is as tangible as tacos or nachos with technicalities.
One of the peculiarities of this word is that it can mean completely opposite things, depending on the context in which it is used . To delve into these and other characteristics, the director of Soy chingón interviewed Yehudit Mam , who runs a creative agency, Marcelo Báez , a writer and disc-jockey from New York who uses the term like his grandparents, and Rolando Pérez Fernández , a prominent musicologist. Santana decided to create this documentary when he became aware that his three-year-old daughter used the word frequently.
In context
“This singer is really cool,” for example , is a complimentary expression towards the artist in question. On the other hand, “That bastard thinks he’s really cool for hitting his wife” implies a derogatory or disparaging comment about an individual who believes he deserves praise for his actions, even though in reality they are absolutely reprehensible by society in general.
Let's say a young person really enjoys reading a novel . So, he or she might say, “This book is awesome.” In other regions, one might say, “This book is awesome,” “This book is cool,” or “This book is cool.”
Chingón is so closely associated with Mexican culture that the word appears in the names of numerous commercial establishments around the world, which in one way or another are related to the Aztec territory. El Chingón , for example, is a Tex-Mex restaurant in Bogotá ( Colombia ) that opened its doors in 2006. Chingón is also a restaurant in Barcelona ( Spain ), while Chingón! is a taco shop in Leland ( United States ).
The rock band
Chingon is a rock band formed in 2003. Note that the O is not accented. Its leader is film director Robert Rodriguez , who plays guitar. Other members include Rick del Castillo, Mark del Castillo, Danny Ortiz, Albert Besteiro, Mike Zeoli and Jason Murdy. Carmelo Torres, on the other hand, was one of its members but only for a short time.
The band "Chingon" collaborated with Quentin Tarantino on Kill Bill Volume 2
The origin of this band is the American state of Texas, more precisely its capital, Austin. Their style is clearly inspired by Mexican rock, ranchera, Texas rock and the mariachi genre . Robert Rodriguez's initial intention when he formed the band was to record songs for his film titled Once Upon a Time in Mexico . Despite this, they continued working for a long time and are still active (this article was written in 2021).
Other works of theirs can be found on the albums Mexico and Mariachis , Mariachi Trilogy and Mexican Spaghetti Western . They are also the performers of the song Malagueña Salerosa , used in the film Kill Bill Volume 2 , by Quentin Tarantino . In fact, a live performance of the song is included in the DVD version.