Fuerza Regida honored with keys to the City of San Bernardino

Fuerza Regida, a regional Mexican band, has been given the keys to the City of San Bernardino by the local leaders.

San Bernardino Mayor Helen Tran presented the group with the keys on Thursday during a celebration featuring over 1,500 students from the local school district.

The group was formed by Inland Empire native Jesús Ortiz Paz in 2015 and included Samuel Jáimez, Khrystian Ramos, and José "Pelón" García. In 2022, the group expanded when Moisés López joined.

The band announced a surprise of their own at the ceremony, saying they are helping to create a new San Bernardino youth-focused community center for learning, athletics, music and performing arts.  

"It's important because when we were younger, we needed something like that, you know. And I think making that possible for the community is going to be good for the future,"  Paz said. 

The group has built a loyal fanbase over the years and has earned accolades, including multiple Billboard Latin Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, and an American Music Award. The group gained its first Grammy nomination earlier this year for Best Regional Mexican Music Album.

The artists have been outspoken about their views on the current state of immigration in the U.S. and the importance of representation in the music industry.