Experimentation, live and electric: How this KC super duo spun the unexpected in FIFA Fan Fest debut
June 12, 2026 | Taylor Wilmore
Sin Tope — the duo of Juan Carlos Chaurand of the Grammy-nominated Afro-Latin rock band Making Movies and Kansas City creative FK Menace — pose on stage before their set at FIFA Fan Festival's opening day; photo by Frank Pham
Amid Thursday’s FIFA Fan Festival opening festivities, Sin Tope’s on-stage set moved seamlessly from cumbia to hip-hop, tropical rhythms to Latin club classics — all without warning for the crowd of Team Mexico fans celebrating the day’s big win over South Africa.
The Kansas City-based duo — FK Menace and Juan Carlos Chaurand of the Grammy-nominated Afro-Latin rock band Making Movies — has quickly built a reputation for high-energy performances that feel equal parts dance party, cultural exchange and experimentation.
Thursday’s FIFA World Cup crowd was the pay off for Sin Tope, Menace told Startland News.
“It’s a big responsibility to hype these people up and get them excited for the game and for Fan Fest,” he said. “I’m speechless sometimes, and other times I’m like, ‘We’re doing this!’”
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One moment, Menace was spinning a hip-hop track. The next, Chaurand layered in live percussion, shifting the sound and energy in real time. For the duo, surprise is always part of the appeal.
“It’s a fun project that we have and get to be as creative as possible,” said Chaurand. “The name ‘Sin Tope,’ means no limits, so we kind of just get to do whatever we’re feeling at the time.”
That freedom has helped shape a sound blending cumbia, hip-hop and Latin rhythms into something distinctly Kansas City, while reflecting the duo’s broader musical influences and cultural roots.
Though Sin Tope officially formed only recently, the creative partnership has been years in the making.
Chaurand, who had spent 15 years touring and performing with Making Movies, crossed paths with Menace through Kansas City’s local music scene. Menace had moved to Kansas City from San Antonio to attend the Kansas City Art Institute in 2012 and had been DJing for roughly a decade by the time the two connected.
“The work that we’ve done individually has led us into these pockets of shows that we get to do,” said Menace, whose creative work goes beyond mere DJing and even music itself. (The artist also designed the wildly popular Team KC Mexico Jersey for MADE MOBB that he and and Chaurand wore on stage for Fan Fest; and many in the crowd sported the same piece.)
“When we come together, we get to go crazy,” Menace added.
Sin Tope — the duo of Juan Carlos Chaurand of the Grammy-nominated Afro-Latin rock band Making Movies and Kansas City creative FK Menace — stand outside MADE MOBB in Kansas City’s Crossroads Arts District; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News
The idea for Sin Tope started with a simple experiment: what would happen if live percussion collided with DJ culture?
After watching Menace perform, Chaurand approached him with an idea that quickly turned into a collaboration.
Juan Carlos Chaurand performs during a set at FIFA Fan Festival following Team Mexico’s opening match against South Africa; photo by Frank Pham
“I remember just seeing FK DJ, and thinking that I really like the style. I told him, ‘How about I just come up with my percussion? I’ll set up, just play whatever you want, just have some fun with it,’” said Chaurand.
The experiment clicked almost immediately.
“People didn’t know what was going on, but they were like, ‘OK, we’re having a good time,’” he added.
The duo’s first show — in the heart of Kansas City’s West Bottoms neighborhood at The Ship — sparked enough momentum to keep going. What started as occasional performances evolved into a residency and eventually “Rimaso,” a recurring event concept centered on eclectic rhythms, guest performers and immersive experiences.
They began curating nights designed to feel communal, energetic and a little unexpected.
“We would bring in different performers, DJs or singers and just kind of make it more of a monthly deal,” said Menace.
One of the duo’s biggest milestones came in September 2025, when they hosted Viva La Lucha at Madrid Theatre, blending music, lucha libre wrestling and local and international performers into a festival-style experience.
The event sold out, drawing nearly 800 attendees.
“It was electric,” said Menace. “We just had a good time. It was super fun.”
For both artists, Sin Tope pulls from a lifetime of musical influences. Menace, being from San Antonio, grew up immersed in cumbia, hip-hop and Latin music, while Chaurand, who was raised in a musical family, grew up performing traditional Mexican folklórico dance and absorbing hip-hop through his older brothers.
“I got a little bit of everything growing up,” said Chaurand. “It wasn’t until I started playing Latin percussion when I got more into the tropical Latin music that inspired me to kind of learn more about rhythms and where they come from.”
Those influences now collide in real time during Sin Tope performances, where improvisation sits at the center of the show.
“Sometimes I don’t know what he’s gonna play, so I just kind of have to be on my toes, which I like,” said Chaurand.
FK Menace performs during a set at FIFA Fan Festival following Team Mexico’s opening match against South Africa; photo by Frank Pham
For Menace, that unpredictability has become one of the duo’s strengths. “People want to hear hits, but it’s also my job to showcase things you’ve maybe never heard before,” he said.
Experimentation has helped Sin Tope build a following in Kansas City, particularly among audiences drawn to performances that blend cultures, sounds and communities into one room.
“When you see a good melting pot, it’s the sweetest part,” he said, describing the blend of Black and Brown audiences often drawn to the duo’s performances.
Upcoming local shows include the return of the Ritmazo Revival Sunday at X-Roads Rally, followed by another curated show July 2 at a warehouse venue on Broadway.
But Sin Tope’s performance Thursday at Fan Fest — marking Mexico’s opening match — might remain the duo’s biggest moment of the summer, they said.
The opportunity felt as significant as it did surreal for a duo still introducing itself to new audiences across the city, FK Menace said, still reveling in the chance to show international visitors a side of Kansas City they might not expect.
Sin Tope hopes World Cup visitors leave with a lasting impression of the city’s sound, energy and culture.
“I want people going, ‘Oh, OK, this is what they bring, this is what Kansas City is about,’” said Chaurand.
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