The band changed its name to Café Tacvba (changing the u for a v) in order to avoid legal issues with the coffee shop.
Their musical style covers a wide variety of genres, though it is most commonly labeled as Rock en Español. Their music has been heavily influenced by Mexico's indigenous population and folk music traditions, most notable the Jarocho style of the state of Veracruz, but also by punk and electronic music and other bands in the Mexico City scene. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of their music is Albarrán's nasal voice, which, combined with his impressive lung capacity (as demonstrated on "La Ingrata", an homage to norteño music), makes for a very distinctive sound. They sing entirely in Spanish but have a significant Anglophone following regardless.
They have an especially eclectic sound, and it's commonly said that none of their discs is of exactly the same genre. For example, "Maria" is a bolero style ballad, "La Ingrata" is a mix of rock and "norteño" , while "Eres", a hit included in "Cuatro Caminos" album, is mostly pop-rock.
They were founded in 1989, and since then have had the same musical lineup:
* Rubén Isaac Albarrán Ortega aka "Pinche Juan" ("Fuckin Juan"), "Cosme", "Anónimo" (Anonymous), "Nrü" (pronounced "dshyoo", [dʃju] in IPA), "Amparo Tonto Medardo In Lak'ech" (or "At Medardo ILK"), "G3", "Gallo Gasss", "Élfego Buendía", "Sizu Yantra" (which is his solo moniker as well), "Rita Cantalagua", "Ixi Xoo" and many others. (vocals, guitar)
* Emmanuel "Meme" del Real Díaz: (keyboards, acoustic guitar, piano, programming, vocals, melodion)
* José Alfredo "Joselo" Rangel Arroyo: (electric guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals)
* Enrique 'Quique' Rangel Arroyo: (bass guitar, electric upright bass, vocals)
Mexican folk music player Alejandro Flores is considered the 5th tacubo, as he has played the violin in almost every Café Tacuba concert since 1994. Since the Cuatro Caminos World Tour, Luis "El Children" Ledezma has played the drums in every concert but is not considered an official member of the band.
*Previously known as "Alicia Ya No Vive Aquí" (a tribute to Martin Scorsese's Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore), the band took its final name from a coffee shop (el Café de Tacuba) located in downtown Mexico City. The cafe, which opened in 1912 and had its heyday in the 1940s and 1950s, was representative of the Pachuco scene at the time, something the band would later acknowledge as an influence. The Café de Tacuba is still in operation as a coffee shop and restaurant on Tacuba Street, in Mexico City's Historic Center. The band changed its name to Café Tacvba (changing the u for a v) in order to avoid legal issues with the coffee shop.
1989
Mexico City, Mexico
Agua
Café Tacuba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que antes de sanar debo exponer
Agua para arrastrar la inmundicia
Que se ha acumulado sin querer
Agua para alimentar el árbol
Que un día su fruta nos dará
Agua no me faltes este año
Y con agua clara saciaré
La sed que a mi me persigue
Y con agua clara brindaré
Porque hoy estamos juntos otra vez
The lyrics of Café Tacuba's song "Agua" is a poetic reflection on the life-giving and sustaining properties of water. The song begins by acknowledging the dual nature of water as both a source of healing and exposure. Water is essential to washing away wounds, both physical and emotional, and allows for the process of healing to begin. However, the healing process also requires exposing the wounds, making them vulnerable to the outside world.
The lyrics also touch upon the role of water in cleansing and purifying our lives. Water is not only necessary for cleaning our physical bodies but also for washing away the impurities that have accumulated within us over time. This can refer to the negative emotions, experiences, and harmful habits that may have accumulated and need to be washed away to bring purity and newness in our lives.
Additionally, the lyrics speak to the importance of water in nurturing life. Water is fundamental to the growth and survival of plants and is ultimately responsible for the fruit they bear. The song acknowledges the interconnectedness and dependence we have with nature's cycles, including the cycle of water. It recognizes the gift that water provides in ensuring our survival, and asks for its continued presence in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Agua para limpiar las heridas
Water to clean wounds
Que antes de sanar debo exponer
That I must expose before they heal
Agua para arrastrar la inmundicia
Water to wash away filth
Que se ha acumulado sin querer
That has unintentionally accumulated
Agua para alimentar el árbol
Water to feed the tree
Que un día su fruta nos dará
That will one day give us its fruit
Agua no me faltes este año
Water, don't fail me this year
Dentro de tu ciclo quiero estar
I want to be within your cycle
Y con agua clara saciaré
And with clear water I will quench
La sed que a mi me persigue
The thirst that pursues me
Y con agua clara brindaré
And with clear water I will toast
Porque hoy estamos juntos otra vez
Because today we are together again
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: EMMANUEL DEL REAL DIAZ, ENRIQUE RANGEL ARROYO, ISAAC RUBEN ALBARRAN ORTEGA, JOSE ALFREDO RANGEL ARROYO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind