Café Tacvba (often spelled Café Tacuba*) is a band from the Lomas de Sotel… Read Full Bio ↴Café Tacvba (often spelled Café Tacuba*) is a band from the Lomas de Sotelo neighborhood in Mexico City, Mexico.

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

24 horas
Café Tacvba Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tantas horas sin dormir
creo que voy a morir
24 horas al día quiero vivir

Tantas cosas quiero hacer
que no alcanzo a recorrer
todo lo que en mi cabeza llego a tener

Cuando llego a tu lado me siento yo a descansar
mas mi amor perdóname pues empiezo a pensar

En todo lo que hay que hacer
ya se me fue el día otra vez
salgo de tu casa y empiezo a correr

Mas cuando ya estoy haciendo las cosas que quiero hacer
me detengo un momento y me pongo a pensar

En que tu estas junto a mi
que no se va a repetir
que la vida se me va
con los besos que yo
no te he dado aun

Tantas horas sin dormir
24 horas al día quiero vivir

24 horas al día quiero vivir
24 horas al día quiero vivir

Overall Meaning

The song "24 horas" by Mexican rock band Café Tacvba is about the desire to live life to the fullest and the struggle to do so within the constraints of time. The lyrics describe how the singer wants to do so many things but can never find enough time to do them all. They express the feeling of being overwhelmed by the endless possibilities and opportunities that life has to offer. The repetition of the phrase "24 horas al día quiero vivir" (I want to live 24 hours a day) emphasizes the sense of urgency and eagerness to experience everything that life has to offer.

The singer of the song also seeks refuge in the company of their loved one, where they can take a break from the constant rush and pressures of life. However, when they are with their significant other, they cannot help but think about all the things they still need to do. The lyrics suggest that even when we find moments of peace and rest, our minds are constantly racing, thinking about everything we need to do, and everything we want to experience.

Overall, "24 horas" is a song about the human desire to live fully and the challenge of doing so. It captures the feeling of never having enough time and the need to prioritize and make choices in the face of endless possibilities.

Line by Line Meaning

Tantas horas sin dormir
I've been awake for so many hours that it feels like I might die

Creo que voy a morir
I think I might die from exhaustion

24 horas al día quiero vivir
I want to live every moment of every day

Tantas cosas quiero hacer
There are so many things I want to do

Que no alcanzo a recorrer
But there's not enough time to do them all

Todo lo que en mi cabeza llego a tener
All the ideas I came up with in my mind

Cuando llego a tu lado me siento yo a descansar
When I'm with you, I feel like I can finally rest

Mas mi amor perdóname pues empiezo a pensar
But forgive me, my love, because my mind starts to wander

En todo lo que hay que hacer
I start thinking about all the things I need to do

Ya se me fue el día otra vez
And before I know it, the day is over

Salgo de tu casa y empiezo a correr
I leave your house and start running