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
Abandonado
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Abandonado de mí, a mi suerte voy
Yo hui los míos, a los que pertenezco
Si alguna vez, pertenecí
Si alguna vez estuve allí
El huérfano el mal querido el que responde mal
El que desilusioné, el desilusionado, el que funciona mal
Abandonado estoy de mi Dios, ese soy (abandonado)
Abandonado de mí, a mi suerte voy (abandonado)
El que se contradice y se maldice
Con la palabra se hizo visible
Sin decir nada digno, dice
The lyrics of Café Tacuba's song Abandonado express a sense of abandonment and estrangement from one's roots and identity. The first verse establishes that the singer feels abandoned not only by their gods but also by themselves, suggesting a deep sense of alienation and loneliness. They reflect on having fled from their community and their past, unsure if they ever truly belonged and questioning if they even existed there. The following verse is a reflection of the singer's self-image, describing themselves as an orphan, unloved, and poorly functioning. They confess to having disappointed others and feeling disillusioned, unable to grow anything in dry soil.
Line by Line Meaning
Abandonado estoy de mis dios, ese soy
I am abandoned by my gods, that is who I am
Abandonado de mi, a mi suerte voy
Abandoned by myself, I go my own way
Yo huí los míos, a los que pertenezco
I fled from my own, to whom I belong
Si alguna vez, pertenecí
If I ever belonged
Si alguna vez estuve allí
If I ever was there
El huérfano el mal querido el que responde mal
The orphan, the unloved, the one who responds badly
El que desilusione, el desilusionado, el que funciona mal
The one who disappoints, the disillusioned, the malfunctioning one
El que llora amargo, y donde llueve seca lo plantado
The one who cries bitterly, and where it rains, what is planted withers
El que se contradice y se maldice
The one who contradicts himself and curses himself
Con la palabra se hizo visible
With the word, he made himself visible
Sin decir nada digno, dice
Without saying anything worthy, he speaks
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Emmanuel Del Real Diaz, Enrique Rangel Arroyo, Isaac Ruben Albarran Ortega, Jose Alfredo Rangel Arroyo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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