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
Cero y Uno
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Para poder llegar a tus oidos
Necesito cantar
Mover el aire que al sonido
Para poder llegar
Para poder llegar hasta tus ojos
Necesito viajar
Podrá no existir
Ser una invención
Podrá no existir
Ser una invención
Cero y uno
Cero
Me tendrás que tocar
Saborearme y olerme ya
Se necesita fe
Saber que alguien escucha ya
Yo tampoco se si existes en realidad
Para poder llegar
Para llegar a tu oidos
Para poder llegar
Para llegar hasta tus ojos
Para poder llegar
Para llegar hasta tu boca
Para poder llegar
Para llegar hasta tu olfato
Para poder llegar
Para llegar hasta tu tacto
La única forma es
Hacer el viaje hasta donde estas tu
The lyrics of Cafe Tacvba's song Cero y Uno speak of the challenges of communication and connection, particularly in the context of music. The singer acknowledges that in order to reach someone else's ears or eyes, they must first make the air move with sound or travel to wherever the other person is located. There is a sense of uncertainty and vulnerability inherent in this process, as the singer acknowledges that they may not even exist in reality and requires faith and belief that someone is listening to their message. The repeated refrain of "Cero y Uno" (Zero and One) suggests a binary code, and the possibility that the communication itself is a kind of invention or illusion.
Despite the obstacles, the singer asserts the importance of physical touch, taste, and smell as a way of fully experiencing another person. The final lines of the song prescribe a physical journey as the only way to truly connect with someone. Overall, the lyrics capture the complexity and fragility of communication and human connection, and suggest that music can be a powerful tool to bridge those gaps.
Line by Line Meaning
Para poder llegar
In order to reach you
Para poder llegar a tus oidos
To reach your ears
Necesito cantar
I need to sing
Mover el aire que al sonido
To move the air to create sound
Para poder llegar hasta tus ojos
To reach your eyes
Necesito viajar
I need to travel
O perder el alma en una foto
Or lose my soul in a picture
Podrá no existir
It may not exist
Ser una invención
Be an invention
Cero y uno
Zero and one
Cero
Zero
Me tendrás que tocar
You will have to touch me
Saborearme y olerme ya
Taste and smell me
Se necesita fe
Faith is needed
Saber que alguien escucha ya
Knowing that someone is already listening
Yo tampoco se si existes en realidad
I also don't know if you really exist
Para llegar a tu oidos
To reach your ears
Para llegar hasta tus ojos
To reach your eyes
Para llegar hasta tu boca
To reach your mouth
Para llegar hasta tu olfato
To reach your sense of smell
Para llegar hasta tu tacto
To reach your sense of touch
La única forma es
The only way is
Hacer el viaje hasta donde estas tu
To make the journey to where you are
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
@rengh26
Joselo de café tacvba respondió por un tiempo los mails de los fans, muchos fans dudaban de la autenticidad de la persona que los respondía, dudaban si realmente era el mismo Joselo. Canción en honor e inspirada en el más grande invento en telecomunicaciones: el internet.
@emanuelyagami
Hola soy cubano, y acá en Cuba se escucha mucho Café Tacvba, ojala y algún día vengan. Saludos compañeros mexicanos
@mheligio
Saludos!!!
@Gallagherick
Saludos amigo hasta Cuba.
@themexicanfeniXL
Que bueno que escuchan buena música , ya que se piensa que en Cuba o Caribe sólo escuchan pura Salsa , Bachata y Reggaeton jeje saludos a Cuba !!
@emanuelyagami
aah
@christianalamilla4225
themexicanfeniXL
En todas partes se escuchan! Soy del Caribe y no sólo ese tipo de música escuchamos. Vibraaas!
@Deiddara666
Le pondría MILMILLONES DE LIKES a está canción ... No puedo describir lo mucho que AMO A ESTA AGRUPACION! Larga vida a los Tacubooos!
@Zpendiuz
Por su constancia y experimentación, la banda mexicana más importante de los últimos tiempos.
@richardf9246
Café Tacuba es una banda que siente la música que toca. La expresión artística está a flor de piel.