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
Chilanga Banda
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que chafa chamba te chutas
No checa andar de tacuche
Y chale con la charola
Tan choncho como una chinche
Mas chueco que la fayuca
Con fusca y con cachiporra
Mejor yo me hecho una chela
Y chance enchufo una chava
Chambeando de chafirete
Me sobra chupe y pachanga
Si choco saco chipote
La chota no es muy molacha
Chiveando a los que machucan
Se va a morder su talacha
De noche caigo al congal
No manches dice la changa
Al chorro del teporocho
Enchifla pasa la pacha
Pachuco cholos y chundos
Chinchinflas y malafachas
Acá los chompiras rifan
Y bailan tibiri tabara
Mejor yo me echo una chela
Y chance enchufo una chava
Chambeando de chafirete
Me sobra chupe y pachanga
Mi ñero mata la bacha
Le encanta la cucaracha
Su choya vive de chochos
De chemo churro y garnachas
Pachuco cholos y chundos
Chichinflas y malafachas
Acá los chompiras rifan
Y bailan tibiri tabara
Tranzando de arriba abajo
Ahí va la Chilanga banda
Chin chin si me la recuerdan
Carcacha y se les retacha
The song "La chilanga banda" by Café Tacvba/Cafe Tacuba is sung in Mexican slang, narrating the life and experiences of the people living in the city of Mexico, who are known as "chilangos." The song portrays the everyday struggles, hopes, and dreams of the lower-class residents of the city. The opening lines of the song "Ya chole chango Chilango, Que chafa chamba te chutas, No checa andar de tacuche, Y chale con la charola" roughly translate to "Enough already, Chilango monkey, you do a bad job, you shouldn't dress too fancy, and stop showing off your badge." This verse highlights the corruption and nepotism that is prevalent in Mexican society and mocks the roles of police officers and politicians.
The second verse talks about the indulgences of partying and living in the moment, "Mejor yo me hecho una chela, Y chance enchufo una chava, Chambeando de chafirete, Me sobra chupe y pachanga," which translates to "I'd rather have a beer or two, and maybe hook up with a girl, working as a driver, with plenty of booze and partying." This verse shows the desire to celebrate life in the present moment despite societal struggles.
The chorus, "Pachuco cholos y chundos, Chichinflas y malafachas, Acá los chompiras rifan, Y bailan tibiri tabara," roughly translates to "Pachuco, thugs, and gangsters, swindlers and low lives, it's where the rebels thrive, and they dance tibiri tabara." This verse once again highlights the rough and raw lifestyle of the people living there, celebrating their existence and defiance.
Overall, the song gives voice to the ordinary people of Mexico and raises awareness of their struggles in society. The poetic lyrics combined with the rousing music make it a classic Mexican song that still resonates with listeners across generations.
Line by Line Meaning
Ya chole chango Chilango
Stop it, dude, you Mexico City native.
Que chafa chamba te chutas
You're doing a crappy job.
No checa andar de tacuche
It doesn't make sense to dress fancy.
Y chale con la charola
And stop pretending to be a cop.
Tan choncho como una chinche
As chubby as a bed bug.
Mas chueco que la fayuca
More crooked than a street vendor selling counterfeit goods.
Con fusca y con cachiporra
With a gun and a nightstick.
Te pasa andar de guarura
You think you're tough working as a bodyguard.
Mejor yo me hecho una chela
I'd rather grab a beer.
Y chance enchufo una chava
Maybe I'll pick up a girl.
Chambeando de chafirete
Working as a taxi driver.
Me sobra chupe y pachanga
I have plenty of booze and partying.
Si choco saco chipote
If I crash, I'll just get a bump on the head.
La chota no es muy molacha
The cops around here are not very tough.
Chiveando a los que machucan
I'll make fun of those who are struggling.
Se va en morder su talacha
They'll keep working hard despite the struggle.
De noche caigo al congal
At night, I'll go to the nightclub.
No manches dice la changa
Wow, says the girl.
Al choro de teporocho
To the beat of a homeless guy's music.
Enchifla pasa la pacha
The joint is being passed around and smoked.
Pachuco cholos y chundos
Pachuco-style gangsters and thugs.
Chichinflas y malafachas
Posers and bad guys.
Acá los chompiras rifan
Here, the petty thieves rule.
Y bailan tibiri tabara
And they dance to the rhythm of Tibiri Tabara.
Mi ñero mata la bacha
My friend loves to dance Cumbia.
Le encanta la cucaracha
He loves to dance 'La Cucaracha.'
Su choya vive de chochos
His girlfriend makes a living selling beans.
De chemo churro y garnachas
With drugs, junk food, and street food galore.
Tranzando de arriba abajo
Scheming from top to bottom.
Ahí va la Chilanga banda
That's how the Mexico City gang rolls.
Chin chin si me la recuerdan
Cheers if you remember this.
Carcacha y se les retacha
An old car that keeps on going.
Lyrics © MAXIMO AGUIRRE MUSIC PUBLISHING, INC.
Written by: Juan Jaime Camacho Lopez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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