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
Contigo
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Llenando de ilusión y de pasión mi vida loca.
Las horas más felices de mi amor fueron contigo.
Por eso es que mi alma siempre extraña el dulce alivio.
Te puedo yo jurar ante un altar, mi amor es sincero.
A todo el mundo le puedes contar que si te quiero.
Tus labios me enseñaron a sentir lo que es ternura,
The lyrics of Café Tacvba's song Contigo are deeply romantic and expressive of the intensity of love shared between two people. The opening lines talk about how "your kisses recreated themselves here in my mouth, filling my crazy life with hope and passion". It is as if the singer has found a complete sense of fulfillment and completeness in the embrace of their lover. The singer continues on to say that the happiest moments of their life were spent with their lover, and that their soul always longs for the sweet relief of being with them.
The singer then makes a declaration of the sincerity of their love, saying "I can swear to you before an altar that my love is sincere." The singer encourages their lover to tell the whole world that they are loved. They express their gratitude for what their lover has taught them, saying "your lips have taught me what tenderness is, and I will never tire of praising such sweetness." The song is a beautiful expression of the depth of feeling that can exist between two people, and the power of love to bring peace, happiness, and fulfillment to life.
Line by Line Meaning
Tus besos se llegaron a recrear aquí en mi boca,
Your kisses were replicated here in my mouth, filling my crazy life with passion and hope.
Llenando de ilusión y de pasión mi vida loca.
Filling my crazy life with hope and passion.
Las horas más felices de mi amor fueron contigo.
The happiest moments of my love were with you.
Por eso es que mi alma siempre extraña el dulce alivio.
That's why my soul always longs for the sweet relief.
Te puedo yo jurar ante un altar, mi amor es sincero.
I can swear before an altar that my love is sincere.
A todo el mundo le puedes contar que si te quiero.
You can tell everyone that I love you.
Tus labios me enseñaron a sentir lo que es ternura,
Your lips have taught me what tenderness is.
Y no me cansaré de bendecir tanta dulzura.
And I will never tire of blessing so much sweetness.
Contributed by Camilla W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
charly Ramírez
Solo Café Tacvba podría haber hecho un cover tan perfecto.
olga ortega
Dedico esta versión para ti, que estas viviendo tu vida y yo espero que el viento te traiga de nuevo.
Rodrigo Medina Niembro
Esta versión es una joya. Larga vida a los Tacubos :)
Erika Ortiz
Escuche esta canción cuando me mude a un nuevo lugar a estudiar la prepa,conocí a un chico que desde el primer momento que hablamos la cancion tomó sentido, desafortunadamente tuve que irme al poco tiempo, vivi tan enamorada que lo espere 4 años para volver a reencontrarnos y unos meses después nos volvimos novios le dedique no sólo las canciones más bonitas de amor , si no mi vida,me dedique a darle todo hasta lo imposible con tal de que fuera feliz por que su sonrisa llenaba de vida mi corazón, desafortunadamente no fue correspondido y me lastimo de muchas formas, hasta que por mi salud y amor propio tuve que terminar la relación y ahora estoy aquí escuchando de nuevo esta canción recordando aquel momento que conocí mi primer amor que aunque no fue para siempre lo recordaré con mucho cariño y deseo que pueda encontrar a alguien que ame mucho y sea muy feliz.
goa7man
los hermanos mexicanos haciendo arte desde tiempos inmemoriales ^^ !!! ...
Maria del Rocio Leyva Gutierrez
Que bonita canción que buena onda que café Tacuba la haya sacado como un homenaje al gran tin-tan el mejor comediante de esa época.
Paul Alan Montes Islas
Esta canción siempre me hará pensar en ti, padre, en las largas noches con música de Tin Tan en las que trabajabas de más solo para poner el pan en la mesa, en tus hermosos gustos músicales, y en haberme dado el ejemplo de convertirme el hombre que soy hoy en día y en el qué querré ser, por ser una figura de inspiración y admiración, siempre que escuche estas canciones pensaré en ti, en tu esfuerzo, tu trabajo y tus gustos, y jamás dejaré de esforzarme para que todo eso siga viviendo en mi aunque tu ya no llegues a estar aquí...
Córdova Hernández
Amo esta canción, y me gusta como la canta Tin-Tan
Mayra Lizette Granados Meza
... Por eso es que mi alma siempre extraña el dulce alivio ...
Obvio no se compara nunca con la del Maestro Tin Tan y ese no es el punto, el punto es es que los cafetos hicieron como siempre (no esperaba menos) un gran trabajo con este tema, los arreglos musicales son, son muy buenos. Sin duda alguna honor a quien honor merece y Café Tacvba mis respetos. Y oigan es un tributo lo que quiere decir que no sera nunca igual interpretación, cada banda con su estilo.
El rey del barrio
quien los compara??? el lo hizo con amor para su papa