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
El Fin De La Infancia
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tendrán que quemarnos vivos
Si nos quieren ver bailar
A ritmo de cinco siglos
Al cantar esta canción tengo algo que contarles
Que desde ahora quiero ser dueño de mis pasos de baile
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Como no lo van a respetar
Yo no me voy a matar
Por convicciones ajenas
Y si acaso alguien murió
Eso confirma la regla
De que todas estas tendencias
Nunca nos llevan a nada
De ahora en adelante
Mándalas para su casa
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Cómo no lo va a lograr
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Cómo no lo van a respetar
Seremos capaces de bailar por nuestra cuenta
Seremos capaces de bailar
Basta ya de interrogar
La gente dice que el baile
Solo es una diversión
Y artista extranjero
Se lleva la comisión
Hoy quitaré el miedo
A sentirme en la vanguardia
Sin tener que ir a New York
Para ver allá qué pasa
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Cómo no lo va a lograr
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Cómo no lo van a respetar
Para que tirar la piedra
No estoy libre de pecado
Con todos los mestizos
También me maleducaron
Porque ya estoy grandecito
Para decidir mi vida
Quinientos años frustrados
Creo que ya fue gran medida
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Cómo no lo va a lograr
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
Cómo no lo van a respetar
Seremos capaces de bailar por nuestra cuenta
Seremos capaces de bailar
Seremos capaces de pensar por nuestra cuenta
Seremos capaces de pensar
Basta ya de interrogar
Basta ya de interrogar
The song "El Fin de la Infancia" by Café Tacuba is a powerful and rebellious anthem about rejecting societal norms and finding freedom through dance. The lyrics depict a resistance against societal pressures and the need to conform to standards set by others. The opening lines, "Si nos quieren conquistar, tendrán que quemarnos vivos" (If they want to conquer us, they'll have to burn us alive) signify the determination and resilience of the singer and their unwillingness to surrender their individuality to outside forces.
The themes of self-discovery and nonconformity continue throughout the song, with lines like "Yo no me voy a matar por convicciones ajenas" (I'm not going to kill myself for other people's beliefs) and "Seremos capaces de bailar por nuestra cuenta" (We will be capable of dancing on our own). The use of dance as a metaphor for freedom and individualism is particularly effective, giving the song an upbeat and energetic tone while still conveying a deeper message about rejecting societal norms. The song concludes with the repeated line "Basta ya de interrogar" (Enough with the questioning), a final declaration of defiance against those who would seek to control us.
Overall, "El Fin de la Infancia" is a powerful and thought-provoking piece of music that encourages listeners to embrace their own individuality and reject societal pressures to conform. Through the use of metaphor, music, and powerful lyrics, Café Tacuba delivers a message of empowerment and self-discovery that is both inspiring and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
Si nos quieren conquistar
If they want to conquer us
Tendrán que quemarnos vivos
They will have to burn us alive
Si nos quieren ver bailar
If they want to see us dance
A ritmo de cinco siglos
To the rhythm of five centuries
Al cantar esta canción tengo algo que contarles
When I sing this song, I have something to tell you
Que desde ahora quiero ser dueño de mis pasos de baile
That from now on, I want to be the owner of my dance steps
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
And dancing caballito with the little coffee band
Como no lo va a lograr
How could he not achieve it
Y bailando caballito con la banda cafecitos
And dancing caballito with the little coffee band
Como no lo van a respetar
How could they not respect him
Yo no me voy a matar
I'm not going to kill myself
Por convicciones ajenas
For someone else's beliefs
Y si acaso alguien murió
And if someone dies
Eso confirma la regla
That confirms the rule
De que todas estas tendencias
That all these trends
Nunca nos llevan a nada
Never lead us anywhere
De ahora en adelante
From now on
Mándalas para su casa
Send them to their homes
Seremos capaces de bailar por nuestra cuenta
We will be able to dance on our own
Basta ya de interrogar
Enough with the questioning
La gente dice que el baile
People say that dance
Solo es una diversión
Is just for fun
Y artista extranjero
And foreign artists
Se lleva la comisión
Get the commission
Hoy quitaré el miedo
Today I will remove the fear
A sentirme en la vanguardia
To feel at the forefront
Sin tener que ir a New York
Without having to go to New York
Para ver allá qué pasa
To see what's happening there
Para que tirar la piedra
Why throw stones
No estoy libre de pecado
I am not free of sin
Con todos los mestizos
With all the mestizos
También me maleducaron
They also gave me bad education
Porque ya estoy grandecito
Because I am already grown up
Para decidir mi vida
To decide my life
Quinientos años frustrados
Five hundred frustrated years
Creo que ya fue gran medida
I think that was enough
Seremos capaces de pensar por nuestra cuenta
We will be able to think for ourselves
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jose Alfredo Rangel Arroyo, Enrique Rangel Arroyo, Emmanuel Del Real Diaz, Ruben Isaac Albarran Ortega
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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