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 Puñal Y El Corazón
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ni hablar, mujer, no me quieres perdonar
Ese puñal lo traigo adentro de mi corazón
Y si no sale ya, empezará a desangrar y te dirá adiós
Y si tú, mujer, me vuelves a despreciar
Ya no podrás déjame de adorar
Pues ausente yo me necesitaras aún más
Y si yo te pido que regreses
Es porque he olvidado dónde estás
Y no me digas que no vuelves
Porque yo sé bien que aún me quieres
Porque cuando uno ama a alguien
Lo puede esperar un año o cien
Y no me digas que tú no vuelves
Porque igual que yo, estás que te mueres
Ni hablar, mujer, tú traes puñal
Ni hablar, mujer, no me quieres perdonar
Ese puñal lo traigo adentro de mi corazón
Y si no sale ya, empezará a desangrar y te dirá adiós
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y si te niegas a escucharme
Yo te pediría que recuerdes todo tiempo de noche y de día
Que pasábamos juntos en el café
Si has decidido olvidarme, escúchame, dame una noche más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Y ya no puedo más
Un poquito más
Ya no puedo más
In the song "El Puñal Y El Corazón" by Café Tacvba, the singer reflects on a painful relationship where the woman involved holds a knife, representing her emotional distance and readiness to hurt the singer. The singer reveals that he has the knife in his heart as well, indicating the mutual hurt and anger between the couple. The singer also pleads for reconciliation, expressing his longing and desperation for the woman to return to him. The repeated refrain of "ya no puedo más" (I can't take it anymore) emphasizes the emotional exhaustion and turmoil the singer feels in this broken relationship.
This song explores themes of pain, betrayal, and the complicated nature of relationships. The knife symbolizes the danger and potential harm present in any intimate relationship, and the singer's deep pain and longing for resolution are relatable to anyone who has experienced heartbreak. The song's fast-paced, upbeat tempo provides a stark contrast to the melancholy lyrics, heightening the emotional tension and conveying the intense feeling of heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Ni hablar mujer, tú traes puñal
Woman, I know you carry a knife against me
Ni hablar mujer, no me quieres perdonar
You don't wish to forgive me, woman
Ese puñal lo traigo adentro de mi corazón
I carry that knife inside my heart
Y si no sale ya, empezará a desangrar y te dirá adiós
If I don't let go, it will start to bleed and say goodbye to you
Y si tú, mujer, me vuelves a despreciar
If you, woman, reject me again
Ya no podrás déjame de adorar
You won't be able to stop loving me
Pues ausente yo me necesitaras aún más
Because in my absence, you'll need me even more
Y ni con un puñal me podrás sacar de tu corazón
You won't be able to get me out of your heart even with a knife
Y si yo te pido que regreses
If I ask you to come back
Es porque he olvidado dónde estás
It's because I've forgotten where you are
Y no me digas que no vuelves
Don't tell me you won't come back
Porque yo sé bien que aún me quieres
Because I know you still love me
Porque cuando uno ama a alguien
Because when someone loves someone
Lo puede esperar un año o cien
They can wait for them for one year or a hundred
Y no me digas que tú no vuelves
Don't tell me you won't come back
Porque igual que yo estás que te mueres
Because you're dying to do the same as me
Y ya no puedo más
And I can't take it anymore
Y si te niegas a escucharme
And if you refuse to listen to me
Yo te pediría que recuerdes todo tiempo de noche y de día
I would ask you to remember all the time we spent together, day and night
Que pasábamos juntos en el café
That we spent together in the café
Si has decidido olvidarme, escúchame, dame una noche más
If you've decided to forget me, listen to me, give me one more night
Un poquito más
A little more
Ya no puedo más
I can't take it anymore
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Enrique Rangel Arroyo, Emmanuel Del Real Diaz, Ruben Isaac Albarran Ortega, Jose Alfredo Rangel Arroyo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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