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
La Venganza De Los Pelados
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y eso no se va negar
Como perros en la noche
Sin una luna a ladrar
Estamos 'bajo de los puentes
Y abajo de la sombra
Abajo de tus narices
Pero les digo, tengan cuidado
De la venganza que llegara
La venganza que llegara
La venganza de los pelados
Por eso besito y cooperando (que esto no va a doler)
No habrá sangre ni sufrimiento (no más él)
El único que se llevará nuestro viento
Es tu pequeño y mezquino imperio mental
Nos llaman los pelados
Y que el Diablo nos llamó
Pero nadie sabe quien
Quien era que nos mando
Ya esconden las memorias
Y la plata y el pan
Pero para ser seguro
Nunca, nunca podrán
Pero les digo, tengan cuidado
De la venganza que llegará
La venganza que llegará
La venganza de los pelados
Por ahí flojito y cooperando (canta)
No habrá sangre ni sufrimiento (petróleo, diamante, alquitrán)
El único que se llevará nuestro viento
Es tu pequeño y mezquino imperio mental
Pero les digo, tengan cuidado
Que la venganza ya empezó
La venganza es de los pelados
La venganza ya comenzó
Por ahí suavecito y cooperando (que esto no va a doler)
Tal vez esta es tu primera vez (en quién tú vas a caer)
El único que se llevará nuestro viento
Es tu pequeño y mezquino imperio mental
The opening lyrics to Café Tacvba's song "La Venganza De Los Pelados" speaks to the marginalized and oppressed individuals who are often overlooked and shunned in society. The song describes them as "los de abajo," which translates to "those below." These individuals are likened to "dogs in the night without a moon to bark at." This imagery captures the sense of abandonment and isolation that these individuals feel while living on the fringes of society.
The song goes on to detail the different places where these neglected individuals reside, such as under bridges, shadows, and carpets. Despite their predicament, they warn those in power to beware of their impending retribution. The chorus echoes this sentiment, declaring that the "venganza de los pelados," or the revenge of the disenfranchised, is coming.
The lyrics also touch on the fact that these individuals are known as "pelados," which means "bald" or "hairless." The song suggests that the Devil is the one who named them as such, but no one knows who sent them to their current state. Although society may try to hide away their memories, wealth, and food, they will never be completely safe from these individuals' wrath.
Line by Line Meaning
Nosotros somos los de abajo, why eso no se va negar
We are the ones at the bottom, and that cannot be denied
Como perros en la noche sin una luna a ladrar
Like dogs in the night without a moon to bark at
Estamos 'bajo de los puentes why abajo de la sombra
We are under the bridges and under the shadows
Abajo de tus narizes why abajo de la alfombra
Under your nose and under the carpet
Pero les digo, tengan cuidado de la venganza que llegara
But I tell you, be careful of the revenge that will come
La venganza que llegara, la venganza de los pelados
The revenge that will come, the revenge of the bald ones
Nos llaman los pelados, why que el Diablo nos llamo
They call us the bald ones, and the devil called us
Pero nadie sabe quien, quien era que nos mando
But no one knows who sent us
Ya esconden las memorias why la plata why el pan
They are already hiding the memories, the money and the bread
Pero para ser seguro nunca poderan
But to be safe, they will never be able to
Pero les digo, tengan cuidado de la venganza que llegara
But I tell you, be careful of the revenge that will come
La venganza que llegara, la venganza de los pelados
The revenge that will come, the revenge of the bald ones
Pero les digo, tengan cuidado que la venganza ya empezo
But I tell you, be careful because the revenge has already begun
La venganzan de los pelados, la venganza ya comenzo
The revenge of the bald ones, the revenge has already begun
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: David Kent Hidalgo, Emmanuel Del Real Diaz, Enrique Rangel Arroyo, Jose Alfredo Rangel Arroyo, Louis Frausto Perez, Luis Torres, Ruben Albarran Ortega
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
xtc1957
Great dirty Leslie sound! These guys are muy bueno, and guitarist-singer-songwriter David Hidalgo is a monster guitarist. This tune is over the top!
Luis Valens
Chingonsisima interpretacion, mezcla de sonidos y estilos.
Luis Mendoza
Woooooowww!! cómo hasta ahora la escucho? Rolon!
romeoone
CafeTacuva RIFAN!!!! todo lo que tocan, lo combierten en oro!!! @rubenalbarran @cafetacuba
blockbuster1982
romeoone sólo hay un Rey Midas, no seas fanboy güey cagan todo
AUDIO VEGA
no manches esta fucion de musica esta con ganas.
el tiempo se escucha dificil
Edgar Armando
Los rolling stone dijeron que ellos son de los MEJORES DEL ROCK LATINO AMERICANO.
Fredy Valenzuela
Perrona la rola buena mancuerna califas y mexico
Christopher González
Nunca me entere! Que genial!!!
fernando ruelas
Que canción para un Show tan, pero tan Gringo, no imagino la cara cuando dicen "La Venganza te llegará... lo único que se llevará es tu pequeño y mezquino Imprerio Mental" jajaja, antes no les cortaron el show