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 Zonaja
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
los amantes prohibidos se aman sin velo
es muy tarde, ya si yo se que es muy tarde
y una decadencia se respira en el aire
El alcohol que da otro aspecto a las cosas
aun la calle parece muy transitada
una zona en que todo esta vivo
vivo como el fantasma de un amigo
algo divertido, pero es un gran miedo a la soledad
No se apagan nunca aqui, las grandes luces
amanece y nunca nadie se da cuenta
parece que otro dia va a comenzar otra vez
pero a mi no me veran hasta el anochecer
Es una nostalgia, un morir muy joven
un olor a antro, del cual nunca puedo yo escapar.
The lyrics to Café Tacvba’s song La zonaja carry significant depth and meaning, reflecting on the darker side of life and the consequences of it. The opening line speaks of prostitutes leaving the scene of the crime, highlighting the dangers of illegal activities and the toll it can take on those involved. The second line speaks of forbidden lovers who are unable to express their love openly, displaying the pain and difficulties of societal norms and pressures. The sense of time slipping away is evident as lines three and four paint a picture of a decaying environment filled with a sense of impending doom. Alcohol serves as a numbing agent, making everything seem more bearable, but the atmosphere remains ominous.
The repetition of “es una nostalgia, una decadencia” is evocative of a yearning for the past, and the acceptance that things will never be the same. The irony of something being fun, yet terrifyingly lonely at the same time, is apparent in the line referencing “el gran miedo a la soledad.” The scene painted by the lyrics is haunting and surreal, with the vividness of the images it creates bringing the listener into the moment. The final lines carry a sense of resignation, as if the singer is trapped in this cycle with no way out. Overall, the song is a poignant reflection of the struggles of the human experience, bringing depth and nuance to the discussion of societal issues.
Line by Line Meaning
Prostitutas salen del lugar de los hechos
Prostitutes are leaving the scene of an event
los amantes prohibidos se aman sin velo
Forbidden lovers are expressing their love openly, without hiding
es muy tarde, ya si yo se que es muy tarde
It's very late, and I know it's very late
y una decadencia se respira en el aire
A sense of decay can be felt in the air
El alcohol que da otro aspecto a las cosas
Alcohol changes the way things look
aun la calle parece muy transitada
Even the street seems very busy
una zona en que todo esta vivo
An area where everything is alive
vivo como el fantasma de un amigo
Alive like the ghost of a friend
Es una nostalgia, una decadencia
It's a feeling of nostalgia and decay
algo divertido, pero es un gran miedo a la soledad
Something fun, but also a great fear of loneliness
No se apagan nunca aqui, las grandes luces
The big lights never go out here
amanece y nunca nadie se da cuenta
Dawn comes and no one realizes it
parece que otro dia va a comenzar otra vez
It seems like another day is about to start again
pero a mi no me veran hasta el anochecer
But you won't see me until dusk
Es una nostalgia, un morir muy joven
It's a feeling of nostalgia, of dying young
un olor a antro, del cual nunca puedo yo escapar
The smell of a dark place, from which I can never escape
Contributed by Wyatt S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matilda
on Desperte
What does it mean is he a recovering alcoholic? I want to know