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
Las Batallas
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que salirte de la escuela esta mañana?
Oye, Carlos, ¿por qué tuviste
Que decirle que la amabas, a Mariana?
En la escuela se corrió el rumor
Y en tu clase todo el mundo se enteró
Y en tu casa mamá te preguntó
O, peor aún, fue Mariana, sí
Fue ella quien te lo propuso
Papá dijo, "este niño no es normal
Será mejor llevarlo al hospital"
Por alto que esté el cielo en el mundo
Por hondo que es el mar profundo
No habrá una barrera en el mundo
Que mi amor profundo no rompa por ti
Oye, Carlos, ¿por qué tuviste
Que salirte de la escuela esta mañana?
Oye, Carlos, ¿por qué tuviste
Que decirle que la amabas, a Mariana?
The song Las Batallas by Café Tacuba is a story about a boy named Carlos who confesses his love for Mariana in school, causing a stir among his classmates and family. The first two stanzas of the song are addressed to Carlos, questioning why he had to leave school and confess his love to Mariana. The following stanzas narrate the reactions of different people in Carlos' life, ranging from rumors in school to his father suggesting he may need psychiatric help.
The chorus of the song is a declaration of deep love, stating that there is no barrier in the world that can keep the singer's love from reaching Mariana. The chorus is repeated twice, emphasizing the strength of this love.
Overall, the song portrays the struggles and consequences of expressing unconventional love in a conservative society. The different reactions to Carlos' confession show the judgment and isolation that can come from going against the norm, but the chorus suggests that love can overcome any obstacle.
Line by Line Meaning
Oye, Carlos, ¿por qué tuviste
Carlos, why did you have
Que salirte de la escuela esta mañana?
to leave school this morning?
Oye, Carlos, ¿por qué tuviste
Carlos, why did you have
Que decirle que la amabas, a Mariana?
to tell Mariana that you loved her?
En la escuela se corrió el rumor
The rumor spread in school
Y en tu clase todo el mundo se enteró
and everyone in your class found out
Y en tu casa mamá te preguntó
and your mom asked you
Si acaso fue tu hermano quién te indujo
if it was your brother who influenced you
O, peor aun, fue mariana sí
Or even worse, it was Mariana
Fue ella quien te lo propuso
who suggested it to you
Papá dijo: "este niño no es normal
Dad said: "this boy is not normal
Será mejor llevarlo al hospital"
We should take him to the hospital"
Por alto que esté el cielo en el mundo
No matter how high the sky is in the world
Por hondo que es el mar profundo
No matter how deep the sea is
No habrá una barrera en el mundo
There will be no barrier in the world
Que mi amor profundo no rompa por ti
That my deep love won't break for you
Oye, Carlos, ¿por qué tuviste
Carlos, why did you have
Que salirte de la escuela esta mañana?
to leave school this morning?
Oye, Carlos, ¿por qué tuviste
Carlos, why did you have
Que decirle que la amabas, a Mariana?
to tell Mariana that you loved her?
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jose Alfredo Rangel Arroyo, Emmanuel Del Real Diaz, Ruben Isaac Albarran Ortega, Enrique Rangel Arroyo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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