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
Madrugal
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Va dejendo paso a el alba
Se va perdiendo la calma
Para cuando el sol asoma
Todo el esplendor decrece
la gente en las calles toma
Catedral desaparece entre smog
The opening lines of Café Tacvba's song "Madrugal" invoke the images of a city transitioning from night to dawn. The "city of palaces" loses its calm as the sun begins to rise, and the beauty of the city fades as smog and pigeon droppings take over. The song's lyrics use vivid imagery to describe the decay of a once-beautiful city, and the opening lines foreshadow the bleakness to come in the rest of the song.
As the song continues, it becomes clear that "Madrugal" is a commentary on urban decay and the toll it takes on the people who live in these cities. The lyrics describe the poverty and violence that plague the city and the sense of hopelessness that pervades the lives of its inhabitants. Despite the darkness of the subject matter, the music is upbeat and lively, almost mocking the despair described in the lyrics. This contrast between the music and lyrics creates a sense of ambiguity and complexity, forcing the listener to grapple with the contradictions and ironies inherent in modern urban life.
Line by Line Meaning
La ciudad de los palacios
The city of palaces
Va dejendo paso a el alba
Daybreak is overtaking
Se va perdiendo la calma
Calm is slipping away
Para cuando el sol asoma
By the time the sun comes out
Todo el esplendor decrece
All splendor fades
la gente en las calles toma
People take to the streets
Catedral desaparece entre smog
The cathedral disappears amid smog
Y caca de paloma
And pigeon poop
Contributed by Callie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matilda
on Desperte
What does it mean is he a recovering alcoholic? I want to know