Café Tacvba (often spelled Café Tacuba*) is a band from the Lomas de Sotel… Read Full Bio ↴Café Tacvba (often spelled Café Tacuba*) is a band from the Lomas de Sotelo neighborhood in Mexico City, Mexico.

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

Pez
Café Tacvba Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Este no es un dia muy normal,
lo mejor seria no pensar.
De este lado algo puede occurrir
y no sé si voy a resistir.
Siento que me han escogido
pues unos ojos me miran sólo a mi
Esto alguien ya me lo contó
que sientes asfixia al salir,

pero esto nunca lo esperé,
a esta presión quién puede vivir.
Otra vez en mi elemento pero en espacio pequeño,
no hay arriba, no hay abajo, todo es movimiento.
Y ahora creo saber que algún ser me lleva
ya a un gran lugar.
Creo que estoy a punto de salir
pues la asfixia vuelve a occurir,
mas mi cuerpo cae sobre algo gris
y el agua comienza a escurrir.
¿Qué nadie se ha dado cuenta?
o será mi nuevo hogar,

¿Qué nadie se ha dado cuenta?
o será este mi final.

Overall Meaning

The song "Pez" by Café Tacvba is all about feeling trapped and suffocated, both literally and metaphorically. The singer begins by acknowledging that this is not a normal day, and wishes that they didn't have to think about it. From there, they describe feeling like they've been chosen or watched, and feeling as though they might not be able to resist whatever is happening to them. They reference someone warning them that they would feel suffocated, but even still, they aren't prepared for the pressure they're experiencing.

The second half of the song finds the singer in an even more desperate situation - they feel like they're about to escape, but instead they fall onto something grey and water starts to seep in. They wonder if anyone has noticed, if this is a new home or if this could be the end for them. Throughout the song, the lyrics depict the feelings of desperation and uncertainty associated with feeling trapped or suffocated, both physically and emotionally.

Overall, "Pez" is a haunting track that captures the essence of feeling trapped and suffocated. The lyrics are open to interpretation, allowing the listener to find meaning in their own experiences.

Line by Line Meaning

Este no es un dia muy normal,
Today is not a usual day,

lo mejor seria no pensar.
It's best not to think too much.

De este lado algo puede occurrir
Something can happen on this side.

y no sé si voy a resistir.
I don't know if I can handle it.

Siento que me han escogido
I feel like I've been chosen.

pues unos ojos me miran sólo a mi
Because some eyes only look at me.

Esto alguien ya me lo contó
Someone already told me this.

que sientes asfixia al salir,
That you feel suffocated when you leave,

pero esto nunca lo esperé,
But I never expected this.

a esta presión quién puede vivir.
Who can live under this pressure?

Otra vez en mi elemento pero en espacio pequeño,
In my environment, but in a small space,