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
Pinche Juan
Café Tacvba Lyrics
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Pinche Juan
No te hagas el punk
El arete no te va y no me puedes engañar
Pinche Juan
Solo te he recordar
Pinche Juan, no te hagas el punk (el punk)
Pinche Juan, no te hagas el punk (el punk)
Pinche Juan, no te hagas el punk (el punk)
Pinche Juan, no te hagas el punk (el punk)
El punk
es un género musical que surgió en los años 70 en Inglaterra y se caracteriza por su crítica social y política, así como por su estética rebelde. En su canción "Pinche Juan", el grupo mexicano Café Tacvba hace referencia a un personaje que aparenta pertenecer a la subcultura punk, pero que en realidad no lo es. El narrador de la canción le advierte que no puede engañarlo y le recuerda que en el pasado él mismo criticaba lo establecido.
En esta canción, el grupo hace una crítica a la falsedad y la impostura en la subcultura punk, así como a la necesidad de ser auténtico y coherente con las ideas propias. A pesar de que la letra es una crítica, la melodía es alegre y tiene un ritmo pegajoso, lo que contrasta con el mensaje de la canción.
Line by Line Meaning
Pinche Juan
Derogatory term used to address Juan
No te hagas el punk
Don't pretend to be a punk
El arete no te va
The earring doesn't suit you
Y no me puedes engañar
And you can't fool me
Hace algunos años Te gustaba criticar
A few years ago you liked to criticize
El Punk es una expresión genuina Y no es lo que tú aparentas ser
Punk is a genuine expression and not what you pretend to be
No tienes identidad Y eso no te hace sentir bien
You don't have an identity and that doesn't make you feel good
No sabes lo que significa Y lo estás usando para impresionar
You don't know what it means and you are using it to impress
No tienes un corazón real Solo estás buscando atención
You don't have a real heart, you are just seeking attention
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jose Alfredo Rangel Arroyo, Enrique Rangel Arroyo, Emmanuel Del Real Diaz, Ruben Isaac Albarran Ortega
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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