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
Puntos Cardinales
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cuatro puntos cardinales, con los que navega
Por calles y ciudades, sin saber de nombres
Nunca está perdido, siempre está ubicado
Y donde está se encuentra
Amor y dulzura, fuerza y coraje
Cuatro puntos cardinales, con los que navega
Olvida el pasado, no piensa en futuro
Y eso es suficiente
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
Por calles y ciudades, sin saber de nombres
Nunca esta perdido, siempre esta ubicado
Y donde está se encuentra
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
No debe obediencia a ninguno
In "Puntos Cardinales," Café Tacuba expresses the journey of an individual who navigates through life with the four cardinal points: love, sweetness, strength, and courage. The lyrics suggest that this person wanders around streets and cities without knowing their names but always manages to remain located. Even when fear or uncertainty makes them feel lost, they forget about the past and the future and simply exist in the present. Moreover, they do not envy anyone or have any ambitions, and they do not owe obedience to anybody but themselves. This song conveys the idea that a person can find direction and purpose in life by relying on their own inner compass.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it emphasizes the importance of being true to oneself and finding one's own way in life. The person described in the song does not follow any preconceived path or model but rather relies on their own values and strengths to navigate through life's challenges. The song also suggests that it is possible to find a sense of belonging and security even in unfamiliar places if one has the courage to trust oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
Amor y dulzura, fuerza y coraje
Love and sweetness, strength and courage
Cuatro puntos cardinales, con los que navega
Four cardinal points, with which he navigates
Por calles y ciudades, sin saber de nombres
Through streets and cities, without knowing any names
Nunca está perdido, siempre está ubicado
He's never lost, always located
Y donde está se encuentra
And where he is, he finds himself
Y cuando se pierde, porque siente miedo
And when he gets lost, because he feels fear
Olvida el pasado, no piensa en futuro
He forgets the past, doesn't think about the future
Y eso es suficiente
And that's enough
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
He envies no one, never desires anything
No debe obediencia a ninguno
He owes obedience to no one
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
He envies no one, never desires anything
No debe obediencia a ninguno
He owes obedience to no one
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Emmanuel Del Real Diaz, Enrique Rangel Arroyo, Isaac Ruben Albarran Ortega, Jose Alfredo Rangel Arroyo
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@hardysoul6820
Amor y dulzura, fuerza y coraje
Cuatro puntos cardinales, con los que navega
Por calles y ciudades, sin saber de nombres
Nunca está perdido, siempre está ubicado
Y donde está se encuentra
Amor y dulzura, fuerza y coraje
Cuatro puntos cardinales, con los que navega
Y cuando se pierde, porque siente miedo
Olvida el pasado, no piensa en futuro
Y eso es suficiente
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
Por calles y ciudades, sin saber de nombres
Nunca esta perdido, siempre esta ubicado
Y donde está se encuentra
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
No envidia a nadie, nunca ambiciona nada
No debe obediencia a ninguno
No debe obediencia a ninguno
@gigigigi5129
Donde está esa generación de treintones que gozamos la secundaria con este tema? Que hermosos recuerdos
@luciamartinezguzman524
Aquí presente
@antoniohernandezcruz2491
Saludos chavorucos
@itsharryxd3837
Tengo 13 años pero desde los 4/5 me gusta cafe tacva y el skaa
@gigigigi5129
@its CrisXDP4144C excelente....
@manuelvazquez7676
También estamos presentes los cuarentones que tuvimos la fortuna de ver los inicios de Café Tacvba.
Saludos
@Xeitap
Vamos a suponer que la acaban de lanzar y a emocionarnos de la misma manera que lo hicimos por allá en el 2004
@LaxicaViruta
jajajjaajjajj <3
@jonmoxley4037
Jsjsj
@fervcorsica3358
Siii wee. 2004 jugando Playstation 2 y rentando dvd's todavia