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
Soy o Estoy
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
que la mente juega
es dificil de creer,
y esto que te digo
es otra de ellas:
La mente anda suelta,
no se deja de mover.
en el imperio de la cabeza,
no era yo, era la cabeza
quien dictaba esa razón.
No hay razón de obedecer
si ni siquiera estoy en el cuerpo
que responde al nombre
que otra mente inventó.
Otro día hablándome sin freno,
diciendo tonterías
que ocupan el espacio y el tiempo
del presente, como una tabla de surf me voy
a un lado y al otro,
por mas que intento no me mantengo en él.
Hoy me doy cuenta del tiempo
que he desperdiciado
pensando en lo que eres y lo que no,
en vez de solo hoy la experiencia
de tu ser que solo existe en mi mente,
el día de la muerte la percepcion del otro cesará,
es que en realidad,
¿soy o estoy?,
Es un juego muy tonto del que no podemos salir,
si sabemos que nos queremos,
pero no nos lo podemos decir, (x2)
Es que en realidad,
soy o estoy,
es que en realidad,
soy o estoy.
The lyrics of “Soy o Estoy” by Café Tacvba refer to the internal battle between the mind and the body. The singer questions whether they are truly in control of themselves or if their mind is manipulating their actions and thoughts. The first verse describes how the mind can be tricky and hard to believe, continually moving and never at rest. The singer used to believe in the power of their head, which was the one dictating their actions and thoughts. However, they have now come to realize that they are not merely a puppet of their mind but have control over their actions and should not obey the mind blindly, especially since they do not even own it.
The second verse discusses how the singer has wasted too much time dwelling on people, their qualities, and their limitations. It speaks to the idea of being present in the moment and understanding one's existence. It also touches on the theme that the perception of individuals is a representation of our own experiences, and by accepting that, we can understand our true nature. The song concludes by questioning if we really are who we think we are, or if we exist only in the perception of others. Ultimately, it brings up the idea that we fall into a game where we can't come out - we know what we feel, but we cannot express it.
Overall, the song provokes thought and discussion on the nature of our existence and the perception we have of ourselves and others.
Line by Line Meaning
El otro dia hablando de las tretas que la mente juega
The other day, discussing the tricks that the mind plays
es dificil de creer, y esto que te digo es otra de ellas:
It's hard to believe, and what I'm telling you is another one of them:
La mente anda suelta, no se deja de mover.
The mind wanders, it doesn't stop moving.
Antes yo creía en el imperio de la cabeza,
Before, I believed in the kingdom of the head,
no era yo, era la cabeza quien dictaba esa razón.
It wasn't me, it was the head that dictated that reason.
No hay razón de obedecer si ni siquiera estoy en el cuerpo que responde al nombre que otra mente inventó.
There is no reason to obey if I'm not even in the body that responds to the name that another mind invented.
Otro día hablándome sin freno,
Another day, speaking to me without restraint,
diciendo tonterías que ocupan el espacio y el tiempo del presente,
Saying nonsense that occupy the space and time of the present,
como una tabla de surf me voy a un lado y al otro,
Like a surfboard, I go from side to side,
por mas que intento no me mantengo en él.
No matter how hard I try, I can't stay on it.
Hoy me doy cuenta del tiempo que he desperdiciado
Today, I realize the time I've wasted
pensando en lo que eres y lo que no,
Thinking about what you are and what you're not,
en vez de solo hoy la experiencia de tu ser que solo existe en mi mente,
Instead of just experiencing your being that only exists in my mind today,
el día de la muerte la percepcion del otro cesará,
On the day of death, the perception of the other will cease,
es que en realidad, ¿soy o estoy?,
It's just that in reality, am I or am I not?,
Es un juego muy tonto del que no podemos salir,
It's a really silly game that we can't escape from,
si sabemos que nos queremos, pero no nos lo podemos decir,
If we know that we love each other, but we can't say it to each other,
Es que en realidad, soy o estoy,
It's just that in reality, am I or am I not,
es que en realidad, soy o estoy.
It's just that in reality, am I or am I not.
Contributed by Ava S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matilda
on Desperte
What does it mean is he a recovering alcoholic? I want to know