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
Verde
Café Tacvba Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
La muerte te puede encontrar en un bello lugar
Los peces no quieren llevar por sus caminos
Espadas de luz se clavan en tu cuerpo
Vida, tu que eres verde no me hagas tragar tu caliz
o es que quieres que encuentre la muerte
Ir alla contigo estar como aparte de ti
Manaties cocodrilos me tragan me procesan me hacen de ti.
De este lado algo puede occurrir y no se si voy a resistir
The lyrics of "Verde" by Café Tacvba reflect a sense of urgency and a warning to return to nature, to the "verde" (green). The idea that death can find you even in the most beautiful places is echoed in the line "La muerte te puede encontrar en un bello lugar" (Death can find you in a beautiful place). The next line, "Los peces no quieren llevar por sus caminos" (The fish do not want to take you on their paths), may refer to the idea that animals can sense danger or perhaps it's a metaphor for not straying from the natural path.
The imagery in the next line, "Espadas de luz se clavan en tu cuerpo" (Swords of light pierce your body), is both beautiful and harrowing, conveying the idea that nature can both heal and harm. The following lines, "Vida, tu que eres verde no me hagas tragar tu caliz" (Life, you who are green, don't make me swallow your chalice) and "o es que quieres que encuentre la muerte" (or do you want me to find death), suggest a struggle with embracing life and the unknown that comes with it.
The rest of the lyrics continue with this theme, expressing a desire to be both with and apart from nature, and acknowledging the unpredictability of life. The haunting melody and poetic lyrics make "Verde" a beautiful and thought-provoking song.
Line by Line Meaning
Verde aun es tiempo de regresar al verde
It's still time to go back to nature
La muerte te puede encontrar en un bello lugar
Death can find you even in a beautiful place
Los peces no quieren llevar por sus caminos
The fishes don't want to carry us in their path
Espadas de luz se clavan en tu cuerpo
Swords of light pierce through your body
Vida, tu que eres verde no me hagas tragar tu caliz
Life, you who are green, don't make me swallow your chalice
o es que quieres que encuentre la muerte
Or do you want me to find death?
Ir alla contigo estar como aparte de ti
Going there with you but feeling apart from you
Manaties cocodrilos me tragan me procesan me hacen de ti.
Manatees and crocodiles swallow me, process me, make me a part of you
este no es un dia muy normal lo mejor seria no pensar
This is not a very normal day, it's best not to think
De este lado algo puede occurrir y no se si voy a resistir
Something can happen on this side, and I don't know if I can resist
Contributed by Anthony D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Matilda
on Desperte
What does it mean is he a recovering alcoholic? I want to know