A great Latin Rock, Alternative Latin Rock, and Hip-Hop band from Mexico City, Mexico is Cafe Tacvba that has been on the scene since 1989 and is still rocking. They’ve been with several top labels like Warner Music and Universal Music and have gained in popularity steadily since the early 1990s. Their lineup consists of Rubén Isaac Albarrán Ortega who plays rhythm guitar and does most of the vocals, then Emmanuel Del Real Diaz that can be seen playing various keyboards, rhythm guitar, and also does vocals. Plus, Jselo Range Arroyo who plays lead guitar and sings vocals, and finally Erique Rangal Arroyo on bass guitar and vocals as well. There are various other members that play on special occasions, and special instruments too.
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The Band’s Roots
The band is named after an ancient cafe in downtown Mexico City of the same name that was opened originally over 100 years ago. It became quite popular in the 40s and 50s where a style called the Pachuco was popular. Pachucos were flashy dressed young men, typically Mexican American, that exhibited the playboy lifestyle. While much of it was for show, there were real players there as well. The band has embraced the influence of the Pachuco and based some of their songs and music on the lifestyle too.
The original Cafe Tacuba is still in business today in the same location as always. The district is now a historical area with many older businesses that cater to tourists and travelers that come there seeking historical perspective.
The band, Cafe Tacuba has since changed its spelling to Cafe Tacvba, using the “V” in place of the “U” in order to not have copyright problems with the original cafe. They claim to have been influenced by the American Rock bands The Smiths, The Cure, The Clash, and the Violent Femmes, all of which are considered punk alternative rock from the 1980s. Even though many of their tunes are English related, the songs and culture of Mexico is a heavy influence which gives them a unique sound, different from most other bands from there, and in Latin Rock in general. You can still hear the American Punk Rock and American Alternative Rock influences in most of their songs.
After Nearly 20 Years Together They Branched Out
In the years between 2007 and 2010, the band took a detour into more of a classic rock genre using influences from the Beach Boys, The Who, and other more rock Influenced bands. They were invited and played in the Lollapalooza event that happened in 2008 and were on the main stage. Plus, in the same year were nominated for 6 Latin Grammy Awards including Album of the Year, and Alternative Album of the year. Both of these were for the album Sino with the classic rock theme. They took the record for most Latin Grammys ever in one night.
The band also recorded a live album at the end of 2012 that included recordings of the band in Mexico, Chile, Argentina, and the United States. The album, called El Objecto Antes Llamado Disco, (The Object Formally Known As Record) was released in October 2012. This was also a return to their original producer, Argentine, Gustavo Santaolalla.
The Best Songs Of Cafe Tacuba
One of the most popular songs is a cover of Juan Luis Guerra’s “Ojala Que Llueva Cafe” roughly, Look It’s Raining Coffee. There is plenty of bluegrass fiddle music from their friend Alejandro Flores, sometimes referred to as the 6th Tacuba. It is one of their best songs and it stands the test of time, still being played on the radio throughout Latin America.
Another great song from the band is 2002 hit Dejate Caer which came from an EP with only four songs on it. It is another cover song and was written by a Chilean band called Los Tres. The Cafe Tacuba band uses this song to close most of their live performances since it has a rousing and long finish that can be extended until the crowd is satisfied. The song also lends itself to a line-dance that most of the crowd will partake in at the end of the concert.
If you’re in the mood for a different Latin Rock-alternative Latin Rock sound, Cafe Tacvba is a great choice. They have a variety of different sounds over the years but everything is musically solid with engaging vocals. There is very little of the mindless pop music that has been prevalent in many of the genres throughout the world, it’s good music, in Spanish.
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