CAFE TACUBA

 "Y se nubla la vista María, 
porque duele recordar 
que los besados negados un día, 
nunca mas regresarán"  

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"C" 

Main Decade: 90's 

Main Ages:

90's Rock En Ñ: La Era de Oro

2000 Rock En Ñ: La Dispersión

Key Members:

Rubén Albarrán, Singer 

Emmanuel del Real (Meme), Keyboards

Quique Rangel, Bass

Joselo Rangel, Guitar 

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Key Songs:

La Ingrata, Eres, Maria, Las Batallas, Las Persianas, Ojalá que Llueva Café, Ingrata, Chilanga Banda, El Baile y el Salón, Las Flores, Aunque No Sea Conmigo, No Controles, Muerte Chiquita, Esa Noche, Olor a Gas, Seguir Siendo, Cero y Uno, Volver a Comenzar, Pez, Como Te Extraño, Tírate, Eo, Trópico de Cáncer, Esta Vez, Encantamiento Inútil, Déjate Caer, Verde, Raratonga

 

Café Tacuba is NOT one of my favorite Spanish-language rock bands. I'm definitely not a big fan of them, and even though I own almost their entire discography and they're still quite current, I haven't made the effort to go to one of their concerts. I unhesitatingly rank above them, Soda. Just below them, I rate Caifanes, and despite having the privilege of seeing Hernández, Sabo, Markovich, and CIA live, and despite them being my favorite Mexican band forever and ever, I can't help but be honest and accept that Cafetos are musically superior to Caifos. Analyzing this question, I think this is a nationwide phenomenon, and I don't know if it's a Latin American one. If you ask any middle-class, semi-rock-savvy person born in Mexico who the best band to emerge between Bravo and Usumascinta is, I think the answer will invariably be Caifanes, and the second most likely Café Tacuba. If the answer is Panda, Maná, or Anexos, it's not even semi-knowledgeable. The difference perhaps lies in the fact that in this case many people (myself included) confuse "The best" with "The most beloved."

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Café Tacuba, or what is now "Café Tacvba," are the best rock band in Mexico. Period. It almost pains me to admit it, but comparing discographies makes it crystal clear. Cafeta may not be in the eye of the storm like Caifanes were. They have never been involved in public controversies that make headlines. They are rather discreet, and the few articles that appear about them in the newspapers are about favorable reviews of their albums, Rubén's recent name change, or their involvement as producers and promoters of new bands. They are ordinary people, because, despite the success they have achieved, the greatest air of divas is precisely the change of names of the vocalist, but more than an attitude of pride and ego, it seems to me an effective marketing strategy (one of the few they have).

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This same humility is reflected in their music. While Caifanes are the kings of lyrical and musical pretension, Cafeta generally uses simple lyrics, but no less affecting, and perhaps more direct in their purpose. While Hernández attempts to mix complicated metaphors that sometimes lead nowhere, Albarrán offers much more pointed and frank critiques, such as "Trópico de Cáncer." The lyrics are much more natural and easier to digest, and for that reason, they attract less attention, but they are definitely not bad. Musically, Caifanes was the band that opened the door for rock in this country. And they should be recognized for their attempt to integrate some of the native sounds into the rock scene. Café Tacuba goes further, and conversely manages to integrate rock sounds into essentially local music, whether indigenous or regional, from Huastecan sones to urban hip hop, passing through norteño, trio-style bolero from the fifties, and much more.

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This is another point very much in favor of Los Cafetos. They are without a doubt the most diverse band in Spanish rock, and this is the most compelling reason why I consider them superior. In fact, I still wonder if they are the most diverse group globally. They are born experimenters, not because they want to prove anything or leave mouths hanging, but because the talent of Rubén Albarrán, Emmanuel del Real (Meme), Enrique, and Joselo Rangel allows them to evade any genre boundaries and achieve such a variety of sounds that any other band would find simply impossible.

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This has allowed them to explore genres as diverse as those already mentioned, as well as ska, African rhythms, electronica, approaches to metal and tango, pure rock, ballads, pop, huapango, psychedelia, and sones, among others, encompassing all the in-betweens and unimaginable blends between them. And the best of all is that they always do it successfully, if not masterfully. This makes them very difficult to categorize. They sound like everything and nothing. Unlike other bands like the aforementioned Caifanes, or Soda or almost any other good or bad group that has ever existed, musically they don't have a distinctive sound, a style that is not the musical quality, and perhaps their only seal besides the variety and versatility they handle, is the nasal voice of Rubén, a.k.a. Pinche Juan, Cosme, Masiosare, Anónimo, Nrü, In Lak'ech, At Medardo,, Gallo Gasss, Elfego Buendía, Rita Cantalagua, Sizu Yantra, Ixaya Mazatzin Tleyotl, Ixxi Soy, etc, ect, etc, etc.

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I certainly doubt whether Café Tacuba is the most diverse band on the planet, but what I do know is that they're the best cover artists in the known universe. I'm not exaggerating. The Cafetos have proven time and time again that they're capable of taking songs from other bands, analyzing them thoroughly, dismantling the sounds, and reworking them, respecting only the lyrics and tones, but completely redesigning the song musically. In the vast majority of cases, they manage to surpass the original, enhancing the sounds, intensifying the harmonies, and creating atmospheres much more appropriate for the lyrics. Proof of this is "Avalancha de Éxitos" from 1996, in which they take songs from diverse artists, from Leo Dan and Juan Luis Guerra to Botellita de Jerez, and leave them completely unrecognizable. Similarly, they released "Vale Callampa" in 2002, an EP with four Los Tres songs, to which they also give a completely unique touch, distancing them greatly from the original versions. Perhaps the only cover I'm not convinced by is "Déjate Caer" from this latest EP, but they still deserve recognition for the originality, respect, and risk with which they approached the subject matter.

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Los Tacubos are a very rare phenomenon. I think I've said this in almost every intro I've done, but it's true that almost all bands rated "C" and above are, or they wouldn't be on this list. Cafeta's uniqueness lies in the fact that they strike a very difficult balance between the commercial and the conceptual. Mind you, I'm not saying that Los Cafetos are a progressive band, far from it. Rather, they seek to encompass many areas and genres of music, generally achieving unity with the lyrics and the quality of the instruments played. There's no Markovich or Cerati in the band, but while Meme and Rubén generally stand out, it's safe to say that all four are creative geniuses; they all contribute important things and achieve a perfectionism that seems easy, but isn't. Soda, Caifanes, and Héroes themselves have some songs that deserve to be thrown away. Los Cafetos don't. Absolutely every song I've heard from them has something that stands out, whether it's the way they approach the genre, the lyrics, the rhythm, the melodic base, the musical hooks... in short. Not a single song is boring or detracts from the band's work.

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Part of this rarity leads to their huge commercial success. Café Tacuba is capable of producing mega-hits that are played on the most commercial pop stations in any city (pardon the pleonasm), as well as completely experimental works that are acclaimed in the country's underground circles, and even internationally. This has led them to perform at festivals as diverse as Acapulco Fest and Viña del Mar, where they coexist with the worst of Latin American pop or pseudo-rock, as well as participating in European festivals where language is no border and where they achieve success with their most experimental and aurally aggressive works.

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Lyrically, Cafetos also have a lot of merit. They draw inspiration from ancient indigenous and colonial legends to lyrics from novels by José Emilio Pacheco (Las Batallas), comics by Antonio Gutiérrez (Raratonga), Mexican idols like María Félix and Agustín Lara (La Bonita y El Flaco), historical events like September 11th (Encantamiento Inútil), and much more.

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Due to their diverse approach, Café Tacuba has not only been invited to participate in a wide variety of music festivals, but also with a wide variety of artists and in various tributes, where their covers are precisely the ones that stand out the most. They have also appeared on albums ranging from Inspector, Celso Piña, and even David Byrne, former Talking Head.

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In addition to all this, the Tacubos have one of the most complete albums in the world's discography, "Re," acclaimed by both critics and fans. There are many myths surrounding this album, and many rank it above Soda's "Canción Animal" as the best Spanish rock album ever recorded. I have my musical doubts, and they are merely MY OWN doubts. Very personally, I consider the debut album better, by force, because it paved the way for them, because of the greater lyrical depth it contains, and because of the personal way that album resonated with me. But again, this is merely a point of view.

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Regarding the last album, "Sino" from 2007, I think it's a record that will take a long time to fully appreciate. I'll talk more about it when I review the album, but for now I can say that it's a record very behind its time. Did I say behind? Yep. It revives very retro sounds, very old ideas like collage and multi-parts, sounds from the bass to the drums, and many conceptual themes that currently go unnoticed but that have a tremendous echo of the late 1960s. This album would possibly have been the best of '68 had it come out that year, not only in Mexico but worldwide. Unfortunately, it's underrated despite sounding in some ways like the Beatles' "Abbey Road." And when I say it sounds sixties and retro, believe me, I mean it in the best possible way. When this album sinks in, it could become the band's best.

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And finally... A short time after buying the first album, I traveled with my family to Mexico City, for one of our many boring social obligations. Oddly enough, we always ended up at the house of an aunt who lives in CD Satélite, more specifically on Circuito Circunvalación Oriente, the street that crosses Periférico at the exact height of the Satélite Towers. Well, what the heck does this have to do with it? Well, there's a taco shop three meters from my aunt's door, and it's a place where the Cafetos usually go for dinner. No. I didn't get to chat with them or even see them in person, but the owner told me some delightful anecdotes about the guys, who are regular customers, which confirmed to me that they are still very down-to-earth people with discerning palates. The anecdotes? I'll keep those for myself.

 

Lineup:

Rubén Albarrán. The band's only distinguishing mark. And I'll tell you... because even though Meme sings some songs on vocals, the Cafeto signature is still distinct. Still, the nasal, high-pitched voice is often the easiest way to characterize this incomparable band.

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Emmanuel del Real, Meme: The band's keyboardist. You could say he's the band's creative and musical genius, but without being too far from the truth, this would detract from the work of his other bandmates. In addition to the keyboard loops and sequences, he also handled the drums and percussion on the band's early albums. He also sings backing vocals, and on most albums, he has at least one song with the lead vocals. I like his voice better than Rubpen's, even though it's less powerful.

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Quique Rangel: He's the band's bassist. He also plays double bass and guitarrón (I think) on some songs. He was the one who brought Meme to the band. He's not a standout, but his work is distinctive, effective, and totally tailored to what they do as a group.

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Joselo Rangel: The band's guitarist. He was the one who started the idea after meeting Rubén and recruiting his brother. He's not a master of the requinto, but he has impressive range and command of the guitar. He manages to craft a sound that, while not entirely distinctive, always carries a stamp of quality and is complex enough to make him one of Mexico's most underrated guitarists.

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Luis Ledesma: The fifth Cafeto. He plays most of the drum parts on the Tacubos' albums and in almost all of their concerts, although he's not an official member.

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Ladies and gentlemen, The Tlatoanis of the neighborhood: Café Tacuba!!!

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By Corvan 

Jul/20/2011

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