With rare objection, Café Tacuba is credited far and wide as the preeminent band to have arisen from the rock en español movement of the early '90s. The Mexican four-piece unfortunately isn't well characterized by the rock en español tag, for the "rock music sung in Spanish" descriptor does little justice to the stylistic diversity and creative strides showcased by Café Tacuba over the course of their career. The band employs a standard rock lineup of guitar/bass/drums with vocals, certainly, but the members also incorporate electronics as well as exotic instrumentation into their music, which encompasses styles as divergent as punk and ballads, as well as regional Mexican and ambient electronica. No Café Tacuba album sounds quite like another, for the band generally pursues a grand artistic vision for each project that goes all the way from the scope of the album to which musical styles will be fused, to which collaborators are best suited for the performances, to the actual packaging design of each release. For such creative reasons, Café Tacuba is beloved by critics and cultural observers who appreciate such ambition and originality. On the other hand, legions of followers worldwide are enamored with the band simply because of the music, which is broadly appealing not only because of its distinction but also because of its fun, madcap, and ever-changing manner. This is especially true of the band's first few albums -- Café Tacuba (1992), Re (1994), and Avalancha de Éxitos (1996) -- all of which are endlessly entertaining roller coaster rides of willfully whimsical stylistic fusion. Beginning withRevés/Yo Soy (1999) and continuing with Cuatro Caminos (2003), Café Tacuba grew more challenging and experimental, as well as more mature and earnest. Nevertheless, these later album were their most acclaimed, earning Grammy Awards among other accolades. For legal reasons (and to much confusion, no doubt), the band generally bills itself as Café Tacvba rather than Café Tacuba (replacing the U with a similar-looking V), though the name is pronounced normally, with a U.
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With rare objection, Café Tacuba is credited far and wide as the preeminent band to have arisen from the rock en español movement of the early '90s. The Mexican four-piece unfortunately isn't well characterized by the rock en español tag, for the "rock music sung in Spanish" descriptor does little justice to the stylistic diversity and creative strides showcased by Café Tacuba over the course of their career. The band employs a standard rock lineup of guitar/bass/drums with vocals, certainly, but the members also incorporate electronics as well as exotic instrumentation into their music, which encompasses styles as divergent as punk and ballads, as well as regional Mexican and ambient electronica. No Café Tacuba album sounds quite like another, for the band generally pursues a grand artistic vision for each project that goes all the way from the scope of the album to which musical styles will be fused, to which collaborators are best suited for the performances, to the actual packaging design of each release. For such creative reasons, Café Tacuba is beloved by critics and cultural observers who appreciate such ambition and originality. On the other hand, legions of followers worldwide are enamored with the band simply because of the music, which is broadly appealing not only because of its distinction but also because of its fun, madcap, and ever-changing manner. This is especially true of the band's first few albums -- Café Tacuba (1992), Re (1994), and Avalancha de Éxitos (1996) -- all of which are endlessly entertaining roller coaster rides of willfully whimsical stylistic fusion. Beginning withRevés/Yo Soy (1999) and continuing with Cuatro Caminos (2003), Café Tacuba grew more challenging and experimental, as well as more mature and earnest. Nevertheless, these later album were their most acclaimed, earning Grammy Awards among other accolades. For legal reasons (and to much confusion, no doubt), the band generally bills itself as Café Tacvba rather than Café Tacuba (replacing the U with a similar-looking V), though the name is pronounced normally, with a U.
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