It’s hard to imagine a band that draws a mix of Hispanic families and Williamburg scenesters, but Cafe Tacuba isn’t your ordinary rock band.
This 15-year-old act from Mexico City helped forge a Latin-influenced rock movement that has caught fire on both sides of the border.
And at a packed free concert for Celebrate Brooklyn! in Prospect Park last summer, a diverse sample of the famous New York melting pot came out to see them play.
Named after a local hotspot restaurant in Mexican City, Cafe Tacuba was formed in 1989 by university pals Ruben Albarran (vocalist), Joselo Rangel (guitarist) and his brother Quique (bassist), and Emmanuel “Meme” Del Real (keyboards).
When the band first began playing in Mexico City’s underground clubs, they tried incorporating the sounds of then-hot bands like the Pixies and the Cure, it just didn’t feel right.
“We realized we didn’t have the same roots. We had a Mexican flavor, so we let it go,” Quique told The Post. “Instead we developed our own sound. We had something different to say.”
They subbed gut-stringed acoustics for electric guitars, added a stand-up double bass, keyboards and a Melodica, then added Albarran’s punk-inspired vocals.
They garnered a strong cult following, then released their debut disc in 1992. It was a wild success – they were even dubbed the Mexican Pogues. A few more critically acclaimed records later, they’d gone where no other Latin rock group had gone before – playing 59 dates in 13 countries.
In 1999, they did a left turn and released an instrumental disc, but to soothe their label, they packaged it with a separate lyrical-song disc. The result “Reves/Yo Soy” (“Backwards/I Am”), which won the Latin Grammy for Best Rock Album of the Year, garnered the attention of famed alt-rocker Beck, who invited Cafe Tacuba to open his “Midnight Vultures” tour.
But on the latest album, “Cuatro Caminos” (“Four Roads”) the band came full-circle. While it still retains its Mexican roots, it’s more of a straightforward rock effort.
The disc won a Grammy in 2003 for best Latin rock alternative album, and it’s up for five Latin Grammys.
But rest assured, Cafe Tacuba will change it up and surprise fans on their next disc.
“We always try to get to a different area of experimentation,” says Quique. “It has to be something that keeps us alive as musicians.”
The band performs at Spirit (530 W. 27th St.; [212] 268.9477) tonight with fellow Mexican group Maldita Vecindad.
