Mexico's Cafe Tacuba begins U.S. tour with attitude

By Ayala Ben-Yehuda

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Mexico's Cafe Tacuba has earned vaunted status in its home country, as well as with U.S. fans, with its bold rock experiments. Having played at the annual Lollapalooza summer festival in Chicago, the group on Friday embarks on a 22-day tour in Charlotte, N.C., to promote its newest album, "Sino" (Universal). Keyboardist/programmer/ vocalist Emmanuel Del Real answered three questions for Billboard.

1. IS "SINO" AN EVOLUTION TOWARD MORE COMMERCIAL ROCK?

It's definitely a more rock-oriented album, but more than the style, I think it has to do with the attitude and the way the album was made. We tried to have all five of us in the same recording studio, playing together, trying to transmit the energy of playing live onto the recording. That allowed each of us to be more uninhibited and, in a way, find an expression that was closer to rock.

2. WAS THIS A MORE COLLABORATIVE ALBUM THAN PREVIOUS ONES?

There was more interaction at a composition level. In bringing songs to "Sino," we realized there were great ideas that needed more work but we didn't want to toss out. So we began to mix fragments of songs, words from one with another melody and so on. There's also more vocal participation from all of us.

3. YOU TOOK A BIG STEP FORWARD IN THE UNITED STATES WITH

THE RADIO SUCCESS OF "ERES" AT LATIN RADIO. DO YOU NEED ANOTHER

HIT TO KEEP THAT EXPANDED FAN BASE?

If there are songs like "Eres" that catch the ear of people who didn't know the group and makes them look for more songs, that's our objective. We've never seen ourselves as a group of singles. We've always tried to make complete albums, as if they were a book or a play. So anything that brings people closer to our albums only adds. We never think of making hits. We make the songs, and some go to different places than others.

Reuters/Billboard