Cafe Tacuba Music Group

Sparks are flying inside a Van Nuys recording studio, where Mexican group Cafe Tacuba is recording its new album. The most famous production team in rock en espan~ol, Gustavo Santaolalla and Anibal Kerpel have locked horns during the mixing of "Esperando" (Waiting), an intimate, 40-second solo song by Quique, the band's bassist. Santaolalla has decided to create a theatrical effect by pushing the bass to the front of the mix. And Kerpel is quick to disagree. "It's too loud," he says.

This is a whirlwind weekend for Cafe Tacuba, the cutting-edge band from Mexico City that spearheaded the rock en espanol revolution of the 1990s. The acclaimed quartet plays Central Park's SummerStage in Manhattan today as part of this year's Latin Alternative Music Conference, then jets cross-country to appear Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl for KCRW's World Festival hosted by Nic Harcourt. Phew! A little hectic for a group of Mexican rockers on the cusp of middle age.

This is a whirlwind weekend for Cafe Tacuba, the cutting-edge band from Mexico City that spearheaded the rock en espanol revolution of the 1990s. The acclaimed quartet plays Central Park's SummerStage in Manhattan today as part of this year's Latin Alternative Music Conference, then jets cross-country to appear Sunday at the Hollywood Bowl for KCRW's World Festival hosted by Nic Harcourt. Phew! A little hectic for a group of Mexican rockers on the cusp of middle age.

When the members of Mexico City's Cafe Tacuba took the stage at the recent Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the band couldn't have asked for a better setting. The desert sun was on its way down behind the mountains, and a cool breeze was creeping through the palm trees. As they picked up their electric guitars and settled in behind their keyboard stands, the sprawling expanse of polo field in front of them teemed with thousands of festival-goers.

When the members of Mexico City's Cafe Tacuba took the stage at the recent Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the band couldn't have asked for a better setting. The desert sun was on its way down behind the mountains, and a cool breeze was creeping through the palm trees. As they picked up their electric guitars and settled in behind their keyboard stands, the sprawling expanse of polo field in front of them teemed with thousands of festival-goers.

Sparks are flying inside a Van Nuys recording studio, where Mexican group Cafe Tacuba is recording its new album. The most famous production team in rock en espan~ol, Gustavo Santaolalla and Anibal Kerpel have locked horns during the mixing of "Esperando" (Waiting), an intimate, 40-second solo song by Quique, the band's bassist. Santaolalla has decided to create a theatrical effect by pushing the bass to the front of the mix. And Kerpel is quick to disagree. "It's too loud," he says.