Caifanes

Caifanes is one of the most successful rock bands to emerge from the Mexican scene in the 80s. Formed in 1985 by vocalist and guitarist Saúl Hernández, bassist Sabo Romo, drummer Alfonso André, and keyboardist Diego Herrera, the band was born from the ashes of the group Las Insólitas Imágenes de Aurora. Inspired in both sound and look by new wave acts like The Cure and Jesus and Mary Chain, they made their debut in 1988 with a self-titled full-length that contained early hits such as “Mátenme Porque Me Muero,” “La Bestia Humana,” and “La Negra Tomasa,” a cover of Cuban singer Guillermo Rodriguez Fiffe that was first released as a maxi-single and then added to the compact disc reissue of the album in 1989. After two sold-out shows at Mexico’s Auditorio Nacional, Caifanes returned with their sophomore effort El Diablito (1990), which further expanded their sound and was the first one to feature guitarist Alejandro Marcovich. Produced by King Crimson’s Adrian Belew, who also plays guitar on the LP, El Silencio was released in 1992 to great critical acclaim, receiving praises for its seamless amalgamation of rock and traditional Mexican music. By the time El Nervio del Volcán (1994) came out, Caifanes were at the peak of their popularity, playing sold-out shows at stadiums throughout Latin America and the US. However, creative differences between Marcovich and Hernández led to the band’s demise in 1995. Almost sixteen years after their breakup, Caifanes reunited in 2011 for performances at the Vive Latino and Coachella festivals. They released the single “Heridos” in 2019.