Cafè Tacvba Report They Were Robbed and Crew Was Beaten

Mexican rock band Café Tacvba said that their band equipment was stolen and two crew members were brutally beaten and kidnapped for a moment. This horrible crime occurred yesterday during the afternoon en route to Cancun, on the Cordoba-Puebla highway. The band has a concert there on May 4.

The band posted the news on their social media pages and said they need help to recover their touring equipment, which is indispensable. According to the BBC, the van (or tour bus) was located by officials and was completely empty. The band said they would not cancel their scheduled show. They also said they are working with authorities to find the criminals and locate their equipment.

Several musical artists tweeted out their original post not just to spread the news but to offer help. Singer/songwriter Julieta Venegas tweeted, “Let’s help our friends at @cafetacvba recover their instruments.”

Ayudemos a nuestros amigos de @cafetacvba a recuperar sus instrumentos. RT pic.twitter.com/z656n7BY8c

— Julieta Venegas (@julietav) May 2, 2019

According to media reports, the stretch of road where the crew was robbed and beaten is reportedly very dangerous and known for highjacks.

Café Tacvba has been a vibrant figure in the Mexican alternative music scene since the early ’90s. The band has also been vocal about the recent migrant caravans from Central America through Mexico. Last year, members of Café Tacvba including lead singer Rubén Albarrán and Emmanuel del Real greeted a large group that was sheltered in Mexico City at a sports arena. The guys played music for the people and spent time with them. Albarrán said it was important for them to welcome the migrants to Mexico City and bring any help they could even if it’s just by playing music for them.

While it’s no doubt that the crew members suffered an unbelievable amount of trauma, this horrendous crime could have been much worse. Crime statistics in Mexico have increased tremendously in the past couple of years, including a record number of fatalities.

“A report released by Mexico’s Secretariat of Security and Citizen Protection recorded 33,341 intentional homicides in 2018, a 15% increase over 2017, which held the previous record for the highest number of opened investigations with 28,866 cases,” NPR reports.