Café Tacvba’s Rubén Albarrán is speaking out—slamming Donald Trump and asking fans to boycott Spotify over ethics and values.
Café Tacvba has never shied away from big statements, but this week the legendary Mexican rock band found itself at the center of an international debate over politics, music, and money.
Rubén Albarrán, the band’s longtime frontman, is calling on fans to boycott Spotify and urging major record labels to remove Café Tacvba’s music from the streaming platform. His message comes just days after he sparked controversy at a free concert in Mexico City by calling U.S. President Donald Trump a “terrorist” during an onstage speech.
In an Instagram post shared this week, Albarrán revealed that he sent letters to Warner Music Mexico and Universal Music Mexico asking them to pull the band’s catalog from Spotify. He criticized the platform—mockingly referring to it as “Stupidfy”—and said its business practices clash with the group’s values.
According to Albarrán, the band’s concerns go beyond low streaming royalties, a complaint long shared by musicians worldwide. In a video message, he pointed to Spotify’s alleged ties to weapons investments, past Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) advertising, and the growing use of artificial intelligence in music, which he says hurts real artists.
“Music should have meaning,” Albarrán said, explaining that Café Tacvba does not want its income linked to military actions or immigration enforcement.
Formed in 1989, Café Tacvba is one of the most influential Latin American bands of all time. Known for blending rock, punk, folk, and electronic sounds, the group helped reshape Spanish-language alternative music. Named after the historic Café de Tacuba restaurant in Mexico City, the band has earned major acclaim, including a Grammy Award in 2004 for Cuatro Caminos and nine Latin Grammy wins.
Their 1994 album Re is often cited as a cornerstone of Latin rock and was ranked the greatest Latin American rock album ever by Rolling Stone.
Their stance against Spotify puts them alongside artists like Lorde, Björk, Massive Attack, and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, who have also criticized the platform’s leadership and business choices. Much of the backlash centers on Spotify CEO Daniel Ek’s investment in Helsing, a European defense technology company that develops AI-based military systems.
Spotify has pushed back against Albarrán’s claims. In a statement, the company said it does not fund war and clarified that Helsing operates independently and supplies defense technology to Ukraine.
Spotify also denied running current ICE ads, noting that previous recruitment ads were part of a broader U.S. government campaign across many media platforms. The company added that it pays roughly 70% of its revenue to rights holders and remains open to working with Café Tacvba.
Albarrán’s comments follow a politically charged moment at a Jan. 3 concert in Mexico City’s Zócalo, where he spoke about U.S. actions in Venezuela and criticized Trump by name. He stressed that his remarks were not an endorsement of Venezuela’s government but a condemnation of foreign intervention.
For now, Albarrán is urging fans to listen to Café Tacvba’s music on other platforms—or avoid Spotify entirely. “It’s time,” he wrote, “to create a new world, more just and equitable.”
What do you think—should artists take political stands against streaming platforms, or should music stay separate from politics?
