Cetu Javu

by Michael Sutton
Cetu Javu was a new wave band from Germany that sang in Spanish. As far as Depeche Mode clones go, that was a fairly original twist on the synth pop formula. Cetu Javu formed in Hanover, Germany, in 1984. The group consisted of Javier Revilla (vocals), Torsten Engelke (keyboards, programming), Stefen Engelke (bass), and Chris Demere (synthesizers, guitar, programming). In 1985, Cetu Javu won third place at a band contest in Germany. The group opened for Erasure a year later and released their first single, "Help Me Now!," in 1987. Like their compatriots Camouflage, Cetu Javu were unapologetically Depeche Mode-like in their sound; their extremely catchy 1988 singles "Situations" and "Have in Mind" flashed back to Vince Clarke's Depeche Mode days in the early '80s with their bouncy keyboards. Both tracks were instant hits in dance clubs and even received airplay on U.S. alternative rock stations waiting for the next Depeche Mode record. Stefan Engelke departed the band in 1988, and he was replaced by Todde Kraass. The group signed a contract with ZYX Records, and their debut LP, Southern Lands, appeared in 1990. After "A Donde," a B-side sung in Spanish, hit number two in Spain (ironically, it competed with Depeche Mode's "Policy of Truth"), the band toured the country. Cetu Javu's second full-length, Where Is Where, was released in 1992. In 1994, the group withdrew from the music scene so the members could have time to raise their children.