Ruben Blades:
A Musician and Man
For The People

by Robin Davies

Ruben Blades has won his 4th Grammy this year for his latest CD, "Tiempos," a reflective and introspective album and costarring in ABC's much anticipated critically acclaimed hospital drama "Gideon's Crossing" Ruben Blades is considered by his fans and critics "a musician and man for the people."

Blades, is an accomplished musician,composer, actor (in 23 films, receiving two Emmy nominations and an ACE Award for "The Josephine Baker Story."), an international attorney (with two law degrees-one in Panama,the other from Harvard University), a politician running for the presidency in his homeland Panama, and a social activist fighting for worldwide human rights.

His bold compositions and tales of political duress, urban despair and the common man's woes has honored those killed for political gain and given a voice of compassion and understanding to the inhabitants of the streets and the plight of the new immigrant. Before Blades' lyrics, their voices and faces remained mute and invisible, appearing only occasionally as sound bites on the six o'clock news. "What I have been doing has nothing to with popular trends," states Blades. "I know my life would be easier if I sang: 'Let's go mama, let's go party!' but I don't think that is my life's purpose."

Born and raised the second of five children in San Felipe, borough of Panama City, Panama, Blades grew up in a impoverished working class barrio. His parents were both musicians: his mother, Anoland, a pianist and radio actress; his father, Ruben Blades Sr., played bongos and served as an officer for the Secret Police.

He credits the foundation of his success to his family, who set an atmosphere in the home that, he says "nurtured and gave me the best: that's when I was taught not to be racist, to be kind and to try. Trying is everything. I learned from my family [that] you can be anything you want to be. But you have to have order, tenacity, and discipline-and you have to be fair. You don't base your happiness on someone else's unhappiness," Blades continues "My abuela Emma who was with me at all times, instilled me with a sense of justice-that we can all serve as part of the solution. That is the perspective from which I developed and the foundation to help me move forward," explains Blades.

His parents filled the home with music from all around the Americas Latin artist like Benny More, Perez Prado and Orquestra Casino de la Playa; jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington; and calypso artist like Lord Cobra, Mighty Sparrow and Lord Delicious setting the foundation for his musical career.

He started his professional musical career at age 15, with his brother Luis' band The Saints. The band enjoyed local fame, playing popular rock-in-roll standards. But his thirst for presenting a genuine voice of compassion for the people overrode the trivial songs of the times. "At that time I felt music would play an important role in Latin America," says Blades "It was an effective way of stating cases the truth, the peoples side." His break came in New York in the '70s after conga great Ray Barretto offered him a job as a backup singer.

While touring with Barretto's band, Blades met up with brash musician "El Niño Malo" (the bad boy) Willie Colón, who was known as an innovator in Salsa music and credited with the creation of "gangster salsa"-a style telling stories of macho outlaws and barrio punks. Blades and Colón clicked right away and began collaborating and composing music that would place them in a league of their own.

Their first album, "Siembra," sold 3 million copies-the biggest selling Latin music album in history. Blades, collaboration with Colón, tapped into his gift as a streetwise lyricist and songwriter with a message to convey. One smash hit from the album was "Pedro Navaja," set to the rhythm of "Mack the Knife," a raw, gritty tale of murder, lust and greed between a pimp and a prostitute on the streets of New York, become an anthem of sorts for in the Latino community and has found a new popularity among teenagers. "From the start my songs have to do with understanding what living in the city is about," comments Blades " That's why the songs survive. They are not written with trends in mind."

In the eighties, Blades stepped out of his comfort zone with Colón to explore new territory in the arena of music and film-and to pursue higher education. Forming the band Seis Del Solar, Blades began experimenting with a new sound for salsa music creating music that placed more emphasis on the vocals and lyrical content. He became the first salsero to sign with a mainstream record label (Electra/Asylum) releasing the critically acclaimed "Buscando América," which delivered controversial songs about the lives of mythical people throughout Américas barrios. "Buscando" soared up the U.S. Billboard charts crossing over to the mainstream, where people unfamiliar with salsa were singing and dancing to music they didn't understand but intuitively sensed its spirit.

A true renaissance man, at the height of his success, Blades took a yearlong break to attend Harvard University Law School's graduate program, where he earned his International Law degree, to prepare himself for an eventual political career in Panama "I want to be known as something more than a performer to Panama, I didn't [originally] study law because of a simple interest, but because it keeps you out of the ghetto," declares Blades "it validates your intelligence. The diploma demands respect."

While attending Harvard, Blades co-authored and starred in his first full length film "Crossover Dreams", a low budget production by Max Mambru, a Latino owned and operated production company based in New York. The movie won critical and cultural acclaim-a win for the Latino community. "I really like working on films that are interesting and intelligent. We [Latinos] really don't get that many opportunities because of the way things are structured. We don't have the political clout in this country. So we really don't get that much consideration," Blades explains "When you look at the majority of films, they revolve around the white experience; and the second most important segment is the English speaking black experience. When you look at the Latino community, we are not there. We are pretty much in the position blacks used to be in the 50s-we are stereotyped," says Blades.

But Blades has managed to push past the barriers over the years, refusing to play the stereotypical parts of coke dealer, drug addict, or gangster. Blades asks: "Doesn't anyone want me to play the part of a lawyer?" This fall Blades will however, costar in ABC's hospital drama "Gideon's Crossing" as the director of administration. He admits he's more "into his music these days" but accepted the role as a vehicle for portraying a positive image for young Latinos.

In everything Blades does there is an undercurrent of social activism. Over the past three decades he has performed at numerous free concerts to support non-profit organizations, countries at war living in complete poverty, carrying a message of hope that things will get better. He writes social commentary for newspapers globally and speaks at major political functions on the topic of racial separatism and injustices to humanity, but music continues to be the medium that connects him to voice of the people.

His new CD "Tiempos" reflects this it is far from the popular Latin musical formula. Instead, it is a well-constructed montage of social commentary, personal pain, tonal fulfillment and an artist's love for exploring new avenues of creative expression. Blades, in his wisdom time at the age of 52, takes the listener on a new musical journey, offering a "very personal and intimate perspective" that has timbre and texture, stirring the listeners emotionally and healing them instrumentally.

During the making of "Tiempos," Blades formed a new band featuring the Costa Rican trio Editus. "They have provided a different sensibility about the development of songs," says Blades. At the start of "Tiempos" there were problems defining the direction " I tried to make a collaboration between the group that played on "Los Vientos de La Rosa" and Editus but it wasn't working," explains Blades "I realized that what I wanted to do was advance on the subject being offered by Editus which is the classical." As it turns out "Tiempos" is a mature and reflective, yet delicate social view of the world. Blades has once again evoked the listener to feel, dream and dare to think differently.

Looking into the future, Blades is enthusiastic about his next CD: "We're going to be exploring the connection of Celtic music to Latin music. I'd like to know more about the influence of European music in Latin music." His production company, Ruben Blades Productions, is concentrating on record distribution. "Editus has five CDs but no distribution [in the U.S.]. I am trying to create distribution for them and other Panamanian acts as well," comments Blades. "It's hard, but I am very confident we're going to do it. Either by creating our own distribution or through the [existing] channels."

 

Robin Davies is a free-lance writer based in the Bay Area.

©2000 by Robin Davies
©2000 by San Francisco/Bay Area Salsa & Latin Jazz
All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission

Ruben Blades:
A Musician and Man
For The People

by Robin Davies

Ruben Blades has won his 4th Grammy this year for his latest CD, "Tiempos," a reflective and introspective album and costarring in ABC's much anticipated critically acclaimed hospital drama "Gideon's Crossing" Ruben Blades is considered by his fans and critics "a musician and man for the people."

Blades, is an accomplished musician,composer, actor (in 23 films, receiving two Emmy nominations and an ACE Award for "The Josephine Baker Story."), an international attorney (with two law degrees-one in Panama,the other from Harvard University), a politician running for the presidency in his homeland Panama, and a social activist fighting for worldwide human rights.

His bold compositions and tales of political duress, urban despair and the common man's woes has honored those killed for political gain and given a voice of compassion and understanding to the inhabitants of the streets and the plight of the new immigrant. Before Blades' lyrics, their voices and faces remained mute and invisible, appearing only occasionally as sound bites on the six o'clock news. "What I have been doing has nothing to with popular trends," states Blades. "I know my life would be easier if I sang: 'Let's go mama, let's go party!' but I don't think that is my life's purpose."

Born and raised the second of five children in San Felipe, borough of Panama City, Panama, Blades grew up in a impoverished working class barrio. His parents were both musicians: his mother, Anoland, a pianist and radio actress; his father, Ruben Blades Sr., played bongos and served as an officer for the Secret Police.

He credits the foundation of his success to his family, who set an atmosphere in the home that, he says "nurtured and gave me the best: that's when I was taught not to be racist, to be kind and to try. Trying is everything. I learned from my family [that] you can be anything you want to be. But you have to have order, tenacity, and discipline-and you have to be fair. You don't base your happiness on someone else's unhappiness," Blades continues "My abuela Emma who was with me at all times, instilled me with a sense of justice-that we can all serve as part of the solution. That is the perspective from which I developed and the foundation to help me move forward," explains Blades.

His parents filled the home with music from all around the Americas Latin artist like Benny More, Perez Prado and Orquestra Casino de la Playa; jazz musicians like Dizzy Gillespie and Duke Ellington; and calypso artist like Lord Cobra, Mighty Sparrow and Lord Delicious setting the foundation for his musical career.

He started his professional musical career at age 15, with his brother Luis' band The Saints. The band enjoyed local fame, playing popular rock-in-roll standards. But his thirst for presenting a genuine voice of compassion for the people overrode the trivial songs of the times. "At that time I felt music would play an important role in Latin America," says Blades "It was an effective way of stating cases the truth, the peoples side." His break came in New York in the '70s after conga great Ray Barretto offered him a job as a backup singer.

While touring with Barretto's band, Blades met up with brash musician "El Niño Malo" (the bad boy) Willie Colón, who was known as an innovator in Salsa music and credited with the creation of "gangster salsa"-a style telling stories of macho outlaws and barrio punks. Blades and Colón clicked right away and began collaborating and composing music that would place them in a league of their own.

Their first album, "Siembra," sold 3 million copies-the biggest selling Latin music album in history. Blades, collaboration with Colón, tapped into his gift as a streetwise lyricist and songwriter with a message to convey. One smash hit from the album was "Pedro Navaja," set to the rhythm of "Mack the Knife," a raw, gritty tale of murder, lust and greed between a pimp and a prostitute on the streets of New York, become an anthem of sorts for in the Latino community and has found a new popularity among teenagers. "From the start my songs have to do with understanding what living in the city is about," comments Blades " That's why the songs survive. They are not written with trends in mind."

In the eighties, Blades stepped out of his comfort zone with Colón to explore new territory in the arena of music and film-and to pursue higher education. Forming the band Seis Del Solar, Blades began experimenting with a new sound for salsa music creating music that placed more emphasis on the vocals and lyrical content. He became the first salsero to sign with a mainstream record label (Electra/Asylum) releasing the critically acclaimed "Buscando América," which delivered controversial songs about the lives of mythical people throughout Américas barrios. "Buscando" soared up the U.S. Billboard charts crossing over to the mainstream, where people unfamiliar with salsa were singing and dancing to music they didn't understand but intuitively sensed its spirit.

A true renaissance man, at the height of his success, Blades took a yearlong break to attend Harvard University Law School's graduate program, where he earned his International Law degree, to prepare himself for an eventual political career in Panama "I want to be known as something more than a performer to Panama, I didn't [originally] study law because of a simple interest, but because it keeps you out of the ghetto," declares Blades "it validates your intelligence. The diploma demands respect."

While attending Harvard, Blades co-authored and starred in his first full length film "Crossover Dreams", a low budget production by Max Mambru, a Latino owned and operated production company based in New York. The movie won critical and cultural acclaim-a win for the Latino community. "I really like working on films that are interesting and intelligent. We [Latinos] really don't get that many opportunities because of the way things are structured. We don't have the political clout in this country. So we really don't get that much consideration," Blades explains "When you look at the majority of films, they revolve around the white experience; and the second most important segment is the English speaking black experience. When you look at the Latino community, we are not there. We are pretty much in the position blacks used to be in the 50s-we are stereotyped," says Blades.

But Blades has managed to push past the barriers over the years, refusing to play the stereotypical parts of coke dealer, drug addict, or gangster. Blades asks: "Doesn't anyone want me to play the part of a lawyer?" This fall Blades will however, costar in ABC's hospital drama "Gideon's Crossing" as the director of administration. He admits he's more "into his music these days" but accepted the role as a vehicle for portraying a positive image for young Latinos.

In everything Blades does there is an undercurrent of social activism. Over the past three decades he has performed at numerous free concerts to support non-profit organizations, countries at war living in complete poverty, carrying a message of hope that things will get better. He writes social commentary for newspapers globally and speaks at major political functions on the topic of racial separatism and injustices to humanity, but music continues to be the medium that connects him to voice of the people.

His new CD "Tiempos" reflects this it is far from the popular Latin musical formula. Instead, it is a well-constructed montage of social commentary, personal pain, tonal fulfillment and an artist's love for exploring new avenues of creative expression. Blades, in his wisdom time at the age of 52, takes the listener on a new musical journey, offering a "very personal and intimate perspective" that has timbre and texture, stirring the listeners emotionally and healing them instrumentally.

During the making of "Tiempos," Blades formed a new band featuring the Costa Rican trio Editus. "They have provided a different sensibility about the development of songs," says Blades. At the start of "Tiempos" there were problems defining the direction " I tried to make a collaboration between the group that played on "Los Vientos de La Rosa" and Editus but it wasn't working," explains Blades "I realized that what I wanted to do was advance on the subject being offered by Editus which is the classical." As it turns out "Tiempos" is a mature and reflective, yet delicate social view of the world. Blades has once again evoked the listener to feel, dream and dare to think differently.

Looking into the future, Blades is enthusiastic about his next CD: "We're going to be exploring the connection of Celtic music to Latin music. I'd like to know more about the influence of European music in Latin music." His production company, Ruben Blades Productions, is concentrating on record distribution. "Editus has five CDs but no distribution [in the U.S.]. I am trying to create distribution for them and other Panamanian acts as well," comments Blades. "It's hard, but I am very confident we're going to do it. Either by creating our own distribution or through the [existing] channels."

 

Robin Davies is a free-lance writer based in the Bay Area.

©2000 by Robin Davies
©2000 by San Francisco/Bay Area Salsa & Latin Jazz
All rights reserved. No reproduction without written permission