Panama City (Panama), 1948

By Latin American Team

Rubén Blades, a singer, songwriter, actor, and politician, was instrumental in bringing the innovations of the Cuban Nueva Trova to the danceable salsa rhythm, renewing the genre with social and political themes. The son of a Cuban singer and a musician from the island of Saint Lucia, Blades graduated in law from the National University of Panama and even worked as a lawyer. His music career began in 1966 in his home country but gained momentum after he moved to New York in 1974, where he worked as a messenger for Fania Records, the record company that represented many salsa artists. Gradually, Fania’s musicians and executives recognized his talent as a songwriter, singer, and sonero. He collaborated on several productions with various orchestras, including those of Willie Colón and Hector Lavoe. It was alongside Colón that he achieved stardom. The two released Metiendo Mano! (1977), a hit, and the following year produced Siembra, the best-selling salsa album of all time. This was followed by two outstanding and successful productions: the “Latin” opera Maestra Vida (1980) and Canciones del Solar de los Aburridos (1981). This powerful duo combined Colón’s musical strength and inventiveness with Blades’s extraordinary lyrics—poetic and incisive in their sociopolitical critique—comparable only to those of composer Catalino Tite Curet Alonso.

Around this time, Blades formed the group Son Del Solar and began a film career, composing soundtracks and acting. In 1985, he co-wrote and starred in the film Crossover Dreams. That same year, he obtained a master’s degree in international law from Harvard. In 1994, he ran for the presidency of Panama, finishing in third place. In 2004, he became Panama’s Minister of Tourism, and in 2015, he was considering another presidential run.