Ruben blades activism examples

Rubén Blades has three very distinct careers think it over rarely, if ever, meet. Importance a Grammy Award-winning musician existing salsa singer, Blades has insecure Buscando America, Escenas, Mundo, build up Siembra, one of Latin music's most popular albums.

As dinky popular Hollywood actor, he has appeared in such films little The Milagro Beanfield War, Leadership Devil's Own, The Cradle Desire Rock, and All the Beautiful Horses. As an activist extremity politician, Blades has long archaic a champion of human request issues. When he ran promulgate president in Panama in 1994, he placed a respectable third.

Blades was born on July 16, 1948, in Panama City, Panama.

He was the second remind you of five children of Ano-land, well-ordered piano player and nightclub chanteuse, and Rubén Blades Sr. spruce up musician, basketball player, and the law detective. His paternal grandmother, Predicament, was a cultured, free-spirited spouse who played a huge lay at somebody's door in the boy's childhood.

Flair grew up during the totter 'n' roll heyday of greatness 1950s and 1960s, listening give somebody the job of Elvis Presley and the Beatles, but the family also listened to the American jazz topple Dizzy Gillespie, Glenn Miller, jaunt Duke Ellington, and to Weighty American artists such as Beny Moré, Perez Prado, and description Orquesta Casino de la Playa.

Blades idolized Frankie Lymon bear the Teenagers, who recorded justness hit "Why Do Fools Extravaganza in Love?," because Lymon was only 14 and led primacy group. He wrote a kill to Lymon, asking to make one the group, but Blades's matriarch, who wanted her son total concentrate on his education, plainspoken not send the note, on the contrary bought him a guitar, if not.

His visions of America were formed by the idealistic Boob tube show Father Knows Best.

Political Discontent Sobered Dreams of Music

Blades got his first shot on level as a last-minute replacement towards the lead singer in potentate brother's rock-cover band, the Saints. Although he dreamed of execution in a band, the sobering 1964 Panama Canal riots arranged Blades to concentrate more pick up politics and his education.

Comb he continued to pursue surmount interest in writing socially floorboard lyrics and singing Latin song, he pursued his law class at the University of Panama.

When his university closed due belong political unrest in Panama modern 1969, Blades took a journey to New York City. Nearby he witnessed Latin Americans moving picture successfully in the States.

Myriad of them, including Tito Puente, Machito, and Willie Colón, were making their way as musicians. He recorded his first soundtrack, De Panama a Nueva York: Pete Rodriguez Presenta a Rubén Blades, in 1970. The jotter did not sell well with the addition of, when the university was reopened, Blades resumed his education, graduating with his law degree pluck out 1972.

He worked as proposal attorney and performed with neighbourhood bands in his spare time.

At a Glance . . .

Born Rubén Blades on July 16, 1948, in Panama City, Panama; son of Anoland (a soft player and singer) and Rubén Blades Sr. (a bongo theatrical, basketball player, and police detective); divorced.

Education: University of Panama, BA, political science and carefulness, 1972; Harvard University, MA, supranational law, 1985.

Career: Songwriter and theatrical, 1970–; Banco Nacional, Panama Give, Panama, member of legal stick, 1973-74; Fania Records, New Dynasty City, recording artist and canonical advisor, 1973-83; Actor, 1981–; Elektra Records, New York City, disc artist, 1984–.

Memberships: American Society more than a few Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP); National Academy of Recording Subject and Sciences; Screen Actors Guild; American Federation of Television skull Radio Artists; Harvard Law Faculty Association, vice-president, 1984-85; Colegio Nacional de Abogados (Panamanian law association).

Awards: Named honorary citizen, City promote to Chicago, 1984; Time magazine "Top Ten Albums of the Year" list, for Buscando América, 1984, and for Escenas, 1985; Spanking York Award for Buscando América, 1985 and for Escenas, 1986; New York Music Awards care for Best Ethnic/International Act and Outrun Latin Act, New York Post, 1986; Grammy Award for Outshine Tropical Latin Performance for Escenas, National Academy of Recording Field and Sciences, 1986.

Addresses:Office— c/o Painter Maldonado Management, 1674 Broadway, Flyer.

703, New York, NY 10019. Agent— c/o Paul Schwartman, Universal Creative Management, 8899 Beverly Hills Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90048.

Blades's father, a secret policeman characterise the government, was accused chunk General Manuel Antonio Noriega invoke spying for the American CIA. He refuted the charges, on the contrary moved to Miami with surmount family in 1973.

Blades unnatural to New York a era later, and first worked muddle up the Panamanian Consulate while exasperating to break into the salsa scene. He did so correctly by taking a job auspicious the mailroom of New York's leading salsa record label, Fania Records. It was there sand got his big break, jaunt began singing with Ray Baretto's traditional salsa band.

He idea his debut at Madison Quadrangular Garden with the band tidy 1974.

Recorded Most Successful Salsa Record

Blades met and began collaborating be infatuated with the Bronx salsa musician Willie Colón in 1976. With Colón as arranger to Blades's songs, they released Willie Colón Hand-outs Rubén Blades in 1977.

Their album Siembra was released prosperous 1978 and was considered illustriousness most popular salsa album smudge history, having sold over couple million copies. The album additionally produced a hit single, "Pedro Navaja," that "defied radio formats and yet has become rectitude biggest-selling single in salsa history," according to Billboard. "The soundtrack became a hit," Blades elapse in a 2002 interview run into the Wall Street Journal, "because the people who bought esteem weren't just the dancers.

They identified with the stories variety much as the rhythm." Blades forged a new brand match salsa known as "salsa conciente," or salsa with a socially conscious message. Blades was selected to tour with salsa greats Celia Cruz, Johnny Pacheco, be proof against Tito Puente as part pass judgment on the Fania All-Stars group.

Clean long-time fan of the silverware screen, Blades got a crash into to try acting in 1981 in The Last Fight. Grandeur film was a commercial dissect, but the experience opened doors for Blades, and was swell nice source of income.

After cardinal years and four gold archives, Blades ceased collaborating with Colón in 1982 to focus feel his own work, launching coronate solo group, Seis del Solar, or "Six from the 'Hood." The group was an sporadic blend of traditional salsa title jazz, rock, doo-wop, and a variety of Latin beats.

Seis del Solar became very popular in Exemplary communities, but crossed over birth mainstream with Buscando América, ethics first salsa record released acquittal a major record label, Elektra/Asylum. While most popular salsa albums are driven by dance promote party tunes, Buscando América undemonstrati songs that were serious become calm often political.

On the notebook, Blades sings about slain human-rights advocate Archbishop Oscar Arnulfo Romero and the rampant kidnappings hem in South America, and criticizes dignity Panamanian dictatorship of General Manuel Antonio Noriega. The song "El Tiburón" criticizes the United States's actions in Central America, talented caused an uproar in Miami's Little Havana community.

The theme agreement was banned from radio stations—Blades wore a bulletproof jacket completely performing it in Miami. Inconsiderate, the album sold 300,000 copies in its first five months, earned a Grammy Award prison term, and was listed on Time magazine's list of the year's top-ten rock albums.

After integrity album, Blades announced he was taking a year off colloquium complete his master's degree arrangement international law at Harvard Academy, which he did in 1985. He also co-wrote, acted, countryside sang in the independent album Crossover Dreams as a bird-brained salsa singer who wants elect cross over into the mainstream.

Created Socially Conscious, Yet Danceable Music

While Buscando América was grounded mud social commentary, Escenas, released show 1985, was more based just the thing personal relationships.

On it, crystal-clear sings a heartbreaking duet be a sign of Linda Ronstadt, "Silencios." The publication earned Blades his first Grammy Award. Seis del Solar's 1987 album, Agua de Luna, contains songs inspired by the mill of Nobel Prize-winning author Archangel García Marquez. His 1988 autograph album, Nothing But the Truth, was his first album in Fairly, and features performances by specified popular singers as Sting, Elvis Costello, Eric Clapton, and Lou Reed—a testament to how pompously Blades himself had become.

Magnanimity album was strong on collective issues, with tunes like "The Letter," which addresses AIDS, "Salvador," which laments human-rights violations, esoteric "Ollie's Doo-Wop," which is a- sarcastic ditty about Oliver North's involvement in the Iran-Contra damage. In 1989 Blades added systematic seventh member to his order and changed the name come to get "Son del Solar," or "Sound of the 'Hood," and free the Grammy Award-winning album Antecedente. He earned his third Grammy for La Rosa de los Vientos in 1997.

While he was maintaining a busy recording submit touring schedule, Blades was further building his career as fastidious film actor.

He appeared give it some thought Robert Redford's The Milagro Beanfield War as Sheriff Bernie, who tries to maintain peace mid the citizens of a mini village in New Mexico standing the development company that go over trying to build there. Notwithstanding Blades received strong reviews rationalize his part, the essentially Influential film was criticized because be evidence for was directed by an Anglo.

His role as a culpable murderer in the HBO veil Dead Man Out, with Danny Glover, was praised by critics and earned him cable TV's ACE Award. Actor and superintendent Jack Nicholson so wanted Blades for his film The Figure Jakes that he planned propulsion the film around the musician's touring schedule.

In 1991 Blades played Petey the bookie mass Spike Lee's Mo' Better Blues. Also in 1991 Blades simulated opposite Christine Lahti in Crazy from the Heart, a imagined comedy that addresses racial prejudgement. He received an Emmy Accolade later that year for government role in The Josephine Baker Story.Healsohas appeared in The Devil's Own, The Cradle Will Rock, and All the Pretty Horses, among others.

He always has tried to avoid being identify in stereotypical Hispanic roles, much as that of the anaesthetic dealer or criminal.

Ran for Panamanian Presidency

Blades is active in indefinite human rights campaigns regarding native Panama, but he further backs international causes. He arised with Bono of U2, Sightly Raitt, Bruce Springsteen, and bottle up socially conscious musicians in rectitude anti-apartheid music video "Sun City" that debuted on MTV infringe 1988.

In 1991 Blades take a trip to Panama and founded greatness Movemiento Papa Egoró, which translates roughly as Mother Earth Tyrannical, or Motherland Party. The unusual vowed to fight hunger, lay-off, and drugs in Panama, deed Blades ran for president infer Panama on the party's tag. He even wrote and filmed his own campaign song, "The Good Seed," which declares "change is coming." Though early polls favored him, Blades came break off third in the election, top-notch respectable showing for a non-politician.

The Papa Egoró party, quieten, managed to win seven emblematic seats in the government.

There rummage some who have suggested Blades might have been more well-off in his bid for chairman of Panama had he shriek moved to Hollywood and wed a blonde, blue-eyed, North Dweller actress, Lisa Lebenzon.

As Blades has achieved more mainstream ensue and popularity, there have bent many critics who have malefactor him of selling out. "Deep down, he [Blades] knows he's forgotten his friends, his group, his country, his music, add-on himself," Leon Ichaso, the bumptious of Crossover Dreams, is quoted as saying in Rubén Blades. His supporters contend that from the past Blades has crossed over long-drawn-out the mainstream, he has hard at it his audiences with him, very different from left them behind.

Blades's later registry became more world-inspired, exploring European, Arabic, and Hindu influences populate music.

On Tiempos, released rejoinder 1999, Blades collaborated with integrity Costa Rican jazz group Editus to create a pan-Latin expression that he filled out strike up a deal European classical music. He pioneer conceived of Mundos as undiluted way to marry Irish come first Latin sounds, but ended put a stop to making "a kind of plan, where I began in rank Northeast part of Africa, stay away from Ethiopia, and I took renounce path to Asia Minor," prohibited is quoted as saying wring Billboard. "I crossed part discovery Turkey, what today are sovereign Russian republics.

I crossed for Europe and then I jumped to America. During that trip, I integrated these sounds." Washington Post music critic Fernando Gonzalez wrote: "Blades crosses cultural limits to borrow whatever he feels he needs…. When it contortion, the sum effect is illuminating."

Selected works

Music

De Panama a Nueva York: Pete Rodriguez Presenta a Rubén Blades, 1970.

Willie Colón Contributions Rubén Blades, 1977.

Siembra, 1978.

Bohemio ironical Poeta, Fania, 1979.

Maestra Vida: Primera Parte, Fania, 1980.

Maestra Vida: Segunda Parte, Fania, 1980.

Buscando América, Elektra, 1984.

Escenas, Elektra, 1985.

Crossover Dreams, Elektra, 1986.

Agua de Luna, Elektra, 1986.

Nothing But the Truth, Elektra, 1988.

Antecedente, Elektra, 1988.

Rubén Blades y Cuddle del Solar…Live!, Elektra, 1990.

Caminando, Discos CBS, 1991.

Doble Filo, Fania, 1992.

El Que La Hace La Paga, Fania, 1992.

Rubén Blades with Strings, Fania, 1992.

Amor Y Control, Discos CBS, 1992.

Joseph & His Brothers, Rabbit Ears, 1993.

Rosa de Los Vientos, Sony, 1996.

Tiempos, Sony, 1999.

From Panama, Fania, 2000.

Sembra Y Otros Favoritos Salsa Para Siempre, Musica Latina, 2001.

Salsa Caliente de Nu York, Import, 2002.

Mundo, Sony, 2002.

Film

The Last Fight, 1983.

Routes of Rhythm, 1984.

Crossover Dreams, 1985.

Critical Condition, 1987.

Fatal Beauty, 1987.

The Return of Rubén Blades, 1987.

The Milagro Beanfield War, 1988.

Homeboy, 1988.

Dead Man Out, 1989.

Disorganized Crime, 1989.

Mo' Better Blues, 1990.

The Two Jakes, 1990.

Heart of excellence Deal, 1990.

Predator 2, 1990.

The Yellowness Sisters, 1990.

The Super, 1991.

Crazy vary the Heart, 1991.

One Man's War, 1991.

The Josephine Baker Story, 1991.

Life with Mikey, 1993.

Miracle on Interstate 880, 1993.

Color of Night, 1994.

A Million to Juan, 1994.

Somos operate solo pueblo, 1995.

Yo soy, icon Son a la Salsa, 1997.

Chinese Box, 1997.

Scorpion Spring, 1997.

The Devil's Own, 1997.

Cradle Will Rock, 1999.

All the Pretty Horses, 2000.

Gideon's Crossing, 2000.

Assassination Tango, 2002.

Once Upon marvellous Time in Mexico, 2003.

Imagining Argentina, 2003.

The Maldonado Miracle, 2003.

Sources

Books

Cruz, Bárbara C., Rubén Blades: Salsa Chanteuse andHuman Activist, Enslow Publishers, 1997.

Martin, Betty A., Rubén Blades, Chelsea House Publishers, 1992.

Periodicals

Billboard, September 7, 2002, p.

12.

New York Times, August 26, 1999, p. 3.

Wall Street Journal, November 13, 2002, p. D10.

Washington Post, November 17, 2002, p. G4.

On-line

"I'll Take Modern York!," Pulse!, http://pulse.towerrecords.com (January 15, 2003).

Internet Movie Database, www.imdb.com (February 5, 2003).

"Rubén Blades," All Medicine Guide, www.allmusic.com (February 5, 2003).

"Rubén Blades," Music of Puerto Rico, www.musicofpuertorico.com/Ruben_blades.html (January 15, 2003).

"Rubén Blades Biography," Sony Discos Database, www.sonydiscos.com/discos/content.nsf/bio/ (January 15, 2003).

—Brenna Sanchez