RUBÉN BLADES

Afro-Cuban Jazz / Latin Jazz / Jazz Related Soundtracks • Panama
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RUBÉN BLADES picture
Rubén Blades is one of the most successful vocalists and songwriters in the history of Panamanian music and salsa. A former member of bands led by Ray Barretto and Willie Colón, Blades has continued to influence salsa music with his highly literate, politically tinged lyrics and his modern arrangements, which substitute the usual horn and Latin percussion sections with synthesizers and drum sets. Often referred to as "the Latin Bruce Springsteen," Blades provided a musical voice for the middle class of Central America. Raised in a middle-class neighborhood in Panama City, Blades inherited his musical talents from his parents. His mother, Anoland, who emigrated from Cuba, played piano and sang in Spanish. His father, Ruben, Sr., a police detective, played bongos.

Inspired by the doo wop singing of Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers, Blades began singing North American pop and rock songs in his early teens. In 1963, he became the
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Thanks to silent way, Matt, snobb for the updates

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RUBÉN BLADES Discography

RUBÉN BLADES albums / top albums

RUBÉN BLADES De Panamá a New York album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
De Panamá a New York
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1970
RUBÉN BLADES Maestro Vida  (Primera Parte) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Maestro Vida (Primera Parte)
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1980
RUBÉN BLADES Maestra Vida  (Segunda Parte) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Maestra Vida (Segunda Parte)
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1980
RUBÉN BLADES El que la hace la paga album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
El que la hace la paga
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1983
RUBÉN BLADES Mucho mejor album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Mucho mejor
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1984
RUBÉN BLADES Buscando America album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Buscando America
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1984
RUBÉN BLADES Rubén Blades  Y Seis Del Solar : Escenas album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Rubén Blades Y Seis Del Solar : Escenas
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1985
RUBÉN BLADES Crossover Dreams album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Crossover Dreams
Jazz Related Soundtracks 1986
RUBÉN BLADES Rubén Blades Y Seis Del Solar : Agua De Luna album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Rubén Blades Y Seis Del Solar : Agua De Luna
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1987
RUBÉN BLADES Doble Filo album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Doble Filo
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1987
RUBÉN BLADES Antecedente album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Antecedente
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1988
RUBÉN BLADES Nothing But The Truth album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Nothing But The Truth
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1988
RUBÉN BLADES With Strings album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
With Strings
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1988
RUBÉN BLADES Caminando album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Caminando
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1991
RUBÉN BLADES Amor Y Control album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Amor Y Control
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1992
RUBÉN BLADES La Rosa de Los Vientos album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
La Rosa de Los Vientos
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1996
RUBÉN BLADES Tiempos album cover 4.66 | 6 ratings
Tiempos
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1999
RUBÉN BLADES Mundo album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Mundo
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2002
RUBÉN BLADES Cantares del Subarollo album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cantares del Subarollo
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2009
RUBÉN BLADES Tangos album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Tangos
Latin Jazz 2014
RUBÉN BLADES Ruben Blades & Roberto Delgado & Orquesta : Salsa Big Band album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ruben Blades & Roberto Delgado & Orquesta : Salsa Big Band
Latin Jazz 2017
RUBÉN BLADES Medoro Madera album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Medoro Madera
Latin Jazz 2018
RUBÉN BLADES Rubén Blades Presents Paraiso Road Gang album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Rubén Blades Presents Paraiso Road Gang
Latin Jazz 2019
RUBÉN BLADES Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta : SALSWING! album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Rubén Blades y Roberto Delgado & Orquesta : SALSWING!
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2021

RUBÉN BLADES EPs & splits

RUBÉN BLADES live albums

RUBÉN BLADES Live album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Live
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1990
RUBÉN BLADES Cali Concert album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Cali Concert
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2006
RUBÉN BLADES Todos Vuelven, Live - Vol. 1 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Todos Vuelven, Live - Vol. 1
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2011
RUBÉN BLADES Todos Vuelven, Live - Vol. 2 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Todos Vuelven, Live - Vol. 2
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2011
RUBÉN BLADES The Bootleg Series Volume 1 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Bootleg Series Volume 1
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2015
RUBÉN BLADES The Bootleg Series Volume 2 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Bootleg Series Volume 2
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2015
RUBÉN BLADES The Bootleg Series Volume 3 album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Bootleg Series Volume 3
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2015
RUBÉN BLADES Una Noche con Rubén Blades! (with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Una Noche con Rubén Blades! (with Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis)
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2018

RUBÉN BLADES demos, promos, fans club and other releases (no bootlegs)

RUBÉN BLADES re-issues & compilations

RUBÉN BLADES Bohemio y poeta album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Bohemio y poeta
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1979
RUBÉN BLADES Ruben Blades Con Los Salvajes Del Ritmo (aka A Las Seis) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Ruben Blades Con Los Salvajes Del Ritmo (aka A Las Seis)
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1979
RUBÉN BLADES Greatest Hits 1983 ( Fania) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Greatest Hits 1983 ( Fania)
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1983
RUBÉN BLADES Greatest Hits album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Greatest Hits
Afro-Cuban Jazz 1996
RUBÉN BLADES The Best album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Best
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2001
RUBÉN BLADES Salsa Caliente De Nu York album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Salsa Caliente De Nu York
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2002
RUBÉN BLADES Una Decada album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Una Decada
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2003
RUBÉN BLADES The Best of Rubén Blades album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
The Best of Rubén Blades
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2004
RUBÉN BLADES Greatest Hits ( Fania) album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Greatest Hits ( Fania)
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2008
RUBÉN BLADES Poeta del Pueblo album cover 0.00 | 0 ratings
Poeta del Pueblo
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2008

RUBÉN BLADES singles (0)

RUBÉN BLADES movies (DVD, Blu-Ray or VHS)

.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Todos Vuelven, Live - Vol. 1
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2011
.. Album Cover
0.00 | 0 ratings
Todos Vuelven, Live - Vol. 2
Afro-Cuban Jazz 2011

RUBÉN BLADES Reviews

RUBÉN BLADES Tiempos

Album · 1999 · Afro-Cuban Jazz
Cover art Buy this album from MMA partners
Matt
Born 1948 in Panama and first had his start in the music buisness as the mail boy at Fania Records.Certainly has come a long way since then with the Salsa hits that he wrote and recorded."Siembra" the album would be the most famous of them where he collaborated with Willie Colon and don't forget that this is the man who wrote Hector Lavoe's signature tune 'El Cantante". Ruben is multi skilled to say the least and has a few other occupations up his sleeve, actor, lawyer and even a politician back at home in Panama.This album mainly concerns the events and memories in Ruben's life and his coming acceptance of what happens to us all no matter who you are. Helping Ruben Blades in this album is the Costa Rican band Editus who are accoustic comprising Ricardo Ramirez (violin,viola), Edin Solis (guitar), Carlos Vargas "Tapado"(percussion of all manner ) and Ruben Blades doing lead vocal. Also we have behind the production another five muscians providing piano, keyboards, electric bass, saxophone, percussion of all manner, five string players, three on violin and two on violas plus another four particapating but only percussion spots on two songs collectively. Apart from the saxophone there is no brass which is very unusual for a latin album.This is nothing like Ruben's earlier material when he was doing Salsa at Fania but more introspective and with a distinct latin accoustic sound that he has created. One of a kind actually seems to be the best description for the music within and as usual the vocals by Ruben are full of emotion and he really can transport feel with that ache he has in his voice.

Twelve songs are on the album with each only getting better towards the end but first up, "Mar del Sur" with sounds of the sea, the strings and violin opening and that latin percussion just keeping a light sound, also guitar and really it is bordering towards classical at points.Instrumental and it really captures the feel of the ocean with its sound. The following "Vida" has a much more latin approach with in its structure and even harkens back to the previous album, La Rosa de Los Vientos" with the style of the tune, the rythmn and the accoustics. One great sax solo is put down in the tune and maybe the closest to a salsa tune you will get. Strings and accoustic instruments abound with in this album all underpinned by percussion providing a latin beat within many of the songs. Violin is everywhere and always played beatifully. The last four songs or compositions as they should be called are simply superb with some gorgeous accoustics and track eleven is one with its guitar opening and violin with Rubens voice coming in with that ache and exquisite violin later. The song is named "Encrucijada" ( Crossroads).The following "Ilusiones" is an instrumental with violin, guitar, piano and is bordering on Classical music as the first song on the album with it structure, a fairly short piece of only four minutes but every minute is gorgeous. "Dia Dia is 2nd last and Ruben is back with this on vocals with a bit more tempo with violin and guitar are all over it. "Tiempos" ( Times) is the last track with its beautiful sax opening and Ruben's Blades does it again with the vocal, great percussion underneath. Saxophone is the major solo but there is violin as well.

The band Editus made such a stunning contribution to this recording and this is one of three total masterpieces in latin music that Ruben Blades has created. He is one great songwriter and singer and should be famous throughout the world for his efforts in this genre. Not only just Latin America. Great music is that no matter what the language or style.

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