Rubén Blades

Rubén Blades From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Rubén Blades Rubén Blades (born July 16, 1948) is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter, actor and politician. As songwriter, Blades brought the lyrical sophistication of South American nueva canción and Cuban nueva trova to salsa, creating thinking persons' dance music. Although he only got 2% of the vote in his failed attempt to win the Panamanian presidency in 1994, he remains wildly popular in that country and much admired throughout Latin America.

He was discovered by Willie Colón who took his lyrics to another level with his intuitive productions. Willie Colón nurtured Ruben Blades and made him a first class concert artist and recording star.

Blades has won numerous grammy award and Colón has not won one to date but he did receive 11 nominations and the Adcademy's Lifetime Acheivement Award.

Blades political career mimics Colón's, who after running for NYC Public Advocate in 2001, entered the Bloomberg Administration as Consultant for tourism. Three years later, Blades followed suit by seeking a similar position, on a smaller scale, in Panama. Since then Colón has become an important member of Michael Bloomberg's high command as Special Assistant and Liaison to the Mayor of the City of New York.

Some people say that after a concert in Puerto Rico in 2003, where a large sum of money that was in Blades'possesion disappeared, Blades retired to Panama as a "Minister" of Tourism so as not to have to pay Colón. It is rumored that he used this money to buy his present position.