Rubén Blades

Rubén Blades is one of the most successful vocalists and songwriters in Panamanian music and salsa history. A prolific recording artist, actor, activist, and politician, he wove the poetic sophistication of Central American nueva canción and Cuban nueva trova into his lyrics and introduced experimental tempos to salsa. With Willie Colón's band, he wrote classic songs including "Pedro Navaja" and "El Cantante." 1978's Siembra and 1979's Bohemio y Poeta were hits offering uncharacteristically politically charged lyrics alongside hyper-modern charts. 1984's Buscando América with Seis Del Solar was nominated for a Grammy. As a burgeoning actor, he starred in numerous films, and in 1994 he ran for president of Panama, coming in second. 1999's Tiempos represented a break from salsa and won a Grammy. In 2014, Blades issued the charting Tangos. He released Una Noche con Rubén Blades in 2020 with Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. In 2021 he and Robert Delgado's Orchestra issued Salswing! and won a Grammy. The following year, he released yet another Grammy winner, Parceiros, in collaboration with veteran Brazilian MPB vocal group Boca Livre. August 2023 saw the release of Siembra: 45° Aniversario - En Vivo en el Coliseo de Puerto Rico, 14 de Mayo 2022 with Delgado conducting.

From 🇵🇦 Panama