Blades's father is a percussionist-turned-detective and his mother was a singer and radio performer. His grandfather, Reuben Blades, was an English-speaking native of St. Lucia who came to work on the canal, as he tells in the song West Indian Man on the album Amor y Control ("That's where the Blades comes from.") (1992)
After obtaining degrees in political science and law at Panama's Universidad Nacional, Blades worked at the Bank of Panama as a lawyer. In 1974, Blades moved to the United States, staying temporarily with his exiled parents in Miami before moving to New York City. Blades began his musical career in New York writing songs while working in the mailroom at Fania Records, and soon was working with salseros Ray Barretto and Larry Harlow. Shortly thereafter Blades started collaborating with trombonist and band leader Willie Colón, and they recorded several albums together. Their album Siembra (1978) became the best-selling salsa record in history.
After 1980, Blades tried to terminate his contract with Fania, but he was contractually obliged to record several more albums. These are generally considered toss-offs and Blades himself told his fans to avoid them. When he was free of his contractual obligations, Blades signed with another label, Elektra, and assembled a top-notch band (known variously as Seis Del Solar or Son Del Solar) and recorded a number of albums with them.
In the early 1980s, Blades began his career in films as a composer of soundtracks.
In 1982, Blades got his first acting role in The Last Fight writing the title song as well as portraying a singer-turned-boxer vying for a championship against a fighter who was played by real life world champion boxer Salvador Sánchez.
In 1985, Blades gained widespread recognition as co-writer and star of the independent film Crossover Dreams as a New York salsa singer willing to do anything to break into the mainstream. This same year he earned a master's degree in international law from Harvard University. He was also the subject of Robert Mugge's documentary The Return of Ruben Blades, which debuted at that year's Denver Film Festival. During the 1990s, he acted in films, mounted his unsuccessful presidential bid, founding the party Movimiento Papa Egoró, and continued to make salsa records.
His many film appearances include The Milagro Beanfield War (1988), The Two Jakes (1990), Mo' Better Blues (1990), and Devil's Own (1997). In 1999, he played Mexican artist Diego Rivera in Tim Robbins' Cradle Will Rock.
In 1997, Blades headed the cast of singer/songwriter Paul Simon's first Broadway musical, The Capeman, based on a true story about a violent youth who becomes a poet in prison. In the 2003 film Once Upon a Time in Mexico, starring Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, and Willem Dafoe, he played the role of a retired FBI agent.
Blades' 1999 album Tiempos which he made with the 12-piece Costa Rican band Editus, represented a break from his salsa past and a rejection of commercial trends in Latin music.
Some might say that "his biggest mistake was releasing an English-language album in 1988 in the wake of his 1987 Grammy for Escenas" [sic] but in fact, he tends to avoid commercial choices. After winning his first Grammy for Escenas in 1986 he recorded the album Agua de Luna based on the short stories of Gabriel Garcia Marquez in 1987. The next year he released the English language collaboration with rock artists Sting, Elvis Costello, and Lou Reed the same year as Antecedente, another Grammy winner. In 2003 he followed the World Music Grammy winner Mundo with a web site free download project. As he said in 2005 when receiving the ASCAP Founders Award about his non-commercial choices, "That's the way I think."
In 2004 he put his artistic careers on hold when he began serving as Minister of Tourism of Panama.
Source: Wikipedia®
Amor Pa' Que
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Si al fin y al cabo siempre termina
O se transforma en un no se que
Amor pa que
Si al irse deja la fe perdida
Y al alma herida por quien se fue
Así decía yo
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Amor pa'que
Si al fin y al cabo siempre termina
O se transforma en un no se que
Amor pa que
Si al irse deja la fe perdida
Y al alma herida por quien se fue
Así decía yo
Hasta que te encontré
Pero ya no
Amor pa que, amor pa'que
Ay amor pa'que, y amor pa'que,
Y amor pa'que yo decía de antaño
Y hoy me regaño por no creer
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Y al fin y al cabo a todos nos llega un día cualquiera
El amor que es
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Ay que linda se ve pasando por la avenida la maestra Manuela Pere
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Con ese traje bien pintadita
Mi nena linda
Ay que bien tú te ves
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Y es que cualquiera se equivoca
Pida ud por esa boca y yo complaceré
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Pero ahora ya no me quejo
Ya yo no la dejo oye que lindo que es
Vaya mambo
Esa es la vecina del 316
Esta... buenísima
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Ay péguese bailando Manuela,
Quíteme la pena que tengo de ayer
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Hasta que encontré la luz que alumbra mi camino
Y esa musa que es usted
Amor pa que, amor pa que
En el solar de los aburridos decimos a coro
Vele le le le amor pa'que
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Pero por fin atrás dejare la sinvergüensura
Mis malas mañas yo cambiaré
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Ya cambie de opinión porque esud se gano mi corazón.
Rubén Blades's song "Amor Pa' Que" is a reflection on the futility and pain of love, or so the singer thought until they found love that truly matters. The repeated refrain of "Amor pa' que" ("Love, for what?") suggests that the singer sees no point in investing in love that will ultimately end, leaving behind shattered faith and a wounded soul. However, the lyric "Hasta que te encontré" ("Until I found you") signals a shift in attitude, indicating that the singer's pessimism about love was transformed by their encounter with someone who matters.
Blades suggests that even if love ends, it is still worth chasing, as evidenced by the lines "Y al fin y al cabo a todos nos llega un día cualquier / El amor que es" ("And in the end, we all reach a certain day / The day when love is"), presenting the idea that love is an experience that has value even if it ends. The chorus also becomes celebratory in tone with the introduction of the lines "Vaya mambo" and "Péguese bailando Manuela, quíteme la pena que tengo de ayer" ("Go mambo" and "Dance with me, Manuela, take away yesterday's pain"), suggesting that love is not necessarily always painful but can also be joyful and life-affirming.
Overall, the song seems to argue that while love may be full of pain and confusion, and it may end, it is still worth pursuing for the moments of magic that it can bring.
Line by Line Meaning
Amor pa'que
What's the point of love?
Si al fin y al cabo siempre termina
It always ends in one way or another
O se transforma en un no se que
Or turns into something unexplainable
Si al irse deja la fe perdida
When they leave, they take my faith with them
Y al alma herida por quien se fue
And my soul is wounded by their departure
Así decía yo
That's what I used to say
Hasta que te encontré
Until I found you
Pero ya no
But not anymore
Ay amor pa'que
Oh, what's the point of love?
Y amor pa'que yo decía de antaño
And that's what I used to say in the past
Y hoy me regaño por no creer
And now I scold myself for not believing in it
Y al fin y al cabo a todos nos llega un día cualquiera
In the end, love comes to us all at some point
El amor que es
Love, which is
Ay que linda se ve pasando por la avenida la maestra Manuela Pere
Oh, how beautiful Teacher Manuela Pere looks passing by on the avenue
Con ese traje bien pintadita
Wearing that well-fitted outfit
Pero ahora ya no me quejo
But now I don't complain anymore
Ya yo no la dejo oye que lindo que es
I don't leave her now, oh how nice that is
Esa es la vecina del 316
That's the neighbor from apartment 316
Amor pa que
What's the point of love?
Ay péguese bailando Manuela,
Oh, dance with me Manuela
Quíteme la pena que tengo de ayer
Take away the pain I have from yesterday
Hasta que encontré la luz que alumbra mi camino
Until I found the light that brightens my path
Y esa musa que es usted
And that muse is you
En el solar de los aburridos decimos a coro
In the place of the bored, we all say together
Vele le le le amor pa'que
Oh, what's the point of love?
Pero por fin atrás dejare la sinvergüensura
But finally, I'll leave behind the shamelessness
Mis malas mañas yo cambiaré
I will change my bad habits
Ya cambie de opinión porque esud se gano mi corazón.
I changed my mind because you won my heart.
Contributed by Jackson I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
arles octavio lemos castro
Amor pa'que
si al fin y al cabo siempre termina
o se transforma en un no se que
amor pa que
si al irse deja la fe perdida
y al alma herida por quien se fue
asi decía yo
hasta que te encontre
amor pa que, amor pa que
amor pa que, amor pa que
Amor pa'que
si al fin y al cabo siempre termina
y se transforma en un no se que
amor pa que
si al irse deja la fe perdida
y al alma herida por quien se fue
asi decía yo
hasta que te encontre
Pero ya no
Amor pa que, amor pa'que
Ay amor pa'que, y amor pa'que,
y amor pa´que yo decia de antaño
y hoy me regaño por no creer
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Y al fin y al cabo a todos nos llega un dia cualquiera
el amor que es
Amor pa que, amor pa que
ay que linda se ve pasando por la avenida la maestra Manuela Pere
Amor pa que, amor pa que
con ese traje bien pintadita
mi nena linda
ay que bien tu te ves
Amor pa que, amor pa que
y es que cualquiera se equivoca
pida ud por esa boca y yo complacere
Amor pa que, amor pa que
pero ahora ya no me quejo
ya yo no la dejo oye que lindo que es
vaya mambo
esa es la vecina del 316
esta... buenisima
Amor pa que, amor pa que
ay peguese bailando Manuela,
quiteme la pena que tengo de ayer
Amor pa que, amor pa que
hasta que encontré la luz que alumbra mi camino
y esa musa que es usted
Amor pa que, amor pa que
En el solar de los aburridos decimos a coro
vele le le le amor pa'que
Amor pa que, amor pa que
pero por fin atrás dejare la sinvergüenzura
mis malas mañas yo cambiaré
Amor pa que, amor pa que
ya cambie mi opinión porque usted se ganó mi corazón
Edgardo Cortez
El señor ruben blades el poeta tremendo compositor.uno de los grandes de la salsa mis respetos en mi pais puerto rico se le quiere y se le admira usted es hijo adoptivo de nuestra isla del encanto que viva la salsa y el maestro ruben blades
Gerald Lafaurie
Composición de Rubén blades y grabada por primer vez por el Conjunto Candela cantando Néstor Sánchez El Albino Divino.
Javier Bedoya
El poeta d america👍👏🍻🖐🎶
arles octavio lemos castro
Amor pa'que
si al fin y al cabo siempre termina
o se transforma en un no se que
amor pa que
si al irse deja la fe perdida
y al alma herida por quien se fue
asi decía yo
hasta que te encontre
amor pa que, amor pa que
amor pa que, amor pa que
Amor pa'que
si al fin y al cabo siempre termina
y se transforma en un no se que
amor pa que
si al irse deja la fe perdida
y al alma herida por quien se fue
asi decía yo
hasta que te encontre
Pero ya no
Amor pa que, amor pa'que
Ay amor pa'que, y amor pa'que,
y amor pa´que yo decia de antaño
y hoy me regaño por no creer
Amor pa que, amor pa que
Y al fin y al cabo a todos nos llega un dia cualquiera
el amor que es
Amor pa que, amor pa que
ay que linda se ve pasando por la avenida la maestra Manuela Pere
Amor pa que, amor pa que
con ese traje bien pintadita
mi nena linda
ay que bien tu te ves
Amor pa que, amor pa que
y es que cualquiera se equivoca
pida ud por esa boca y yo complacere
Amor pa que, amor pa que
pero ahora ya no me quejo
ya yo no la dejo oye que lindo que es
vaya mambo
esa es la vecina del 316
esta... buenisima
Amor pa que, amor pa que
ay peguese bailando Manuela,
quiteme la pena que tengo de ayer
Amor pa que, amor pa que
hasta que encontré la luz que alumbra mi camino
y esa musa que es usted
Amor pa que, amor pa que
En el solar de los aburridos decimos a coro
vele le le le amor pa'que
Amor pa que, amor pa que
pero por fin atrás dejare la sinvergüenzura
mis malas mañas yo cambiaré
Amor pa que, amor pa que
ya cambie mi opinión porque usted se ganó mi corazón
Josefina Melendez
Como que pida yo y que tu me complaseras ya yo te he pedido amor y tu no me lo as querido dar ; este es
la hora que yo espero por ti y tu no as querido venir por mi .
Raul Sarabia
Fenomeno maestro inalcansable un procer
Edgardo Cortez
el mejor el poeta ruben blades salsaaaaaaa
Henry García
GENIO
MÁS NA
2020
Jose Luis Martinez
Muchos recuerdo atra
Goering Romero
Así decía yo y...