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®
Bochinches
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Por eso, donde ella fuera yo adentro la acompañaba
Y mi abuelita decía, 'Así nos salió la baraja
En la casa de los pobres hasta el feto trabaja'
A la mansión del patrón un negro ha sido invitao
Lo mandaron a buscar como acto desesperao
Al no poder curar al señor
Del brazo de la patrona llegó San Martín de Porres
Manejaba su virtud como si ella fuera un taxi
Por plata iba el pasajero, de la teoría a la praxis
Su cuerpo, una carretera que accidentó a mucha gente
Su amor, un huérfano herido, siempre buscando pariente
The opening lines of Rubén Blades's song Bochinches talk about the hard work of his mother even when she was pregnant, and how he always accompanied her wherever she went. The second line, "And my grandmother used to say, 'That's how we were dealt our cards. In the house of the poor, even the fetus works,'" is a commentary on the cycle of poverty that is passed down through generations. It speaks to the idea that being born into poverty often means that you are already behind and will have to work harder to get ahead.
The song then shifts to tell the story of a black man who is invited to the mansion of his employer as a last resort to try and cure the boss's illness, as the white doctors have failed to do so. San Martín de Porres, a black Peruvian saint with a reputation of being a healer and miracle worker, arrives with the patroness and uses his gift as a healer to cure the boss. The lyrics suggest that this is a commentary on how the white elite often overlook the skills and contributions of people of color until they are in dire need.
The last verse talks about San Martín de Porres's life and how he would use his gift as a healer for profit. The metaphor of his body being a "roadway that has caused many accidents," suggests that he was not always successful in his endeavors and may have caused harm unintentionally. Blades also suggests that San Martín's love was like an injured orphan, always looking for someone to take care of him.
Overall, Bochinches is a song about the struggles of marginalized communities, the prejudices that they face, and how their skills and contributions are often overlooked until they are needed. It is a powerful commentary on the cycle of poverty and how difficult it can be to break free from it, even when you are talented and hardworking.
Line by Line Meaning
Mi madre no descansó y trabajó hasta preñada
My mother never stopped working, even when she was pregnant with me.
Por eso, donde ella fuera yo adentro la acompañaba
That's why I was always with her wherever she went.
Y mi abuelita decía, 'Así nos salió la baraja
And my grandmother used to say, 'This is the hand we were dealt.'
En la casa de los pobres hasta el feto trabaja'
In poor households, even the unborn child has to work.
A la mansión del patrón un negro ha sido invitao
A black man has been invited to the boss's mansion.
Lo mandaron a buscar como acto desesperao
He was summoned out of desperation.
Al no poder curar al señor
Since the doctor couldn't cure the master
Nuestros blancos e ilustres doctores
Our white and illustrious doctors
Del brazo de la patrona llegó San Martín de Porres
San Martín de Porres arrived, escorted by the boss's wife.
Manejaba su virtud como si ella fuera un taxi
She used her virtue as if it were a taxi.
Por plata iba el pasajero, de la teoría a la praxis
Customers paid to ride from theory to practice.
Su cuerpo, una carretera que accidentó a mucha gente
Her body was a highway that caused many accidents.
Su amor, un huérfano herido, siempre buscando pariente
Her love is like a wounded orphan, always searching for a relative.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Salvador De Frias
Como panameño me siento muy contento x Ruben quien a traves de su musica nos hace recordar, soñar y sobretodo pensar en ellas y su letra. Ruben eres un orgullo para Panama y Latinoamerica.
YO SOY ALID
Una de mis favoritas de este álbum.
YOVANNY MARQUEZ CARABALI
Que buen clacico para los que sabemos de esta vaina attt: Yovanny marquez carabali
Héctor fl
excelente este disco es el que mas me gusta de rubencito es un maestro de maestros
Hernan Yoab
Totalmente de acuerdo, sonidos de todos el mundo.
YOVANNY MARQUEZ CARABALI
Espectacular clásico attt: Yovanny Márquez carabali
RAM THRU
Masterpiece
masero masero
Oleee el tito Rubén Blades mostrooo🙌
Mika Malpica
magistral
Lilia Cera
exquisita