Rubén Blades (born July 16, 1948) is a Panamanian salsa singer, songwriter,… Read Full Bio ↴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. He remains wildly popular in that country and much admired throughout Latin America, and he managed to attract 20% of the vote in his failed attempt to win the Panamanian presidency in 1994. In September 2004, he was appointed minister of tourism by Panamanian president Martín Torrijos. Blades is completely bilingual, working both in English and Spanish. His most famous song is "Pedro Navaja", a song about a panderer whose day to die has come.

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®

Dime Que Si
Rubén Blades Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yo dentro de una botella
Procurando escapar
Tú, buscando la estrella
Que me pueda guiar
Alumbrar

Eres luz y yo sombra
Eres agua y yo sed

Tú un cariño que asombra
Yo, yo soy una pared
Por eso dime
Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti
Dime
Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti

Yo soy resta y tú suma
Soy celoso y tú no
Eres sol y yo bruma
Soy un Re y tú un Do
Tú rocío, yo aguacero
Eres hola y yo adiós
Soy un carro sin frenos
Pienso en uno y tú en dos
Por eso dime
Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti
Dime
Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti

Nuestro arcoíris se esfumó
Mi rabia fue y se lo tragó, yo lo sé
Y ahora tu amor me hace pensar
Que hay tiempo para rescatar lo que fue
(Y el tiempo vuela, el tiempo vuela)
Por eso dime
Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti

Dime
Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Rubén Blades's song "Dime Que Si" explore the contrasting dynamics between two individuals in a relationship. The songwriter uses vivid imagery and metaphorical language to convey the differences and dependencies between the two.

The opening lines, "Yo dentro de una botella / Procurando escapar / Tú, buscando la estrella / Que me pueda guiar / Alumbrar" (I'm inside a bottle / Trying to escape / You, searching for the star / That can guide me / Illuminate) set the tone for the song. It suggests that one person is trapped or confined while the other is looking for guidance or direction. The reference to the star symbolizes hope and the longing for someone who can bring light in their life.

The chorus, "Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti / Dime" (Tell me what I can do without you / Tell me) highlights the dependence and reliance on the other person. It reveals a sense of helplessness or insecurity when considering a life without the other. The repetition of "dime" (tell me) emphasizes the plea for understanding and guidance.

The following verses further explore the contrasting traits and characteristics of the two individuals. The lines "Yo soy resta y tú suma / Soy celoso y tú no / Eres sol y yo bruma / Soy un Re y tú un Do" (I am subtraction and you are addition / I am jealous, and you are not / You are the sun, and I am fog / I am a Re [D] and you are a Do [C]) highlight their differences in nature, temperament, and even their musical notes.

The bridge section adds depth to the song, expressing regret and the realization of lost time. The lines "Nuestro arcoíris se esfumó / Mi rabia fue y se lo tragó, yo lo sé / Y ahora tu amor me hace pensar / Que hay tiempo para rescatar lo que fue" (Our rainbow faded away / My anger swallowed it, I know / And now, your love makes me think / That there is time to rescue what was) evoke a sense of sadness and the desire to salvage what once was.

In summary, "Dime Que Si" delves into the contrasting nature of two individuals in a relationship, emphasizing their reliance on one another while acknowledging their differences. The longing, plea for guidance, and reflection on lost time make the song a heartfelt exploration of love and dependency.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo dentro de una botella
I am trapped inside a bottle

Procurando escapar
Trying to escape

Tú, buscando la estrella
You, searching for the star

Que me pueda guiar
That can guide me

Alumbrar
Illuminate

Eres luz y yo sombra
You are light and I am shadow

Eres agua y yo sed
You are water and I am thirst

Tú un cariño que asombra
You are a love that amazes

Yo, yo soy una pared
I, I am a wall

Por eso dime
That's why tell me

Dime qué puedo hacer sin ti
Tell me what I can do without you