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®
El Nacimiento De Ramiro
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Que después de haber andado tanta esquina
Correteado tanta hembra y enredao' en mil problemas,
Iba yo a salir papá!--
Ay Cara'..
Nació mí niño, mí niño, nuestro niño, mira qué vaina!
Y no me atrevo ni a tocarlo, por temor a lastimarlo;
Y en este mundo, caballeros!, no hay un nene más bonito!
Y tú Manuela, cómo está mi bella reina
Que perdiste mucha sangre me contaba aquí el Doctor
Vine corriendo con Baba, Foncho y el Franklyn,
Me los traje desde el parque, por si aca' una transfusión
Es que yo estoy que ni sangre puedo darte,
Me bebí treinta cervezas y dos botellas de ron
Por la emoción de tanta espera!
Ay! que chiquillo más bonito este pelao' !!
Y cuando crezca, que será, que será que será, que será...
Será acaso un pelotero como Aparicio, o Clemente ídolo de su gente
Y gloria para el béisbol?
O a lo mejor...sale un genio a Matemáticas, un inventor,
Un gran sonero y cuidao' que hasta doctor !
Y eso sí señor, lo pido en tú nombre,
Que no me salga ma...., que no me salga ladrón
Que, aunque sé que he hecho mis trampas,
Trataré de darle todo, lo que nunca tuve yo.
Nació mí niño, mí niño, nuestro niño, ay cara' !!! Quien lo creyera?
Mí presión casi revienta. Ay, cojalo suave doctor" !
(Que te pasa? nombe...)
Fueron nueve meses de angustias e incertidumbres y
Hoy es el momento cumbre; por fin ha empezado el show!
... llama a la gente Foncho !!!
Coro
Nació mí niño, abran los balcones beban rones,
Rompan lo quieran que lo pago yo!!!
Beban todo lo que quieran
Y después me traen la cuenta
Y si no hay con que pagarla
Pues veremos que se inventa
Coro
Nació mi niño!!!
Coro
No sé si es la borrachera,
No sé lo que está pasando?
Pero creo que hasta la ropa
Del balcón esta bailando!!!
Coro
Usen el baño si quieren
Pero con mucho cuidao'
Si no hay papel no se quejen
Desde ayer esta tapao"!!!
Coro
"nació el pelao' señores !!!"
"tiene toda la cara mía ese muchacho"
Que suerte tiene!!! Que suerte tiene !!!
"vaya a compra' hielo ahí!!!"
"hielo..., cerveza y "chiwi"...
"acaba de empezar la película del año
Titulada: Ramiro da'Silva ocacio!!!
Producción: Manuela Pere'
Dirección: yo!! Je je je je!!!
Coro
Se ha formado una gran fiesta!!!
Todo el barrio esta conmigo!!!
Como nadie tiene plata...
Que to' el barrio sea el padrino!!!
Coro
Rompan todo lo que quieran!!!
Pero cuídenme los muebles...
Que todavía los debo,
Y el gallego es inclemente!!!
Coro
La cerveza se está enfriando
En la tina 'onde se lava
La gente sigue llegando
Esta rumba no se acaba!!!
Coro
Ya se está acabando el hielo
Y esto aquí sigue prendio'
Esta fiesta no se acaba
Si no estoy amaneció'!!!
Coro
Nació mí niño...
"que dios te bendiga mil veces Ramirito
Y a ti Manuela, un besote mama!!!
Oye Foncho, vamono' pa' la esquina allá en el solar.
The lyrics of Rubén Blades's song El Nacimiento De Ramiro describe the birth of a newborn baby boy, who is the son of the singer and his partner. The singer, who has had his share of troubles in the past, is overwhelmed with emotion at the sight of his beautiful newborn son, and is almost afraid to touch him. He wonders what his son's future will hold, and hopes he will become a great athlete, musician, or even a doctor. Above all, he hopes his son will not follow in his own footsteps and become a criminal. The birth of the baby is a cause for celebration, and the singer invites everyone in the neighborhood to join in the party, offering to pay for all the drinks and inviting them to be the baby's godparents. The song ends with the singer and his friends continuing to party late into the night.
The lyrics of El Nacimiento De Ramiro provide a touching depiction of the joy and wonder that comes with the birth of a child. They also reveal the singer's hopes and fears for his son's future, as well as his own willingness to recognize his past mistakes and work towards a better future. The song's celebratory tone captures the sense of community and togetherness that comes with new life, and underscores the importance of family and friends in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Nació mí niño mí niño nuestro niño quien lo creyera?
My child was born, our child was born, who would have thought?
Que después de haber andado tanta esquina
After having walked so many corners
Correteado tanta hembra y enredao' en mil problemas,
Chased so many women and tangled in a thousand problems
Iba yo a salir papá!--
I'm about to become a father!
Ay Cara'..
Oh my goodness...
Nació mí niño, mí niño, nuestro niño, mira qué vaina!
My child was born, our child was born, look at that!
Y no me atrevo ni a tocarlo, por temor a lastimarlo;
I don't even dare to touch him, for fear of hurting him;
Estoy tan emocionao que soy capaz de soltarlo!
I'm so emotional that I could drop him!
Y en este mundo, caballeros!, no hay un nene más bonito!
And in this world, gentlemen, there is no cuter child!
Y tú Manuela, cómo está mi bella reina
And you, Manuela, how is my beautiful queen?
Que perdiste mucha sangre me contaba aquí el Doctor
The doctor told me you lost a lot of blood
Vine corriendo con Baba, Foncho y el Franklyn,
I came running with Baba, Foncho and Franklyn
Me los traje desde el parque, por si aca' una transfusión
I brought them from the park, just in case for a transfusion
Es que yo estoy que ni sangre puedo darte,
I'm so drunk that I can't even give you blood,
Me bebí treinta cervezas y dos botellas de ron
I drank thirty beers and two bottles of rum
Por la emoción de tanta espera!
Due to the excitement of the long wait!
Ay! que chiquillo más bonito este pelao' !!
Oh! What a cutie this little one is!!
Y cuando crezca, que será, que será que será, que será...
And when he grows up, what will he be, what will he be, what will he be...
Será acaso un pelotero como Aparicio, o Clemente ídolo de su gente
Will he be a baseball player like Aparicio, or Clemente, an idol of his people
Y gloria para el béisbol?
And glory for baseball?
O a lo mejor...sale un genio a Matemáticas, un inventor,
Or maybe...he becomes a math genius, an inventor,
Un gran sonero y cuidao' que hasta doctor !
A great salsa singer, and watch out he even becomes a doctor!
Y eso sí señor, lo pido en tú nombre,
And I ask you for one thing, in your name
Que no me salga ma...., que no me salga ladrón
That he doesn't become a...thief or a criminal,
Que, aunque sé que he hecho mis trampas,
Even though I know I've done some dishonest things,
Trataré de darle todo, lo que nunca tuve yo.
I will try to give him everything I never had.
Nació mí niño, mí niño, nuestro niño, ay cara' !!! Quien lo creyera?
Our child was born, look at that! Who would have thought?
Mí presión casi revienta. Ay, cojalo suave doctor" !
My blood pressure is almost bursting. Oh, take it easy, doctor!
Fueron nueve meses de angustias e incertidumbres y
It was nine months of anxiety and uncertainty,
Hoy es el momento cumbre; por fin ha empezado el show!
Today is the climax; the show has finally begun!
... llama a la gente Foncho !!!
...call everyone, Foncho!!!
Nació mí niño, abran los balcones beban rones, Rompan lo quieran que lo pago yo!!!
Our child was born, open the balconies, drink rum, break whatever you want, I'll pay for it!
Beban todo lo que quieran Y después me traen la cuenta
Drink whatever you want and then bring me the bill.
Y si no hay con que pagarla Pues veremos que se inventa
And if I don't have the money, we'll figure something out,
No sé si es la borrachera, No sé lo que está pasando?
I don't know if it's the drunkenness, I don't know what's happening?
Pero creo que hasta la ropa Del balcón esta bailando!!!
But I think even the clothes on the balcony are dancing!!!
Usen el baño si quieren Pero con mucho cuidao' Si no hay papel no se quejen Desde ayer esta tapao"!!!
Use the bathroom if you want, but be very careful. If there's no paper don't complain, it's been clogged since yesterday!
"nació el pelao' señores !!!"
"The little one is born, gentlemen!"
"tiene toda la cara mía ese muchacho"
"That boy has my entire face"
Que suerte tiene!!! Que suerte tiene !!!
What luck he has!!!
"vaya a compra' hielo ahí!!!", "hielo..., cerveza y "chiwi"...
"Go buy some ice over there!!!", "Ice..., beer and "chiwi"..."
"acaba de empezar la película del año Titulada: Ramiro da'Silva ocacio!!!
"The movie of the year just started, titled: Ramiro da'Silva ocacio!!!
Producción: Manuela Pere' Dirección: yo!! Je je je je!!!
Produced by Manuela Pere', Directed by me!! Ha ha ha ha!!!
Se ha formado una gran fiesta!!! Todo el barrio esta conmigo!!!
A big party has been formed!!! The whole neighborhood is with me!!!
Como nadie tiene plata Por lo que se ve
As no one has money, from what it seems,
Que to' el barrio sea el padrino!!!
The whole neighborhood can be the godparent!!!
Rompan todo lo que quieran!!! Pero cuídenme los muebles...
Break anything you want!!! But take care of my furniture...
Que todavía los debo, Y el gallego es inclemente!!!
I still owe them, and the Spanish guy is very strict!!!
La cerveza se está enfriando En la tina 'onde se lava
The beer is getting cold in the bathtub where we wash.
La gente sigue llegando Esta rumba no se acaba!!!
People keep coming, this party doesn't end!!!
Ya se está acabando el hielo Y esto aquí sigue prendio'
The ice is running low, but the party is still on fire here,
Esta fiesta no se acaba Si no estoy amaneció'!!!
This party doesn't end until the morning if I'm still awake!!!
Nació mí niño... "que dios te bendiga mil veces Ramirito Y a ti Manuela, un besote mama!!!
Our child was born... "May God bless you a thousand times, Ramirito, and kisses to you Manuela, Mama!!!
Oye Foncho, vamono' pa' la esquina allá en el solar."
"Hey Foncho, let's go to the corner over there in the lot."
Contributed by Mia R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.