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 Telefonito
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dile que no estoy, dile que no estoy
Yo sé de una chamaquita
Que todas las mañanitas
Cuando estoy por levantarme
En mi cabecera siento el "Ring ring"
Resulta que la chamaca
Está tan enamorada
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Yo sé de una chamaquita
Que todas las mañanitas
Cuando estoy por levantarme
En mi cabecera siento el "Ring ring"
Y es el telefonito
Resulta que la chamaca
Está tan enamorada
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Siempre tempranito "Ring ring"
Óyelo sonando "Ring ring"
El telefonito "Ring ring"
Es la chamaca llamando "Ring ring"
Ay desde Colombia "Ring ring"
Desde Panamá "Ring ring"
Me llama collect "Ring ring"
Ay y me va arruinar "Ring ring"
Oye como suena "Ring ring"
Ay cógelo abuela "Ring ring"
¡Alo! ¡ah, no!
¡Alo! ¡ah, no!
Dime, ¿quién llama? dile que no estoy
Usted abusó "Ring ring"
Sacó provecho de mí, me arruinó "Ring ring"
Me está volviendo loco ese "Ring ring", "Ring ring"
Ya no me estés llamando más mami "Ring ring"
Si estoy trabajando "Ring ring"
Si estoy por la esquina "Ring ring"
Me llama a la casa "Ring ring"
Y donde la vecina "Ring ring"
¡Alo! ¡ah, no!
¡Alo!, no estoy
O como decía, "Mom"
¿Pelo quien llama? dile que no estoy
Hazme la maleta "Ring ring"
Que esto huele a fiscal "Ring ring"
Tanto "Ring ring" dejó, "Ring ring"
A mí, a mí que me huele a mal "Ring ring"
Dame un chancecito morena "Ring ring"
Dame un breakesito siquiera "Ring ring"
No me llames tanto "Ring ring"
Quiero descansar un ratito "Ring ring"
¿Qué será? "Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
¿Qué pasará? "Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
Compadre que es esto "Ring ring"
Compai que relajo "Ring ring"
"Ring ring" por encima "Ring ring"
Y el rang rang por abajo "Ring ring"
Si es la chamaquita "Ring ring"
Cógelo, abuelita "Ring ring"
Abuela, ¿sí?
Ahora que llame la muchachita esa de nuevo
Usted lo coge y le dice que yo no estoy, anja
Dígale que no estoy, sí
¿Esta Rubencito?
No, Ruben dice que no está
Ay abuela pero, ah po contéstalo tú
Abuela
The first part of the song “Quien es? Dile que no estoy, dile que no estoy…” translates to “Who is it? Tell them I am not here, tell them I am not here…”. Ruben Blades talks about a girl who repeatedly calls him every morning, fearing that she might lose his love, she calls him collect from Colombia to Panama, and each time he picks up the phone he asks who is calling and tells them that he is not there. He also pleads with the girl, asking her to give him some space and let him rest. Throughout the song, there are background singers who repeat the phrase “Ring ring”, which represents the sound of the telephone ringing.
The song "El Telefonito" is a humorous take on traditional romantic songs. By making fun of himself as well as the girl who incessantly calls him, Blades is able to poke fun at the conventions of traditional love songs. It is a commentary on the modern need for constant communication and the difficulties of establishing boundaries. The use of the telephone as a symbol brings attention to the way technology can complicate simple communication.
Line by Line Meaning
¿Quien es?
Asking who is calling
Dile que no estoy, dile que no estoy
Asking to say that the person is not available
Yo se de una chamaquita
Knowing a girl
Que todas las mañanitas
Who calls every morning
Cuando estoy por levantarme
When I am about to get up
En mi cabecera siento el ring ring
Hears the phone ringing by the pillow
Y es el telefonito
It is the phone
Resulta que la chamaca
The girl ends up
Esta tan enamorada
In love
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Fearful of losing my love
Siempre tempranito ring ring
Early morning phone call
Óyelo sonando ring ring
Hear it ringing
El telefonito ring ring
The ringing phone
Es la chamaca llamando ring ring
The girl calling
Ay desde Colombia ring ring
From Colombia
Deeds Panamá ring ring
From Panama
Me llama collect ring ring
Calling collect
Ay y me va arruinar ring ring
Going to ruin me
Oye como suena ring ring
Hear how it sounds
Ay cógelo abuela ring ring
Grandmother, pick up the phone
¡Alo! ¡ ah, no!
Answering the phone but then saying no
¿Dime quien llama? dile que no estoy
Asking who is calling and asking to say that the person is not available
Usted abuso ring ring
You took advantage
Saco provecho de mi, me arruino ring ring
Took advantage of me and ruined me
Me esta volviendo loco ese ring ring, ring ring
Driving me crazy
Ya no me estés llamando más mami ring ring
Do not call me anymore
Si estoy trabajando ring ring
If I am working
Si estoy por la esquina ring ring
If I am on the corner
Me llama a la casa ring ring
Calling the house
Y donde la vecina ring ring
And where is the neighbor
O como decia, mom
As my mom would say
Hazme la maleta ring ring
Packing my bags
Que esto huele a fiscal ring ring
This smells like trouble
Tanto ring ring dejo, ring ring
Leaving all these phone calls
A mi, a mi que me huele a mal ring ring
To me, it smells bad
Dame un chancecito morena ring ring
Give me a chance
Dame un breakesito siquiera ring ring
Give me a little break
No me llames tanto ring ring
Don't call me so much
Quiero descansar un ratito ring ring
I want to rest for a while
¿Que sera? ring ring
What is it?
Ring ring
Ringing
¿Que pasara? ring ring
What will happen?
Compadre que es esto ring ring
What is this, friend
Compai que relajo ring ring
What a mess, buddy
Ring ring por encima ring ring
Ringing from above
Y el rang rang por abajo ring ring
And ringing from below
Si es la chamaquita ring ring
If it's the girl
Cojelo abuelita ring ring
Grandmother, pick up the phone
Abuela, ¿si?
Grandmother, yes?
Ahora que llame la muchachita esa de nuevo
Now that the girl calls again
Usted lo coje y le dice que yo no estoy, anja
You answer and say that I'm not available
Digale que no estoy, si
Tell her that I'm not available
¿Esta Rubencito?
Is Rubencito there?
No, Ruben dice que no esta
No, Ruben says he's not here
Ay abuela pero, ah po contestalo tú
But grandmother, answer it
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Silvestre Mendez Lopez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind