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®
Hoy Es Domingo
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Y despertarme lleno de su olor
A ese café de la mañana
Que siempre corre hasta la cama
Y duerme hasta el despertador
Hoy tengo cita con la almohada
Y una reunión con e ventilador
Por que no entiende de pretexto
Y dejo en pausa mi sillón
Hoy, hoy es domingo
No hay compromisos con el reloj
Porque hoy, hoy es domingo
No hay nada mejor
Te saco un vino en la cocina
Y un buen asado espera en el carbón
Aunque tengamos mil problemas
Hoy descansamos de las penas
Alimentando el corazón
Que nadie rompa este momento
Es día de celebración
Hay que brindar por la alegría
Afuera la mala energía
Por que mañana Lunes se acabo
Hoy, hoy es Domingo
No hay compromiso con el reloj
Porque hoy, hoy es Domingo
No hay nada mejor
Hoy, hoy es Domingo
No hay compromiso con el reloj
Porque hoy, hoy es Domingo
No hay nada mejor
Hoy es Domingo y no es bueno para trabajar
Hoy es Domingo, el día para disfrutar
Mañana es un día de fiesta, no me lo discuta usted
Que yo tengo el almanaque, en español y en ingles
Hoy es Domingo y no es bueno para trabajar
Hoy es Domingo, el día para disfrutar
Pero que mira que cuando se encuentran
Dos latinos siempre da igual
Que Lunes, que Martes, que Miércoles
Que siempre Domingo será
Hoy es Domingo y no es bueno para trabajar
Hoy es Domingo, el día para disfrutar
El Domingo se va a misa, hablo de lo espiritual
Se reúne la familia y amigos, a celebrar
These lyrics are from the song "Hoy Es Domingo" by Rubén Blades. The song is an ode to the joy and relaxation of Sundays, emphasizing the freedom from responsibilities and the opportunity to connect with loved ones and enjoy simple pleasures.
In the first verse, Blades expresses his delight at being back home and waking up to the familiar scent of coffee and the comfort of his bed. He paints a picture of a lazy Sunday morning, where he can indulge in the luxury of sleeping until he naturally wakes up, without the interruption of an alarm clock.
The chorus emphasizes the carefree nature of Sundays, with no obligations to keep track of time or be slaves to the clock. Blades highlights the blissful state of having no commitments and reveling in the beauty of the day. Sundays become a sanctuary where he can escape the worries and stresses of the week.
Blades emphasizes the importance of creating special moments on Sundays in the second verse. He mentions pouring a glass of wine in the kitchen and having a delicious barbecue waiting on the charcoal grill. Despite the presence of daily problems, Blades emphasizes the need to rest from sorrows and nourish one's heart with happiness. This is a day of celebration where bad energy should be kept at bay and toasts should be shared in honor of the joy and contentment that Sundays bring.
The final verse highlights the cultural significance of Sundays within Latin American communities. Blades emphasizes that Sundays are not meant for work but for enjoyment. He playfully mentions that two Latinos will always treat any day as if it were Sunday when they meet each other. He also mentions the religious aspect of Sundays, with mass attendance and the gathering of family and friends to celebrate together.
Overall, "Hoy Es Domingo" captures the essence of Sundays as a day of rest, relaxation, and connection. It celebrates the freedom from time constraints and the opportunity to prioritize happiness and togetherness.
Line by Line Meaning
Como me gusta estar de nuevo en casa
I love being back home once again
Y despertarme lleno de su olor
And waking up surrounded by its scent
A ese café de la mañana
To that morning coffee
Que siempre corre hasta la cama
That always makes its way to the bed
Y duerme hasta el despertador
And sleeps until the alarm goes off
Hoy tengo cita con la almohada
Today I have an appointment with the pillow
Y una reunión con e ventilador
And a meeting with the fan
Una salida con mi perro
A walk with my dog
Por que no entiende de pretexto
Because he doesn't understand excuses
Y dejo en pausa mi sillón
And I pause my armchair
Te saco un vino en la cocina
I pour you a glass of wine in the kitchen
Y un buen asado espera en el carbón
And a good barbecue waits on the grill
Aunque tengamos mil problemas
Even if we have a thousand problems
Hoy descansamos de las penas
Today we rest from sorrows
Alimentando el corazón
Feeding the heart
Que nadie rompa este momento
Let no one ruin this moment
Es día de celebración
It's a day of celebration
Hay que brindar por la alegría
We must toast to joy
Afuera la mala energía
Get rid of the bad energy
Por que mañana Lunes se acabo
Because tomorrow Monday is over
Hoy, hoy es domingo
Today, today is Sunday
No hay compromisos con el reloj
There are no commitments to the clock
Porque hoy, hoy es domingo
Because today, today is Sunday
No hay nada mejor
There's nothing better
Hoy es Domingo y no es bueno para trabajar
Today is Sunday and it's not good for work
Hoy es Domingo, el día para disfrutar
Today is Sunday, the day to enjoy
Mañana es un día de fiesta, no me lo discuta usted
Tomorrow is a holiday, don't argue with me about it
Que yo tengo el almanaque, en español y en ingles
Because I have the calendar, in Spanish and in English
El Domingo se va a misa, hablo de lo espiritual
On Sunday, you go to church, I'm talking about the spiritual
Se reúne la familia y amigos, a celebrar
Family and friends gather to celebrate
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANTONIO RAYO GIBO, BEATRIZ LUENGO, DIEGO TORRES, YOTUEL ROMERO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind