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®
La Cita
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Buscando amor, unos compran, otros venden pues
Comprenden que sólo nadie conquista al dolor
Los días son iguales, la gente es la que cambia
Si al fin y al cabo el tiempo sólo es una invención
Somos juez que no perdona a los demás, mientras
Pregona que el vivir es un esfuerzo egoísta si no hay
Amor de allí que la mujer que llegaba a las seis es
Premisa que con otra camisa va cubriendo la misma
Intención, de este mundo nadie se marcha, sólo
Cambiamos de posición no hay coartada para
Justificar nuestra inocencia en el Juicio Final
Ya estamos condenados por haber inventado el
Cómo condenar
Despiértenme a la hora de la verdad
In Ruben Blades's song La Cita, the lyrics reflect on people's quest for love and how it leads them to engage in various behaviors. Some buy love while others sell it, but ultimately, no one can escape the pain that comes with searching for love. Despite the daily routine, people change, and time moves on - a mere invention. The song touches on the human tendency to judge others while preaching that living a selfish life without love is effort wasted. The woman arriving at six is no different from the man arriving at two; they are all seeking the same thing. The song suggests that in this world, no one can escape, but we merely change positions. There is no justification for our innocence in the Judgment Day as it is already too late.
The song's tone is a sad and profound commentary on the human condition. It illustrates how people search for love while not understanding that love cannot be bought or sold. It reflects on how society judges people for their actions while also acknowledging that we are all in the same boat. The choice of words and their arrangement provides a deep insight into how human nature can sometimes be self-destructive.
Line by Line Meaning
Gente sola, o en compañía, buscando amor
People, alone or in company, searching for love
Buscando amor, unos compran, otros venden pues
Searching for love, some buy it, others sell it
Comprenden que sólo nadie conquista al dolor
They understand that no one alone can conquer pain
Los días son iguales, la gente es la que cambia
Days are the same, people are the ones who change
Si al fin y al cabo el tiempo sólo es una invención
After all, time is just an invention
Somos juez que no perdona a los demás, mientras
We are judges who do not forgive others, while
Pregona que el vivir es un esfuerzo egoísta si no hay
Preaching that living is a selfish effort if there is no
Amor de allí que la mujer que llegaba a las seis es
Love, thus the woman who arrived at six is
Igual que el varón que llegaba a las dos; es la misma
The same as the man who arrived at two; it is the same
Premisa que con otra camisa va cubriendo la misma
Premise that is covered with another shirt, but still the same
Intención, de este mundo nadie se marcha, sólo
Intention, no one leaves this world, only
Cambiamos de posición no hay coartada para
Change position, there is no excuse for
Justificar nuestra inocencia en el Juicio Final
Justifying our innocence in the Final Judgment
Ya estamos condenados por haber inventado el
We are already condemned for inventing
Cómo condenar
How to condemn
Despiértenme a la hora de la verdad
Wake me up at the hour of truth
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RUBEN BLADES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fredy Schilling
Un excelente tema de un salsero que fuen el culpable de que comenzaran mis amores con la salsa por alla por 1978/79 con un señor llamado Pedro Navaja y la Josefina Wilson que grande es Ruben Blades.
Fredy Schilling
Seme olvidaba mis amores con la Salsa siguen y siguen y seguiran por la eternidad.gracias por incluir este tema tan especial del gran Ruben.
Rikardo Salinas Salsomano!
Solo pocos disfrutamos de estos temas! Rubén siempre tan grande y acertado con sus temas!
Alberto Cevallos
"no hay excusa pa' justificar, nuestra inocencia en el juicio final, ya estamos condenados por haber inventado, el como condenar"... esta canción es la más pura verdad... toda ella... "si al fin y al cabo, el tiempo sólo es una invención del ser humano", "somos juez que no perdona a los demás...", "de este mundo nadie se marcha, solo cambiamos de posición"
Jose Barrios
Uno de sus mejores y más jocosas composiciones, ciertamente un poeta y un inovador..en la salsa..
Rikardo Salinas Salsomano!
Siempre te he admirado Sr Blades, ojala algún dia si Jehova me lo permite quisiera conocerlo en persona, Eres y seras para mi el mas grande de los pioneros de la Salsa.
bronco1523
Gracias por este video y ese tema genial no cabe duda que la vida le sigue dando sorpresas a uno de los salseros mas geniales que han existido el gran Ruben Blades.
Alex Guzman
Saludos! Creo que si ponemos atencion a la letra nos daremos cuenta del gran mensaje.
Rikardo Salinas
+Alex Guzman Si de eso se trata.
78viajero
QUE PASOOOO? me extraña que los "amantes de la buena salsa o musica o seguidores de RUBEN BLADES" no visiten estos temas...donde estan? sin ofender a nadie la salsa es universal y tan real como los temas que trata este cd...hace poco en un concierto al que fui muchos esperaban solo canciones pa bailar o que tratan de enamorados o sexo no amigos....la salsa del MAESTRO RUBEN es la voz del mundo....que pasa?????