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®
Las Calles
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Quiebran al que no resiste sea local o sea extranejero
Ay la paciencia no existe con los que son majaderos
Cada victima es culpable, si cayo por traicionero.
Que paso con esos guapos que alardeaban con su vida
Terminaron desonrando el honor de nuestra esquina
Ni siquiera el sobrenombre, sobrevive en la avenida
Son paginas estas calles que se cogen con los años
Escritas en un idioma que no entienden los extraños
Nacimos de muchas madres pero aqui solo hay hermanos
En mi calleeeeeeee . . .
La vida y la muerte bailan con la cerveza en la mano
Soy de aqui de los que sobrevivieron
Soy de aqui . . .
Yo soy esa esquina chiquita bonita bendita, de los que nunca se fueron
Soy de alli de los que sobrevivieron
De los que que enfrentando la adversidad
Cogieron herida y golpe en cantidad y no se rindieron
Soy de alli de los que sobrevivieron
Comiendo arroz blanco con porck and beans
En plato hondo y ancho y con cuchara y bien frito el huevo
Soy de alli de los que sobrevivieron
Alma de poeta, abrazos de amantes, piernas de calles y lujos de hielo
Soy de alli de los que sobrevivieron
A puro corazon me fui de Panamá a colon caminando con maelo
Pa llegar a portobelo y saludar al nazareno
Soy de alli de los que sobrevivieron
Yo soy el hijo de Anolan y a pie sin coche
Sobrevivi de dia, sobrevivi la noche
Soy de aqui de los que sobrevivieron
Yo soy de alli, yo soy de alli tu sabes que si
The song Las Calles by Rubén Blades is a reflection on the often harsh realities of life in the urban neighborhoods of Panama. The lyrics describe how the streets never take prisoners and how they break those who cannot resist, whether they are locals or foreigners. There is no patience for those who act foolishly, and each victim is seen as culpable, even if they fell victim to betrayal.
The song also looks at the loss of honor and respect that has taken place in these neighborhoods. The people who once bragged about their lives have now dishonored the very streets they once boasted about. The use of street names and nicknames in the lyrics highlights the changes that have taken place. The street pages are written in a language that only the locals can understand. It speaks to how these neighborhoods are a world onto themselves, with everyone being brothers, regardless of where they come from.
The song celebrates those who have survived the hardships of life in these neighborhoods. The chorus proudly states that the singer is from there, one of the survivors who faced adversity but never gave up. It speaks to how they ate simple meals like rice and beans on large plates, but they never lost their dignity. They are poets at heart, lovers with strong embraces, and their legs are the streets they grew up on. The song ends with the singer showing pride in his heritage by saying he is the son of Anolan, who survived days and nights afoot without a car.
Line by Line Meaning
Las calles de nuestros barrios nuncan toman prisioneros
The streets of our neighborhoods never take prisoners.
Quiebran al que no resiste sea local o sea extranejero
They break those who don't resist, whether locals or foreigners.
Ay la paciencia no existe con los que son majaderos
Oh, patience does not exist with those who are fools.
Cada victima es culpable, si cayo por traicionero.
Every victim is guilty if they fell for a traitor.
Que paso con esos guapos que alardeaban con su vida
What happened to those tough guys who boasted about their lives?
Terminaron desonrando el honor de nuestra esquina
They ended up dishonoring our street corner.
Ni siquiera el sobrenombre, sobrevive en la avenida
Not even their nickname survives on the avenue.
Le quitaron los colmillos, el collar y la leontina.
They took away their fangs, their necklaces, and their medallions.
Son paginas estas calles que se cogen con los años
These streets are pages that are captured over the years.
Escritas en un idioma que no entienden los extraños
Written in a language that strangers do not understand.
Nacimos de muchas madres pero aqui solo hay hermanos
We were born of many mothers, but here there are only brothers.
En mi calleeeeeeee . . .
In my street...
La vida y la muerte bailan con la cerveza en la mano
Life and death dance with beer in hand.
Soy de aqui de los que sobrevivieron
I am from here, one of those who survived.
Yo soy esa esquina chiquita bonita bendita, de los que nunca se fueron
I am that little, beautiful, blessed corner of those who never left.
De los que que enfrentando la adversidad
Those who, facing adversity...
Cogieron herida y golpe en cantidad y no se rindieron
...took wounds and blows in abundance and did not give up.
Comiendo arroz blanco con porck and beans
Eating white rice with pork and beans.
En plato hondo y ancho y con cuchara y bien frito el huevo
In a deep and wide plate, with a spoon, and a well-fried egg.
Alma de poeta, abrazos de amantes, piernas de calles y lujos de hielo
Soul of a poet, embraces of lovers, legs of streets, and luxuries of ice.
A puro corazon me fui de Panamá a colon caminando con maelo
Purely with heart, I went from Panama to Colon, walking with Maelo.
Pa llegar a portobelo y saludar al nazareno
To get to Portobelo and greet the Nazarene.
Yo soy el hijo de Anolan y a pie sin coche
I am the son of Anolan and on foot without a car.
Sobrevivi de dia, sobrevivi la noche
I survived by day, I survived by night.
Yo soy de alli, yo soy de alli tu sabes que si
I am from there, you know that I am.
Writer(s): Ruben Blades
Contributed by Peyton I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@monica012174
Esta canción me hace llorar. Me crié en una de esas calles y aunque el tiempo pasa las heridas siguen, ver morir tanta gente. Pero me siento orgullosa por que fuí de las que sobrevivieron. Salí de mi barrio, ahora vivo en uno mejor para mis hijos, pero nunca olvido.
@pedroubilla2817
Soy de ay de los q sobrevivieron
@RaulJansen24
Una nueva crónica social, otro pedazo de vida, realismo mágico impregnado de barrio y de vivencia....hay olores, hay identidad en el relato, nos suena familiar. Con la notoria similitud que la historia es idéntica en Panamá, en Borinquen, en Santo Domingo, en NY o en Venezuela. Una historia que nos cala hondo y nos toca profundo......nuestro barrio, nuestra vivencia personal, nuestro sacrificio, esa particular manera de narrarlo lo hace épico y nos recocija saber que con sacrificio logramos salir para educarnos y contarlo. Gracias Rubén por el toque tan humano y tan desgarrador. Saludos a mis hermanos latinos desde mi Patria Venezuela y....que siga la rumba!!!!!
@fernandover9538
Jooo Panamá pequeño en territorio y poblacion y la dicha de tener un hijo como Rubén Blades
Que orgullo !!!
@MeuKey
yo se lo que se siente: comer arroz blanco con porks and beans y huevo frito, en un plato hondo con cuchara... son esos pequeños detalles que hacen que esta canción me llegue al alma...
@hacardona78hc
La realidad de los q.crecimos en un barrio.popular entre pobreza y problemas sociales, como dice este poeta de comida arroz con huevo. mi barrio aranjuez medellin
@eltranseunte2000
Música que expresa los hechos de la vida diaria en los barrios populares, donde hay códigos que hay que respetar para lograr sobrevivir. "Donde la vida y la muerte bailan con la cerveza en la mano".
@hacardona78hc
Esta letra es una realidad, saludos y admiración para este fenomenal cantante Rubén Blades; mi Barrio Aranjuez. Medellin
@andresholguin1775
La Cuadra - Lo tiene de epílogo
@nathalyruedaprada3283
@@andresholguin1775 justo llegué a la canción porque me acabo de empezar el libro 🤍