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®
Madame Kalalu
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tampoco quimbiembo, madame Kalalu
Si usted quiere algo, hableme mas claro
madame Kalalu, madame Kalalu
Vamos a ver que pasa, madame Kalalu
Téngame confianza, tráteme de tú
Dígame que quiere, a ver si se puede
Alelele
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿En su bola de cristal que ve?
Dígame madame Kalalu
Ay eche la baraja madame Dígame
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Esa sombra mala de quien es?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Quien toca la puerta y ofrece café?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Quien es el que llora en holandés?
Dígame madame Kalalu
Hihihihi ¿quien es el que ríe en ingles?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Quien nos critica a las 9 y nos saluda a las 10?
Dígame madame Kalalu
Dígame madame, dígame madame
Oiga madame y ¿que es lo que dicen las barajas?
Las barajas dicen que tu mejor es que me vayas aflojando la plata
¿Y ya me va a cobrar?
Si porque las barajas también me han dicho
Que viene un muchacho fugándose antes de pagar
OK, ¿cuanto es?
Dame todo eso que sacaste allí
Oiga madame pero me va a dejar sin plata
Si pero no te apures que ahorita vienen muchas muchas cosas buenas
Dígame madame Kalalu
Venga acá madame dígame como es
Dígame madame Kalalu
Écheme la baraja y cuénteme que ve
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Porque no canta el kikiriki?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Quien es el de la cara de yo no fui?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Porque hay tanta envidia y tanta mentira?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Como me quito a la hum hum de encima?
Bueno yo creo que ahora ya es hora también
De que me vayas dando un poquito mas de plata porque no veo
Pero madame estoy limpio no me queda nada
Entonces pasa'aca el reloj ese que se ve bastante bueno
Pero este reloj me lo regalo mi mama
No me import'
Pásame el reloj
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Mira los espíritus están llegando
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Los espíritus están llegando y pórtate bien porque te los echo todos encima
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Mas vale que vayan llegando porque estoy limpio ya
Háblame mas duro que no veo
¿Y esos zapatos, zapatos?
Ay madame pero por favor
¿Que marca de zapatos son esos que tu tienes allí?
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Esos son los únicos que tengo
Los veintiunicos, háblame mas duro que no veo
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Ay madame,
Mira ven acá y esa camisa
Ay madame
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Y le veo muchas cosas buenas que le van a estar pasando a usted
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Muchas cosas, lo veo con muchos viajes, ¿que marca son los pantalones?
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Porque el camello mordió Ali Baba?
Dígame madame Kalalu
Los 40 ladrones no dicen na'
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Porque los sabios viven enreda'os?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Porque los artistas están arruina'os?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Porque es tan rico el hacer relajo?
Dígame madame Kalalu
¿Porque Sanidad ha cerrado el mercado?
Oiga madame
Madame dime algo
Si, ¿que es lo que ves ahí?
Bueno mis hijitos, yo veo, yo veo un barco que se esta hundiendo
Y el capitán, si un barco, el capitán en el barco, mulato es que no sabe nadar
Y todo el mundo en ese barco esta corriendo pa' todos la'os
Parece que no saben nadar ¿sabes?
A ustedes no, a ustedes les va a ir muy bien
Porque ustedes son buenos muchachos
Ya te va a ir bien
Oiga y ven acá el otro
¿Ese como es? ¿ese es Rubén? ven acá
¿Y tú que paso? ¿y esa camisa que mar?
¿Y tú tienes plata?
The lyrics to Ruben Blades & Seis del Solar’s song “Madame Kalalú” are focused on communicating with Madame Kalalú, who is depicted as a fortune teller or psychic. In the first verse, Blades sings that he doesn't speak "quimbo" or "quimbiembo," which can be interpreted as not understanding or being familiar with Madame Kalalú’s divination methods. He then asks her to speak more clearly if she wants him to understand her. The chorus communicates this message, urging Madame Kalalú to tell them what she wants so they can see if it is possible. The song continues with Blades asking various questions about what Madame Kalalú sees or hears, such as who is knocking on the door, who is crying in Dutch, or who is laughing in English.
The exchange between Madame Kalalú and Blades hints at themes of social class and money. As Madame Kalalú asks for more money or valuable items throughout the song, Blades seems hesitant to give them up but acquiesces eventually. There is also a recurring theme related to people receiving their due reckoning or payment for their actions, whether it is related to success or suffering. Though the song reads like a playful conversation between Blades and Madame Kalalú, it may also be interpreted as a commentary on inequality and socioeconomic struggle.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo no parlo quimbo, madame Kalalu
I don't speak quimbo, madame Kalalu
Tampoco quimbiembo, madame Kalalu
Neither quimbiembo, madame Kalalu
Si usted quiere algo, hableme mas claro madame Kalalu, madame Kalalu
If you want something, speak more clearly to me, madame Kalalu, madame Kalalu
Vamos a ver que pasa, madame Kalalu
Let's see what happens, madame Kalalu
Téngame confianza, tráteme de tú
Have confidence in me, speak to me informally
Dígame que quiere, a ver si se puede madame Kalalu, madame Kalalu
Tell me what you want, let's see if it's possible, madame Kalalu, madame Kalalu
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿En su bola de cristal que ve?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, what do you see in your crystal ball?
Dígame madame Kalalu, Ay eche la baraja madame Dígame
Tell me, madame Kalalu, go ahead and shuffle the cards madame, tell me
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Esa sombra mala de quien es?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, who does that bad shadow belong to?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Quien toca la puerta y ofrece café?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, who is knocking at the door and offering coffee?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Quien es el que llora en holandés?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, who is crying in Dutch?
Dígame madame Kalalu, Hihihihi ¿quien es el que ríe en ingles?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, who is laughing in English? Hihihihi
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Quien nos critica a las 9 y nos saluda a las 10?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, who criticizes us at 9 and greets us at 10?
Dígame madame Kalalu, Dígame madame, dígame madame
Tell me, madame Kalalu, tell me madame, tell me madame
Oiga madame y ¿que es lo que dicen las barajas?
Excuse me, madame, what do the cards say?
Las barajas dicen que tu mejor es que me vayas aflojando la plata
The cards say that it's best for you to give me more money
Si porque las barajas tambien me han dicho que viene un muchacho fugándose antes de pagar
Yes, because the cards have also told me that a young man is planning to run away before paying
OK, ¿cuanto es?, Dame todo eso que sacaste allí
OK, how much is it? Give me all the money you have there
Oiga madame pero me va a dejar sin plata
Excuse me, madame, but you're going to leave me with no money
Si pero no te apures que ahorita vienen muchas muchas cosas buenas
Don't worry, good things are coming your way very soon
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Porque no canta el kikiriki?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why isn't the rooster crowing?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Quien es el de la cara de yo no fui?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, who is the one with the 'it wasn't me' face?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Porque hay tanta envidia y tanta mentira?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why is there so much envy and so many lies?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Como me quito a la hum hum de encima?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, how can I get rid of bad energy?
Bueno yo creo que ahora ya es hora también De que me vayas dando un poquito mas de plata porque no veo
Well, I think it's time for you to give me a little more money because I can't see
Pero madame estoy limpio no me queda nada
But madame, I'm broke, I don't have anything left
Entonces pasa'aca el reloj ese que se ve bastante bueno
Then give me that watch that looks pretty good
Pero este reloj me lo regalo mi mama
But my mom gave me this watch as a gift
No me import', Pásame el reloj
I don't care, give me the watch
Mira los espíritus están llegando, Háblame mas duro que no veo
Look, the spirits are coming, speak louder because I can't see
Los espíritus están llegando y pórtate bien porque te los echo todos encima
The spirits are coming, so behave or they'll all come down on you
Mas vale que vayan llegando porque estoy limpio ya
They better come soon because I'm broke already
Ay madame pero por favor, ¿Que marca de zapatos son esos que tu tienes alli?
Oh, madame, please, what brand are those shoes you have there?
Esos son los únicos que tengo los veintiunicos, Háblame mas duro que no veo
Those are the only ones I have, the twenty-one, speak louder because I can't see
Ay madame, Mira ven acá y esa camisa… Y le veo muchas cosas buenas que le van a estar pasando a usted
Oh, madame, come here and look at this shirt... I see many good things happening to you
¿Y tú que paso? ¿Y esa camisa que mar? ¿Y tú tienes plata?
What happened to you? What brand is that shirt? Do you have any money?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Porque el camello mordió Ali Baba?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why did the camel bite Ali Baba?
Dígame madame Kalalu, Los 40 ladrones no dicen na'
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why are the 40 thieves not saying anything?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Porque los sabios viven enreda'os?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why do the wise ones live tangled up?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Porque los artistas están arruina'os?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why are the artists broke?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Porque es tan rico el hacer relajo?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why is it so enjoyable to misbehave?
Dígame madame Kalalu, ¿Porque Sanidad ha cerrado el mercado?
Tell me, madame Kalalu, why has Sanitation closed the market?
Si, ¿que es lo que ves ahí?
Yes, what do you see there?
Bueno mis hijitos, yo veo, yo veo un barco que se esta hundiendo
Well, my children, I see a ship that's sinking
Y todo el mundo en ese barco esta corriendo pa' todos la'os Parece que no saben nadar
And everyone on that boat is running around aimlessly, it seems they don't know how to swim
A ustedes no, a ustedes les va a ir muy bien Porque ustedes son buenos muchachos Ya te va a ir bien
Not you though, you're going to be fine because you are good boys, good things will come to you
¿Ese como es? ¿ese es Rubén? ven acá, ¿Y tú que paso? ¿Y esa camisa que mar? ¿Y tú tienes plata?
Who is that? Is that Rubén? come here, what happened to you? What brand is that shirt? Do you have any money?
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Speak louder because I can't see
Y le veo muchas cosas buenas que le van a estar pasando a usted
I see many good things happening to you
Muchas cosas, lo veo con muchos viajes, ¿Que marca son los pantalones?
Many things, I see many travels for you, what brand are those pants?
Háblame mas duro que no veo
Speak louder because I can't see
Háblame mas duro que no veo, Háblame mas duro que no veo
Speak louder because I can't see, speak louder because I can't see
Ay madame
Oh, madame
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ruben Blades
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind