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®
Obalue
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Su tono es triste y alegre, a la vez
Con un amor que no acaba jamás
Humilde y dulce, aparece Obalué
Hijo de reina, Nana Buruke
Lo abandonó cuando por desobediente
La piel se le dañó Iemaia
Le tuvo misericordia
Y Eleggua también lo ayudó
Cuando en la noche
Tú escuches sonar
Las campanitas que lleva Obalué
Que no te asuste su voz de cristal
Sólo recuerda el amor que va en él
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Es humilde y poderoso
Y milagroso es su poder
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Diciembre es el mes del santo
Y mi canto, de respeto es
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Eleggua le abre
El camino a Omolu, hijo de Rey
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
No se asusta el que respeta al santo
Y el que no pierde la fe
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Orisha bueno, que cura el arum
Orisha bueno, que dicta el ashe
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Te puede quitar lo malo
No le tengas miedo a él
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Date un baño en apasote
Límpiate con málvate
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Suena las campana, suena las campana
Su tono es bonito
Y es triste, a la vez
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
Con un amor que no acaba jamás
Llega Obalué
The lyrics to Rubén Blades's song "Obalue" paint the picture of the arrival of the powerful and humble deity, Obalué. The song praises Obalué as the son of queen Nana Buruke, abandoned and left to be raised by his faithful sister after disobeying his mother which led to a skin condition. The deity is described as having a voice that is both sad and joyful at the same time, filled with a never-ending love. The song mentions how Obalué was able to overcome his difficulties thanks to the mercy of his sister and the assistance of Eleggua, another deity.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Oigo campanas, viene Obalué" which means "I hear bells, Obalué is coming" in English. The song encourages listeners to not be afraid of Obalué, but instead to respect and remember the love that he brings. Obalué is described as being powerful and miraculous, with the ability to cure ailments and remove negativity from people's lives. The song ends with a reminder of Obalué's never-ending love and his arrival to bring blessings to those who believe.
Overall, the lyrics to "Obalue" serve as a homage to this deity and highlight the importance of faith and respect when approaching spiritual figures.
Line by Line Meaning
Suenan cristales en la madruga
The sound of glass is heard in the early morning
Su tono es triste y alegre, a la vez
Its tone is both sad and happy at the same time
Con un amor que no acaba jamás
With a love that never ends
Humilde y dulce, aparece Obalué
Obalue appears humble and sweet
Hijo de reina, Nana Buruke
Son of Queen Nana Buruke
Lo abandonó cuando por desobediente
She abandoned him for being disobedient
La piel se le dañó Iemaia
Iemaia damaged his skin
Fiel hermana, aquel niño recogió
A faithful sister picked up the child
Le tuvo misericordia
She had mercy on him
Y Eleggua también lo ayudó
And Eleggua also helped him
Cuando en la noche
When in the night
Tú escuches sonar
You hear the sound
Las campanitas que lleva Obalué
The little bells that Obalué wears
Que no te asuste su voz de cristal
Do not be afraid of their crystal voice
Sólo recuerda el amor que va en él
Just remember the love that is in him
Oigo campanas, viene Obalué
I hear bells, Obalué is coming
Es humilde y poderoso
He is humble and powerful
Y milagroso es su poder
And his power is miraculous
Diciembre es el mes del santo
December is the month of the saint
Y mi canto, de respeto es
And my song is one of respect
Eleggua le abre
Eleggua opens
El camino a Omolu, hijo de Rey
The way for Omolu, son of the king
No se asusta el que respeta al santo
The one who respects the saint is not afraid
Y el que no pierde la fe
And the one who does not lose faith
Orisha bueno, que cura el arum
Good Orisha who cures arum
Orisha bueno, que dicta el ashe
Good Orisha who dictates the ashe
Te puede quitar lo malo
He can take away the bad things
No le tengas miedo a él
Do not be afraid of him
Date un baño en apasote
Take a bath in apasote
Límpiate con málvate
Clean yourself with málvate
Suena las campana, suena las campana
The bell rings, the bell rings
Su tono es bonito
Its tone is beautiful
Y es triste, a la vez
And sad, at the same time
Con un amor que no acaba jamás
With a love that never ends
Llega Obalué
Obalué arrives
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BLADES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind