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®
Ojos De Perro Azul
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ciudad, sonriendo crípticamente a la humanidad
Juzgando elípticamente a la sociedad
Ojos de perro azul, buscando dementemente la
Realidad, esperando de repente ver la verdad
Brillando ominosamente en la oscuridad
Paseo que se transforma en fuga, escape que se
Cuando corremos en eternas retiradas que pretendemos
Tornar en descubrimientos, cada mañana
Ojos de perro azul, saltando de rostro en rostro en
Su soledad, deseando encontrar su casa en lo que no
Es ya, midiendo al miedo en distancias por caminar
Ojos de perro azul, encadenado a un pasado sin
Voluntad, sin ser esclavo tampoco está en libertad
Con sueños que no recuerda al despertar
Mirando gente que se ha dado a la fuga, pueblos
Huyendo en confusas retiradas, viendo su huída
Convertirse en cita pues del encuentro con la verdad
Nadie se escapa, aunque te escondas tras la promesa
De un mañana, ya eso no alcanza
Ojos de perro azul tropezando por las calles con la
Maldad, riendo sarcásticamente al comprobar que
Hoy la mentira es más fuerte que la verdad
Mira adónde vas
y encuentra lo que has perdido en el camino
The lyrics to Rubén Blades's song Ojos De Perro Azul discuss the struggle and search for truth and reality in a world that can be cynical and deceptive. Starting with "cynical" blue eyes looking at the city and "cryptically" smiling at humanity, the song describes a perception of judgment and distance from society. The singer speaks of searching desperately for truth and reality as they navigate through life, and feeling a sense of disappointment and betrayal when they encounter lies.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of running away and escaping from reality, only for it to become a constant cycle. The singer mentions how the pursuit inevitably turns into a meeting with the truth and how it is impossible to escape from it. They point out the irony of people running away from their problems, only for it to catch up to them eventually. The song ends with the message of self-reflection and finding what has been lost along the way.
Overall, Ojos De Perro Azul lyrically critiques society and the individuals who fail to face the truth of their actions and surroundings. The song is a call to action to move forward and take responsibility for one's actions and thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
Ojos de perro azul, mirando cínicamente a la Ciudad, sonriendo crípticamente a la humanidad
The blue dog eyes are looking cynically at the city, smiling cryptically at humanity
Juzgando elípticamente a la sociedad
Judging the society in an elliptical way
Ojos de perro azul, buscando dementemente la Realidad, esperando de repente ver la verdad, Brillando ominosamente en la oscuridad
Blue dog eyes are crazily searching for reality, waiting to suddenly see the truth, shining ominously in the darkness
Paseo que se transforma en fuga, escape que se Convierte en cita; se empaña el sentido en nuestra vida Cuando corremos en eternas retiradas que pretendemos Tornar en descubrimientos, cada mañana
Our walk turns into escape and hiding, blurring our sense of life when we keep retreating but try to fool ourselves it's discovery, every morning
Ojos de perro azul, saltando de rostro en rostro en Su soledad, deseando encontrar su casa en lo que no Es ya, midiendo al miedo en distancias por caminar
Blue dog eyes jump from face to face in their loneliness, wanting to find their home in things that don't exist anymore, measuring fear in steps to take
Ojos de perro azul, encadenado a un pasado sin Voluntad, sin ser esclavo tampoco está en libertad Con sueños que no recuerda al despertar
Blue dog eyes are chained to a past without will, not a slave yet not free, with dreams forgotten upon waking up
Mirando gente que se ha dado a la fuga, pueblos Huyendo en confusas retiradas, viendo su huída Convertirse en cita pues del encuentro con la verdad Nadie se escapa, aunque te escondas tras la promesa De un mañana, ya eso no alcanza
Seeing people running away, towns escaping in confused retreats, realizing that their escape becomes a meeting with the truth from which no one can run, even if hiding behind tomorrow's promises
Ojos de perro azul tropezando por las calles con la Maldad, riendo sarcásticamente al comprobar que Hoy la mentira es más fuerte que la verdad
Blue dog eyes stumble upon evil in the streets, laughing sarcastically when realizing that today, lies are stronger than truth
Mira adónde vas
Look where you're going
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BLADES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
La Casaloka de DLS Y FTS
Feliz Cumple Rubén Blades: El poeta de la Salsa #RubenBlades ❤❤❤
Roger 747
Desde el Sur de América Uruguay toda la admiración y respeto por Ruben Blades un Grande con todas las letras 👏👏👏
María Galindo
Siempre serás grande entre los grandes, mi gran poeta, mi cantante, mi sabio, mi gran Rubén Blades... Bendiciones desde Ciudad de Mexico!!
Rodriguez
te falto actor cinematográfico, a el de la rosa de los vientos,
Andreina Di Donato Prada
Un amigo en caracas me hizo dormir en la calle por culpa de esta pieza. queria oirla y el carro que iba al sector de cotiza se tomaba hasta las 10 pm. Nos agarró las once y el peruano del bar no colocaba el vídeo. Hasta que no sonó la pieza no se levantó, ya no habia nada que hacer, no podíamos entrar al Barrio, pero escuchamos Perro Azúl, el éxito mas reciente de Ruben en esa época, ni la violencia caraqueña iba a impedirlo.
Alejandra García
Preséntame a tu amigo, yo soy igual de aferrada.
Saludos desde México 🎉
Francia Mosquera
Lo.mejor ojos de perto azul
Vi Co
Esta canción es inspirada de cuentos cortos de GABO(Gabriel garcia marquez)....ojos de perro azul
david nassar
Aquí hay sabiduría para el que tenga entendimiento...... Es la mejor letra de todos los tiempos
JOHN A. VALLARINO R.
DE LOS BARRIOS PANAMEÑOS PARA EL MUNDO...RUBEN, ORGULLO DE MI PAÍS