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®
Para Ser Rumbero
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Para ser rumbero tú tienes que haber vivido
Tú tienes que haber soñado...
Y haber reído...
Para ser rumbero tienes que sentir por dentro.
Emociones dulces que agiten tu sentimiento
Si no naciste con clave... entonces no eres rumbero
Pero ser rumbero nunca si te falta corazón
Para ser rumbero tienes que amar a la gente
Y tener el alma tan clara cual sol de oriente
Tú tienes que ser sincero...
Y entonces serás rumbero...
CORO
Si quieres ser rumbero...
Ay tú tienes, tienes que haber llorado
Coro
Oye... que tú tienes que haber vivido.
Coro
Tienes, tienes, tienes que haber soñado.
Coro.
Si quieres ser rumbero tienes primero que haber reído.
Coro
Tienes que amar a la esquina.
Coro
Y entender a la avenida.
Coro
Si tú quieres ser rumbero
Mambo
Coro
Tienes que entender, que nada sabes
Coro
El rompiendo no respeta clave
Coro
Y saber que los tambores
Coro
Son del barrio los pulmones
Coro
Respeta lo popular.
Coro
Tiene que saber cuándo cantar.
Coro
Y también cuando adornar
II mambo
Coro
Si quieres ser, si quieres ser, si quieres ser, si quieres.
Coro
Rumbero tienes que amar a la gente
Coro
Tienes que tener el alma cual sol de oriente.
Coro
Tienes que saber de clave, tienes que tener la llave del barrio.
Coro
De lo que se canta primero, tienes que sentir
Coro
Tienes que tener la experiencia el barrio y como vivir.
The Rubén Blades's song "Para Ser Rumbero" is a celebration of the essence of rumba music and the characteristics necessary to embody the term. Rumba music is an Afro-Cuban style that emerged in the early 20th century and spread throughout Latin America. The song's first verse says that one must have experienced sorrow and joy in life to embody the spirit of rumba. The second verse says that a rumba artist must have sweet emotions that stir their feelings, and they must be sincere in their expressions; if they lack these qualities, they cannot be considered rumberos.
The chorus repeats that to be a rumbero, you must have cried, lived, dreamed, and laughed. One must also love people and have a clear soul, be sincere, and finally, rumba music is something that cannot be taught but must flow from the heart. The song acknowledges that rumba cannot be separated from the community, and a rumbero must love the neighborhood and understand its rhythms and culture. As Latin music became more popular, commercialized, and experimental, Rubén Blades observed that younger generations of Latino musicians were losing touch with the essence of rumba, and traditional music was becoming replaced with more modern, hybrid, and foreign influences.
Line by Line Meaning
Para ser rumbero tú tienes que haber llorado
In order to be a true rumbero, you must have experienced pain and suffering.
Para ser rumbero tú tienes que haber vivido
To be a rumbero, you must have lived and experienced life's ups and downs.
Tú tienes que haber soñado...
To be a rumbero, you must have a dream and a vision for your life.
Y haber reído...
You must also have experienced joy and happiness in your life.
Para ser rumbero tienes que sentir por dentro.
Being a rumbero means feeling from the heart and expressing emotions in a powerful way.
Emociones dulces que agiten tu sentimiento
This involves being moved by sweet emotions that stir your soul.
Si no naciste con clave... entonces no eres rumbero
If you were not born with rhythm and a natural sense of music, you cannot truly be a rumbero.
Podrás cantar con sentido podrás tener buena voz
Even if you have a good singing voice and can perform with meaning, it doesn't make you a rumbero alone.
Pero ser rumbero nunca si te falta corazón
To truly be a rumbero, you must also have a passionate heart.
Para ser rumbero tienes que amar a la gente
Loving people is a key part of being a rumbero.
Y tener el alma tan clara cual sol de oriente
Having a clear soul full of light is also essential.
Tú tienes que ser sincero...
Being honest and truthful is crucial if you want to be a true rumbero.
Y entonces serás rumbero...
If you can master these traits, then you can finally become a rumbero.
Si quieres ser rumbero...
If you desire to be a rumbero...
Tienes, tienes, tienes que haber soñado.
You must have a dream or vision for your life to truly be a rumbero.
Si quieres ser rumbero tienes primero que haber reído.
Experiencing joy and happiness is another vital aspect of being a rumbero.
Tienes que amar a la esquina.
You must also love your community and your roots.
Y entender a la avenida.
Understanding the culture and vibe of your neighborhood is also important.
Si tú quieres ser rumbero...
If you truly want to be a rumbero...
Tienes que entender, que nada sabes
You must understand that you don't know everything and remain humble.
El rompiendo no respeta clave
Breaking the rules of rhythm is also a part of being a true rumbero.
Y saber que los tambores...
You must also understand that the drums are the heartbeat of the community.
Son del barrio los pulmones
The drums are essential to the community's soul.
Respeta lo popular.
Respect for the people and the community is key.
Tiene que saber cuándo cantar.
Knowing when to sing and when to keep quiet is important.
Y también cuando adornar
Knowing when to be flashy and when to be understated is also a vital skill.
Si quieres ser, si quieres ser, si quieres ser, si quieres.
If you truly want to be a rumbero...
Tienes que tener la clave del barrio.
You must have the rhythm and vibe of the community down pat.
De lo que se canta primero, tienes que sentir
You must feel the music and the message before you can sing it.
Tienes que tener la experiencia el barrio y como vivir.
Experience living in the barrio is essential to being a true rumbero.
Contributed by Caleb W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@sofiapereyracastanos3787
El Poeta de la Salsa. Todas sus canciones se convierten en éxitos.
@JuAnJo277
ESTA CANCIÓN OBLIGADO TIENEN QUE ESCUCHARLO TODOS LOS NUEVOS CANTANTES QUE QUIEREN INCURSIONAR EN LA SALSA.
@lopz33
¡Tremenda versión clásica de Rubén Blades,de su propia inspiración!
@filibertozayasmaceo1148
Ruben el poeta de la Salsa con esta cancio'n rinde homenaje a los rumberos,data de 1983 producida por Fania Record.
@edgardoherbalesmercado7761
Lo que dice Ruben, en esta cancion es verdad. El rumbero, tiene que haber pasado por muchas cosas buenas , y malas. Tienes razon Ruben.
@juanantoniomartinezgonzale4668
Si quieres ser rumbero...tienes que amar a la gente....☝️
@davidbahamonde7715
De lejos el mejor y mas completo artista que ha dado la salsa
@peruanoasado2365
Que lastima que solo aparezca un Rubén Blades cada mil años.
@yeyostyleconlasyeyas8410
Excelente tema, orgullo panameño!!!
@omarsergiodelacruz75
El fraseo del soneo es espectacular es un genio