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®
Raíz de Sueños
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
El sentimiento. Soy de la tierra de la esperanza, llevo
La sangre del que no reconoce dueños
Soy fuego y luna, agua y memoria de amaneceres
Siempre alumbrando nuestra historia
Raíz de sueños es mi Caribe, mágica flor que dentro
De mi pecho vive! Por esta tierra de amores que nos
Canto de mi alma, hoy como ayer, la quiero tanto
Porque ella me enseñó a querer
Raíz de sueños es el Caribe, donde el sol
No tiene dueño y la esperanza sobrevive!
Cuando es verano y llega el sol, resbalando sobre el mar
En mi tierra no hay pecado, sólo hay tiempo pa' gozar
Raíz de sueños
Aunque me ofrezcan pasaporte y un cambio de color
No los cambio por mi tierra, por mi luna o por mi sol
A Colobo, Carolina, Loiza y Llorens, un abrazo a
Los caseríos, de Panamá y de Rubén
A Dominicana, pa' que la gozen también
Tras la tormenta, brilla el sol de Borinquen
Entre un amor tropical, entre la luna y el mar
El alma se acuerda y se pone a bailar
Carolina, Cao; Carolina, Cao
¡No se vayan que esto sigue!
Pura vida es mi Caribe de colores y dolores
Así, en el Caribe, así se pintan los amores
Allí tengo a mis amigos, a mi mamá y a mi casita
The lyrics of Rubén Blades's song "Raíz de Sueños" celebrate the Caribbean as a source of hope and dreams that never runs out of feeling. The singer identifies himself as a product of the land of hope, carrying the blood of those who do not recognize any masters. He is fire and moon, water and memory of sunrises, always illuminating their history. The Caribbean, for the singer, is a magical flower that lives within his heart, a land of love where they must always respond. The lyrics also touch upon the natural beauty of the Caribbean, where the sun has no master and hope survives. The song concludes with a celebration of specific places in the Caribbean, such as Colobo, Carolina, Loiza, Llorens, and Borinquen. The singer sends a hug to the townships of Panama and Ruben, and encourages everyone to keep dancing to the rhythm of the Caribbean.
The song reflects Rubén Blades's love for his native land, the Caribbean. The lyrics are an ode to this region of the world, which has inspired many artists and poets. The song also highlights the cultural diversity of the Caribbean, where different cultures have come together to create a unique blend. With lines like "Soy de la tierra de la esperanza" ("I am from the land of hope"), Blades celebrates the resilience of the Caribbean people in the face of adversity. The song recognizes both the joys and the struggles of life in the Caribbean, as well as the importance of home and community.
Line by Line Meaning
Es mi Caribe raíz de sueños donde jamás se agota El sentimiento. Soy de la tierra de la esperanza, llevo La sangre del que no reconoce dueños Soy fuego y luna, agua y memoria de amaneceres Siempre alumbrando nuestra historia
My Caribbean is the root of dreams where the feeling never runs out. I come from the land of hope and carry the blood of those who refuse to recognize ownership. I am fire and moon, water and memories of sunrises, always shining a light on our history.
Raíz de sueños es mi Caribe, mágica flor que dentro De mi pecho vive! Por esta tierra de amores que nos Vio nacer, por esa tierra debemos siempre responder Canto de mi alma, hoy como ayer, la quiero tanto Porque ella me enseñó a querer
My Caribbean is the root of dreams, a magical flower that lives within my chest. We must always respond to this land of love that saw us born. The song of my soul, today as yesterday, I love it so much because it taught me how to love.
Raíz de sueños es el Caribe, donde el sol No tiene dueño y la esperanza sobrevive!
The Caribbean is the root of dreams, where the sun has no owner and hope survives!
Cuando es verano y llega el sol, resbalando sobre el mar En mi tierra no hay pecado, sólo hay tiempo pa' gozar
When summer comes and the sun glides over the sea, there is no sin in my land, there is only time to enjoy.
Raíz de sueños
Root of dreams
Aunque me ofrezcan pasaporte y un cambio de color No los cambio por mi tierra, por mi luna o por mi sol
Even if they offer me a passport and a change of color, I will not exchange them for my land, my moon, or my sun.
A Colobo, Carolina, Loiza y Llorens, un abrazo a Los caseríos, de Panamá y de Rubén A Dominicana, pa' que la gozen también Tras la tormenta, brilla el sol de Borinquen Entre un amor tropical, entre la luna y el mar El alma se acuerda y se pone a bailar
To Colobo, Carolina, Loiza, and Llorens, a hug to the villages of Panama and Ruben. To the Dominican Republic, so they can enjoy it too. After the storm, the sun shines on Borinquen. Amidst tropical love, between the moon and the sea, the soul remembers and starts dancing.
Carolina, Cao; Carolina, Cao ¡No se vayan que esto sigue!
Carolina, Cao; Carolina, Cao. Don't leave, it keeps going!
Pura vida es mi Caribe de colores y dolores Así, en el Caribe, así se pintan los amores Allí tengo a mis amigos, a mi mamá y a mi casita
My Caribbean is a pure life of colors and pains. That is how love is painted in the Caribbean. That's where I have my friends, my mom, and my little house.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BLADES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@gabrielvelazquez8328
Saludos a el caribe desde Puerto Rico 🇵🇷