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®
Telefonito
Rubén Blades Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dile que no estoy, dile que no estoy
Yo sé de una chamaquita
Que todas las mañanitas
Cuando estoy por levantarme
En mi cabecera siento el "Ring ring"
Resulta que la chamaca
Está tan enamorada
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Yo sé de una chamaquita
Que todas las mañanitas
Cuando estoy por levantarme
En mi cabecera siento el "Ring ring"
Y es el telefonito
Resulta que la chamaca
Está tan enamorada
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
Siempre tempranito "Ring ring"
Óyelo sonando "Ring ring"
El telefonito "Ring ring"
Es la chamaca llamando "Ring ring"
Ay desde Colombia "Ring ring"
Desde Panamá "Ring ring"
Me llama collect "Ring ring"
Ay y me va arruinar "Ring ring"
Oye como suena "Ring ring"
Ay cógelo abuela "Ring ring"
¡Alo! ¡ah, no!
¡Alo! ¡ah, no!
Dime, ¿quién llama? dile que no estoy
Usted abusó "Ring ring"
Sacó provecho de mí, me arruinó "Ring ring"
Me está volviendo loco ese "Ring ring", "Ring ring"
Ya no me estés llamando más mami "Ring ring"
Si estoy trabajando "Ring ring"
Si estoy por la esquina "Ring ring"
Me llama a la casa "Ring ring"
Y donde la vecina "Ring ring"
¡Alo! ¡ah, no!
¡Alo!, no estoy
O como decía, "Mom"
¿Pelo quien llama? dile que no estoy
Hazme la maleta "Ring ring"
Que esto huele a fiscal "Ring ring"
Tanto "Ring ring" dejó, "Ring ring"
A mí, a mí que me huele a mal "Ring ring"
Dame un chancecito morena "Ring ring"
Dame un breakesito siquiera "Ring ring"
No me llames tanto "Ring ring"
Quiero descansar un ratito "Ring ring"
¿Qué será? "Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
¿Qué pasará? "Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
Compadre que es esto "Ring ring"
Compai que relajo "Ring ring"
"Ring ring" por encima "Ring ring"
Y el rang rang por abajo "Ring ring"
Si es la chamaquita "Ring ring"
Cógelo, abuelita "Ring ring"
Abuela, ¿sí?
Ahora que llame la muchachita esa de nuevo
Usted lo coge y le dice que yo no estoy, anja
Dígale que no estoy, sí
¿Esta Rubencito?
No, Ruben dice que no está
Ay abuela pero, ah po contéstalo tú
Abuela
The lyrics to Rubén Blades's song "Telefonito" tell the story of a young woman who is deeply in love with the singer. Every morning, when he is about to wake up, he hears the ringing of the telephone next to his bed. It turns out that the young woman is calling him because she is afraid of losing his love.
The song conveys a sense of annoyance and frustration from the singer, who is constantly being disturbed by the calls. He expresses his desire for some peace and rest, asking the woman not to call him as frequently. The repetition of the phrase "Ring ring" emphasizes the incessant ringing of the telephone and further emphasizes the singer's annoyance.
The lyrics also include humorous moments, such as when the singer imitates his grandmother answering the phone or when he mimics the repetitive ringing sound. Additionally, the use of colloquial phrases and expressions adds to the playful nature of the song.
Overall, "Telefonito" portrays a humorous and relatable situation of being constantly interrupted by someone's relentless phone calls, capturing the emotions of annoyance and the need for some space.
Line by Line Meaning
¿Quién es?
Who is it?
Dile que no estoy, dile que no estoy
Tell them I'm not here, tell them I'm not here
Yo sé de una chamaquita
I know of a young girl
Que todas las mañanitas
Who every morning
Cuando estoy por levantarme
When I am about to get up
En mi cabecera siento el "Ring ring"
At my bedside I hear the "Ring ring"
Y es el telefonito
And it's the telephone
Resulta que la chamaca
It turns out the girl
Está tan enamorada
Is so in love
Que tiene miedo de perder mi amor
That she's afraid of losing my love
Siempre tempranito "Ring ring"
Always early in the morning "Ring ring"
Óyelo sonando "Ring ring"
Hear it ringing "Ring ring"
El telefonito "Ring ring"
The little telephone "Ring ring"
Es la chamaca llamando "Ring ring"
It's the girl calling "Ring ring"
Ay desde Colombia "Ring ring"
Oh, from Colombia "Ring ring"
Desde Panamá "Ring ring"
From Panama "Ring ring"
Me llama collect "Ring ring"
She calls me collect "Ring ring"
Ay y me va arruinar "Ring ring"
Oh, and she's going to ruin me "Ring ring"
Oye como suena "Ring ring"
Listen to how it sounds "Ring ring"
Ay cógelo abuela "Ring ring"
Oh, answer it grandma "Ring ring"
¡Alo! ¡ah, no!
Hello! Oh, no!
Dime, ¿quién llama? dile que no estoy
Tell me, who's calling? Tell them I'm not here
Usted abusó "Ring ring"
You took advantage "Ring ring"
Sacó provecho de mí, me arruinó "Ring ring"
You took advantage of me, you ruined me "Ring ring"
Me está volviendo loco ese "Ring ring", "Ring ring"
That "Ring ring", "Ring ring" is driving me crazy
Ya no me estés llamando más mami "Ring ring"
Don't call me anymore, mommy "Ring ring"
Si estoy trabajando "Ring ring"
If I'm working "Ring ring"
Si estoy por la esquina "Ring ring"
If I'm around the corner "Ring ring"
Me llama a la casa "Ring ring"
She calls me at home "Ring ring"
Y donde la vecina "Ring ring"
And even at the neighbor's house "Ring ring"
O como decía, "Mom"
Or as they used to say, "Mom"
¿Pelo quien llama? dile que no estoy
Who is it? Tell them I'm not here
Hazme la maleta "Ring ring"
Pack my bags "Ring ring"
Que esto huele a fiscal "Ring ring"
This smells like trouble "Ring ring"
Tanto "Ring ring" dejó, "Ring ring"
So many "Ring ring" it left, "Ring ring"
A mí, a mí que me huele a mal "Ring ring"
To me, to me it smells bad "Ring ring"
Dame un chancecito morena "Ring ring"
Give me a little chance, brown-skinned girl "Ring ring"
Dame un breakesito siquiera "Ring ring"
Give me a little break at least "Ring ring"
No me llames tanto "Ring ring"
Don't call me so much "Ring ring"
Quiero descansar un ratito "Ring ring"
I want to rest for a while "Ring ring"
¿Qué será? "Ring ring"
What will it be? "Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
¿Qué pasará? "Ring ring"
What will happen? "Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
"Ring ring"
Compadre que es esto "Ring ring"
Buddy, what is this? "Ring ring"
Compai que relajo "Ring ring"
Dude, it's a mess "Ring ring"
"Ring ring" por encima "Ring ring"
"Ring ring" on top "Ring ring"
Y el rang rang por abajo "Ring ring"
And the rang rang underneath "Ring ring"
Si es la chamaquita "Ring ring"
If it's the young girl "Ring ring"
Cógelo, abuelita "Ring ring"
Answer it, grandma "Ring ring"
Abuela, ¿sí?
Grandma, yes?
Ahora que llame la muchachita esa de nuevo
Now let that girl call again
Usted lo coge y le dice que yo no estoy, anja
You answer and tell her I'm not here, got it
Dígale que no estoy, sí
Tell her I'm not here, yes
¿Esta Rubencito?
Is this Rubencito?
No, Ruben dice que no está
No, Ruben says he's not here
Ay abuela pero, ah po contéstalo tú
Oh grandma, well then answer it yourself
Abuela
Grandma
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Silvestre Mendez Lopez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind