Rubén Blades is a New York Panamanian salsa legend who wrote many salsa classics including “El Cantante” and “Pedro Navaja,” was a Fania All-Star, and continues doing Grammy-winning work.
One of the funny things about Rubén is that if you say his name with a Latin accent, English speakers don’t understand you. If you say his name with an English accent, Spanish speakers don’t understand you.
Rubén Blades in New York City
Rubén Blades joins Tony Touch’s “The Piece Maker Concert” with Sean Paul, Lisa Lisa, Rakim, The Lox, KRS-One, M.O.P., TKA, George Lamond, The Jungle Brothers, Lisette Melendez, Nina Sky, The Beatnuts, Don Chezina, Two Without Hats featuring Angel Deleon and The Diaz Brothers featuring DJ Doo Wop; at Radio City Music Hall in Rockefeller Center, Manhattan; on Friday, February 9, 2024 at 8pm. From $129. msg.com 🇵🇦 RESCHEDULED ~ WE DON’T KNOW IF BLADES IS PERFORMING ON JUNE 7, 2024
Rubén Blades Shines Everywhere
Our favorite Blades song is “Patría” in which he describes “homeland” to a child who has never been there. We love his work with Oscar Hernández and the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. It’s some of the best salsa dance music ever recorded.
Blades was born in Panama City, Panama on July 16, 1948. He trained as a lawyer, but didn’t want to practice law in what was then a dictatorship.
He is a very smart guy. In the states, Blades earned a Masters in International Law from Harvard University.
This is a man who loves the whole world. While singing he often calls out centers of salsa and drum culture in Regla, Cuba; Llorens, Santurce, Puerto Rico; Loíza Aldea, Loíza, Puerto Rico; La Perla, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Lima, Peru and others.
When he came to New York, Blades started working with Willie Colon. They made history together. Héctor Lavoe’s “El Cantante” is one of the most popular salsa songs of all time. Rubén wrote it. Back in the day, he was disappointed that Fania gave it to Lavoe, but it all worked out.
Today, Blades is one of the padrinos of Latin music in New York City. Younger musicians look up to him for guidance. Residente of Calle 13 is close. Blades is not only talented, he really cares about his community. When Tite Curet Alonso, the salsa poet who wrote many of the Fania hits was alive, Blades was his champion.
Blades still tours all over the world and keeps winning Grammys with new work. In 2021, he had nine Grammys and ten Latin Grammys. “Salswing!” won the 2021 Latin Grammy for Album of the Year. He was also the Latin Recording Academy’s Person of the Year for 2021.
Surprisingly for a star at his level, Blades rides the New York subways and is kind with the public. He really is someone special.
New York Venues
Over the years, Rubén has performed all over New York City. These are some of the venues he has played recently.