A Man and His Music: Poeta Del Pueblo

Ruben Blades

Product Details

• Audio CD (March 11, 2008)
• Original Release Date: March 11, 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Fania / Umgd
• ASIN: B0013FCW16
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #50,107 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  Music > World Music > Caribbean & Cuba > Afro-Cuban

Editorial Reviews

About the Artist
RUBEN BLADES

Rubén Blades has been a distinguished singer, composer, actor, and political figure. He didn't enter the world of music by accident: he was born and raised in the perfect environment for his future musical training. His Cuban mother, Anoland Bellido de Luna, played the piano, and his Panamanian father, Rubén Blades, played percussion. Under their musical influence, he cultivated his innate talent, alternating between law and political science at the National University of Panama. Never once did he lose his love of music, performing at local venues around the city. In 1968, he traveled to New York, where he was invited to record an album with the Pete Rodríguez Orchestra. This opportunity allowed him to make important contacts in the music world. He returned to Panama to finish his studies and graduate, independent of his career. For him, music was an immediate goal. He returned to New York, and fate led him to a job in the mail room of Fania Records. Direct contact with the musical talent on the label gave him a new opportunity when Ray Barretto needed a substitute for his lead singer, who had left the band. He found the talent he was looking for in Rubén Blades, who in turn took an important step in his musical career. Another opportunity presented itself when Héctor Lavoe left his position as lead vocalist for the Willie Colón Orchestra. Rubén Blades took the spot, beginning a glorious career with an uninterrupted series of enormous hits.

Rubén Blades se ha destacado como cantante, compositor, actor y figura política. No incursiona en el mundo de la música por casualidad, nace y crece en un ambiente que le es muy propicio para su futura formación musical. Su madre, Anoland Bellido de Luna, cubana, tocaba el piano, y su padre, Rubén Blades, panameño, tocaba la percusión. Con esta influencia cultiva su innato talento alternando sus estudios en la Facultad de Derecho y Ciencias Políticas en la Universidad Nacional de Panamá, sin abandonar su afición por la música actuando en locales públicos de la ciudad. En 1968 viaja a Nueva York, donde se le ofrece unirse a la Orquesta de Pete Rodríguez para grabar un disco. Oportunidad que le permite contactar con importantes figuras del medio. Regresa a Panamá para concluir sus estudios y graduarse, pero independientemente a su carrera, la música constituye para él una aspiración inmediata. Regresa a Nueva York, y por designios del destino entra a trabajar en la compañía Fania como organizador y mensajero de correos. El contacto directo con su talento artístico le plantea una nueva oportunidad cuando Ray Barretto buscando un sustituto para ocupar el puesto dejado por el vocalista de su orquesta, encuentra en Rubén Blades el talento idóneo, dando así inicio a una importante carrera como músico profesional. Otra afortunada coincidencia se le presenta cuando Héctor Lavoe deja vacante el puesto de vocalista en la orquesta de Willie Colón, con el que Rubén Blades inicia una carrera consagratoria con una ininterrumpida secuencia de grades éxitos.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Truly the ULTIMATE Ruben Blades collection., March 17, 2008

By	Justo Roteta (Los Angeles, California United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This 2-CD set is the most comprehensive collection of Ruben's Fania recordings issued to date. Of course, you get most of his big solo hits as well as some of his earlier ones with Ray Barretto, Willie Colon and even the Fania All Stars. The essay by Ernesto Lechner is also very informative and covers aspects of Ruben's entire career. Despite its being limited to Ruben's 1975-84 Fania recordings this package really deserves to be in your collection.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Fania collection with one major flaw, March 20, 2008

By	sergiobklyn - See all my reviews

As written before, this is a great collection of Rubén's Fania work with excellent liner notes. One might argue an omission of a song here and there, but overall it covers a lot. The tracks are arranged in chronological order and the artwork includes album pictures, concert photos, and a hand-written page of the Pedro Navaja chart. The mastering made Rubén's Fania music sound the best I've heard so far, with a balance of the lows and highs and an increased volume that matches today's music.

The tracks from Maestra Vida ("Manuela", "El nacimiento de Ramiro", and "Maestra vida") have part of their intro text and music taken out. It seems understandable because the songs might sound weird out of context. What seems unforgivable is the fact that they faded the ending of the song "Maestra vida" leaving out a minute and a half portion that includes a climactic mambo section. I understand that CD 2 is almost 80 minutes long, but they could have picked a shorter song from one of the "filler" LP's and left Maestra vida in its full length.

I would have given this double CD 5 stars, but given the importance of the Maestra Vida album, I gave it 4.

5.0 out of 5 stars Poeta Del Pueblo - Ruben Blades, February 1, 2009

By	Magdalena Santiago "I am jazzy" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I rediscovered this artist listening to Pandora - I am so glad I did. I can't believe I missed this for quite a few years - Ruben Blades is #1 in my book.