This recording is quintessential Blades, getting the feet and brain moving at the same time. The magic of Ruben Blades is that he makes you want to move in the face of lyrics about every social wrong and personal horror. He makes you want to understand that this is not how it was meant to be, or this is wrong, but by getting the body moving, he brings hope to the darkest scenario. Ultimately, there is hope, in each and every one of us. This is best summed up in "Piensa En Mi"/"Think of Me" Eng trans:
"There will be no wall that can stop us,
or sadness we can't overcome.
No matter how bitter our yesterday,
there's always a future for happiness."
That's a pretty powerful statement. It's what's in every song Ruben Blades writes. So, yes, Blades is for thinking, but he's also all about dancing! Get up and move, get your feet moving, do something about the wrongs of the world, but do it with hope and belief that "there's always a future for happiness." Social activism doesn't have to be angry, it can joyful, but it DOES have to be ACTIVE.
March 3, 2008This is Ruben Blades's "dark horse" recording. A disc full of political allusions and full of the pain of loss (his mother had recently passed away). Standouts on this disc are: Apagon (Blackout), which criticizes both the American invasion of Panama but also the corrupt Panamanian society that accepted it; Cilindro (Cylinder), which chronicles the true story of an energy company that dumps nuclear waste in the Chilean countryside; and Adan Garcia, the bitter-sweet story of a desparate poor man trying to get out of his poverty; and West Indian Man, which talks about his own English/Caribbean roots--his grandfather was English (contrary to what many Spanish speakers insist Ruben's last name is pronounced in English, not "BLAH-des; this fact comes from Ruben himself in an interview on National Public Radio)
Blades's music, though based in salsa and Afro-Latin rhythms, is not for dancing, but steadfast contemplation and social action.
Que sigas la lucha, Ruben! September 16, 2003
 |  | un disco solo para conocedores y amantes de la buena musica |  |
Capaz es uno de los discos mas personales de Ruben.. Se podria decir que Amor y Control es el mejor tema del disco. auque pienso en ti haya sido la mas difundida. Hay que tomar en cuenta el segundo y tercer tema.. Dedicados a su madre. y al cilindro. Lo maravilloso de ruben es la duracion de sus letras... Uno las puede escuchar 10 años despues y parecen escritas ayer..
February 1, 2002 | | No muy conocida, pero extraordinaria | |
Esta produccion, entendida en el contexto en que fue hecha, es otra de las grandes producciones de Ruben (una de las mejores en mi opinion). En ellas imprime una fuerza extraordinaria en musica y letras que llaman a la reflexion sobre la vida, la sociedad de ese entonces y de ahora y una vision interesante sobre la Conquista de America, rememorando el quinto centenario.
February 7, 1999More reviews at Amazon.com ...
(4 reviews)