Few names are more iconic in the world of salsa than Rubén Blades. The legendary singer hails from Panama and has worked with some of the greatest salseros including Ray Barreto, Larry Harlow, Willie Colón, and Hector LaVoe just to name a few. Blades even wrote LaVoe’s most famously requested song “El Cantante.” Coupled with a very prominent acting career, the man is quite simply a legend. Obviously, he has a winning formula and it would be easy to rest on his laurels and continue to do the same, but Rubén Blades is not your typical artist. Always up for a challenge and always looking to grow, Blades brings us his newest masterpiece, SalSwing! For those of you who aren’t hip, that’s salsa plus swing!
It is the first project of its kind undertaken by the veteran and he shows his diversity extremely well. In the opening track, Paula C opens the door for the listener with an afro-Cuban style that is familiarly associated with Blades. It has a suave appeal to it with Blades’s silky voice leading the mesmerizing sounds of the Roberto Delgado Orchestra. Images of palm trees and a beach come to mind when hearing this song and I’m almost transported to paradise! Next, Blades transports us back in time with the classic, Pennies from Heaven and he exudes a demeanor much as Frank Sinatra had, reminiscent of this rat pack sound is the orchestrations which are masterfully executed. There is no denying that this is distinctly a swing feel, which shows the equal mastery that Blades possesses of both styles! Speaking of Sinatra, Blades does perhaps Sinatra’s most famous tune, The Way You Look Tonight, managing to sound like Sinatra at times while still maintaining his own distinct identity throughout with his phrasing. Blades is so at home that he even sings in Spanish while singing as can be heard on Ya no me Duele. The crossover, or MIXTURA as Blades likes to refer to it, is perfect and shows that true artistically envisioned music is beyond category.
This eleven-track album is a true work of art and stands on itself. However, knowing how resistant to change people can be he has released this music in two other forms, one more focused on Salsa entitled Salsa Plus and the other entitled Swing. Each one focuses on their respectful forms while sneaking a little taste of the other style in there. It is a thoughtful attempt on the part of Blades to go through the pains to produce these other two forms to break down the label barriers that may keep people from appreciating good music for being just that, good music! Blades writes “When people ask me what kind of a musician I am, I just stare at them. When they ask me what do I play, my answer is Music!” I couldn’t agree more!
About Author
