Ruben Blades 10/18

Ruben Blades has been in the public eye lately.  A new great documentary on his life “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name” was featured at the 10th Annual SF Latino Film Festival this past September.  The documentary gives us an up close and personal view of…. Blades’s personal and professional life.  The film is full of insightful archival footage of Blades beginnings as an aspiring singer/songwriter working at Fania Records’ mail department to his musical triumphs performing on the world’s stages.  The film covers his career starting with his big break as a member of Ray Barretto’s orchestra, his career defining moments with Willie Colon, his journey in music and films and his commitment to serving in the political arena of his home country Panama.  Great concert footage as well as interviews with his wife Luba Mason, Paul Simon and Ismael Miranda.  “Ruben Blades Is Not My Name” is not to be missed.

In other Blades new, a new recording featuring material from a 2014 live show with Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra entitled “Una Noche Con Ruben Blades” is being released later this week in CD/DVD/MP3 formats.  The recording features Blades interpreting his Salsa classics along with standards from the Great American songbook.   I really enjoyed the extended version of his composition ‘El Cantante” that was a huge hit for Hector Lavoe and the megabit “Pedro Navaja” which interweaves the lyrics of “Mack The Knife” into the original lyrics of the song.