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Ruben Blades Quotes

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I was the first person to come into New York with a Latin American point of view which was also very much influenced by political happenings in Latin America.

- Ruben Blades

New, Very, Which, Happenings

It doesn't make sense for me to be a lawyer in a place where there is no law.

- Ruben Blades

Law, Me, Sense, No Law

But, when I was about thirteen, I began to sort of sing in my neighborhood.

- Ruben Blades

Sing, Began, About, Thirteen

I was always interested in trying to find how different genres would affect the lyrics that I'd written. Salsa is where most of my songs have been recorded, the genre of salsa. It's very frenetic, fast-paced. And I felt that the lyrics sometimes were being lost.

- Ruben Blades

Been, Very, Affect, Fast-Paced

The grandmother, the mother, the worker, the student, the intellectual, the professional, the unemployed, everybody identified with the songs because they were descriptions of life in the city.

- Ruben Blades

City, Student, Everybody, Identified

What I do not accept is the fact that so many people's talents were ripped off.

- Ruben Blades

Fact, Were, Many, Ripped

Yes, I was going to law school and it was closed in '69.

- Ruben Blades

School, Law, Going, Law School

Basically, I would like to be considered for roles that are well-written. I think that part of the problem that we've had as actors is that they insist on looking at us as Latino actors and not as actors, period.

- Ruben Blades

Think, I Think, Period, Well-Written

What is interesting in this is the exchange of music that occurred between New Orleans and Cuba, I mean, they had ferries that would go from one port to another.

- Ruben Blades

Interesting, New, Occurred, New Orleans

It was very interesting, and we went to Germany and we toured Germany like we were a German band in 1985.

- Ruben Blades

Like, Very, German, Toured

And, he'd seen me in Panama, and he talked about maybe doing something in New York so I hooked it up when I came here and I recorded in 1969 my first album with Pete Rodriguez.

- Ruben Blades

Doing, Here, Maybe, Rodriguez

The first time I played was in Buenos Aires - was in 1983. The dictatorship was in position.

- Ruben Blades

Time, Position, First Time, Dictatorship

A lot of times you're just conditioned by what's around you.

- Ruben Blades

Just, Lot, Times, Conditioned

So that I saw music as a way of documenting realities from the urban cities of Latin America.

- Ruben Blades

Way, Cities, Saw, Documenting

I think being born in Panama was a blessing because Panama is a port city. It's a really - the mentality is that - I remember that of admitting things in. You know, ports, ideas come in and out all the time.

- Ruben Blades

City, I Remember, I Think, Blessing

There's something about the tango that brings even more emotion out of the lyrics.

- Ruben Blades

Emotion, Brings, Even, Lyrics

Every band had their own distinctive sound, but it was pretty much dancing music and rhythmic music with a tremendous emphasis on copying the Cuban models.

- Ruben Blades

Dancing, Pretty, Models, Distinctive

So that in 1974, when I graduated as a lawyer, I figured I'm not going to be a lawyer under a military regime.

- Ruben Blades

Going, Regime, Figured, Graduated

People are a lot smarter than anyone gives them credit for being.

- Ruben Blades

Than, Lot, Anyone, Smarter

I'm planning to retire from salsa. I'm planning to do a farewell tour.

- Ruben Blades

Planning, Farewell, Tour, Retire

Tango was very popular in Panama at the time when I was growing up. In the Fifties in Panama, the radio stations played all types of music.

- Ruben Blades

Stations, Very, Types, Popular

It's almost as if people think that in Latin America we're not hip to what's happening here.

- Ruben Blades

Think, Here, Almost, Latin America

In those days the big U.S. labels didn't have any particular interest in the Latin market.

- Ruben Blades

Big, Interest, Market, Latin

I think in New York we had respect and we would pretty much fill up the places where we went, but I never got the sense that we really were Number 1 here in New York among the Latin crowds.

- Ruben Blades

Here, I Think, Had, Latin

Everyone has a black guy inside them. Mine is a Cuban sonero who is 80-something years old and sings better than I do. His name is Medoro Madera. Medoro has been recording since 1997.

- Ruben Blades

Been, Mine, Sings, Cuban

They're making a ton of money, and no one is getting a nickel.

- Ruben Blades

Making, Getting, Ton, Nickel

My mother never finished elementary school. My father didn't, and that was a reality for many of us.

- Ruben Blades

Mother, School, Never, Elementary School

And music was a very important part of our lives. The radio was on all day.

- Ruben Blades

Music, Important, Very, Our Lives

You know, it was uncomfortable doing the same thing. I don't like a rut.

- Ruben Blades

Doing, Same, Same Thing, Rut

I was never particularly a part of the following of tango; I just liked it... most of all, I recognized that the urban content and the approach seemed very familiar and very connected to the songs that I was doing, the kind of songs that I wanted to write - the songs about the street.

- Ruben Blades

Doing, Part, Very, Tango

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