Blades, Rubén, 1948-

Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna was born in Panama City, Panama on July 16, 1948. He is an internationally prominent and popular musician, actor and politician. His musical career as a singer and composer of Latin popular music styles has won him many accolades, including multiple Grammy and Latin Grammy awards. He played a key role in the salsa music scene in New York in the 1970s.

In addition to being an accomplished musician, Blades is also a lawyer. He studied law at the Universidad de Panama in the early 1970s and he later graduated in 1985 with a Master's degree in International Law from Harvard University Law School. Social, cultural and political concerns have played a major part in Blades' life and music. In recent years, Blades served a term as Minister of Tourism in Panama from 2004 to 2009.

As an actor, Blades has performed in many commercial films, including Crossover Dreams (1985) and Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003).

As a well-known figure, many resources about Blades' life and career are widely available. This biographical sketch is necessarily brief and focused on materials currently available in the collection.

From the guide to the The Rubén Blades Archives at Harvard University: A Finding Aid, 1964-2010, (Archive of World Music, Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University)