Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna
Rubén Blades won his first Grammy for the album Encenas and later won 13 major awards including multiple Latin Grammys. He acted in films such as Once Upon a Time in Mexico and The Counselor, and played Danny Archuleta in Predator 2. Blades ran for President of Panama in 1994, earning 18% of the vote, and served as Minister of Tourism from 2004 to 2009.
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Rubén Blades — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.
Rubén Blades was born July 16, 1948, in Panama City. His father, a bongo player turned police detective, and his mother, a piano teacher, raised him surrounded by music. He studied law at the University of Panama and later earned a degree in International Law from Harvard Law School. But music remained his focus.
In 1974, Blades arrived in New York City with only $100 to pursue a singing career. He won his first Grammy for the album Encenas, and his subsequent albums earned multiple Latin Grammy Awards. He moved into acting with a role in Predator 2 1990 as Danny Archuleta, followed by parts in Color of Night 1994 and Once Upon a Time in Mexico 2003. In 1994, he ran for President of Panama, finishing third with 18% of the vote. From 2004 to 2009, he served as Panama’s Minister of Tourism.
Blades was first married to Lisa Lebenzon. In 2006, he married singer Luba Mason. His brother Roberto Blades is also a musician. He keeps a large comic book collection; his mother threw away his childhood collection. His grandfather Reuben Blades was born on St. Lucia, a British island, which is why his surname rhymes with glades.
Rubén Blades has won 13 major awards, including multiple Latin Grammy Awards for Album of the Year and Best Salsa Album. He was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame. In politics, he ran for president in 1994, earning 18% of the vote, and served as Minister of Tourism from 2004 to 2009. Film roles like Jorge in Once Upon a Time in Mexico and Danny Archuleta in Predator 2 remain memorable. He expanded salsa music’s global reach.
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Little-known facts about Rubén Blades — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.
In 1994, he founded the Papa Egoro party and ran for President of Panama, finishing third with 18% of the vote. His party won enough legislative seats to continue until its dissolution in 1999.
His surname is pronounced to rhyme with glades because his grandfather Reuben Blades was from St. Lucia.
He holds law degrees from the University of Panama and an advanced degree in International Law from Harvard Law School.
His father was a bongo-player-turned-police-detective, his mother a piano teacher. Blades studied law in Panama before moving to New York City in 1974 with only $100 to pursue music.
He won his first Grammy for the album Encenas. He later earned four additional Latin Grammy Awards and a World Music Grammy for Mundo.
From 2004 to 2009, he served as Panama’s Minister of Tourism.
He maintains a large comic book collection, though his mother discarded his childhood collection.
His grandfather Reuben Blades was born on St. Lucia, a British island.
In Predator 2 1990, he played Danny Archuleta, a character killed by the villain. In Once Upon a Time in Mexico 2003, his character Jorge avenges the death of a partner also named Archuleta.
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