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Rubén Blades.

Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna

Rubén Blades
Born Panama City
Citizenship Panama
Age 77 yr Today

TL;DR

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.

At a glance.

STATS

Rubén Blades by the numbers — life, work, and family.

77 Age
42 Film credits
13 Awards
2 Marriages

Family ties.

KIN · 3

The relatives of Rubén Blades — parents, partners, children, and siblings.

SPOUSES
Luba Mason Lisa Lebenzon
SIBLINGS
Roberto Blades

Who is Rubén Blades?

BIOGRAPHY

Rubén Blades — early life, career, personal life, and legacy.

Early life

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.

Career

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.

Personal life

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.

Legacy

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.

Filmography.

FILMS · 42

Browse the complete filmography of Rubén Blades — every film, TV show, and documentary credit, ranked by popularity.

  1. TV Poster for The X-Files

    The X-Files

  2. TV Poster for Fear the Walking Dead

    Fear the Walking Dead

  3. TV Poster for Late Night with David Letterman

    Late Night with David Letterman

  4. TV Poster for MythBusters

    MythBusters

  5. Movie Poster for Predator 2

    Predator 2

  6. Movie Poster for Safe House

    Safe House

  7. Movie Poster for Color of Night

    Color of Night

  8. Movie Poster for The Counselor

    The Counselor

  9. Movie Poster for The Devil's Own

    The Devil's Own

  10. TV Poster for Latin Grammy Awards

    Latin Grammy Awards

  11. Movie Poster for Hands of Stone

    Hands of Stone

  12. Movie Poster for All the Pretty Horses

    All the Pretty Horses

  13. Movie Poster for The Two Jakes

    The Two Jakes

  14. TV Poster for Las Lunas Del Auditorio

    Las Lunas Del Auditorio

Awards & honors.

AWARDS · 9

Every award, honor, and recognition received by Rubén Blades — Grammys, hall-of-fame inductions, civic honors, lifetime achievements.

  • Gold Medal of Merit in the Fine Arts
  • Latin Grammy Award for Album of the Year
  • Latin Grammy Award for Best Salsa Album
  • International Latin Music Hall of Fame
  • Latin Grammy Award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album
  • Latin Grammy Award for Best Tropical Song
  • Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year
  • Grammy Award for Best Tropical Latin Album
  • Latin Grammy Hall of Fame

Notable quotes.

QUOTES · 1

A wall of memorable lines from Rubén Blades — lyrics, interviews, and off-the-cuff remarks captured over a lifetime.

  • What Good Is It to Know Something, If You Don’t Share What You Know?

Did you know?

FACTS · 9

Little-known facts about Rubén Blades — origins, oddities, and behind-the-scenes details from a public life.

  1. 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.

  2. His surname is pronounced to rhyme with glades because his grandfather Reuben Blades was from St. Lucia.

  3. He holds law degrees from the University of Panama and an advanced degree in International Law from Harvard Law School.

  4. 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.

  5. He won his first Grammy for the album Encenas. He later earned four additional Latin Grammy Awards and a World Music Grammy for Mundo.

  6. From 2004 to 2009, he served as Panama’s Minister of Tourism.

  7. He maintains a large comic book collection, though his mother discarded his childhood collection.

  8. His grandfather Reuben Blades was born on St. Lucia, a British island.

  9. 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.

You wanted to know.

FAQ · 29

Quick answers to the questions readers ask most about Rubén Blades.