1 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:09,840 Speaker 1: From Fudromidia and PRX. It's Latino Usa. I'm marieo Posa Today. 2 00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: A portrait of Ruben Blades, one of the most prolific 3 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: Latin American recording artists alive. Ruben Blades is one of 4 00:00:26,680 --> 00:00:33,000 Speaker 1: the most prolific recording artists alive. A multi Grammy Award winner, 5 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: Druen originally made his name with Fanya Records in the 6 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies, bringing a kind of storytelling to New York 7 00:00:41,000 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: salsa and Latin jazz. But where some artists might have 8 00:00:45,080 --> 00:00:49,600 Speaker 1: stayed put, Ruben continued to wander an experiment. Over his 9 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: decades long career, Ruben Blades has collaborated with artists like 10 00:00:54,120 --> 00:00:57,760 Speaker 1: Lou Reed and Sting all the way to Gayetrese and 11 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: Wynton Marsalis. He's also an actor who's appeared in TV 12 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: shows and in movies, and if that wasn't enough, In 13 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: nineteen ninety four, Druben also ran for president of his 14 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: native Banama. In twenty twenty one, Ruben won the top 15 00:01:13,080 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: award for the Best Album in the Latin Grammys, and 16 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,640 Speaker 1: he was also recognized as the Latin Recording Academy's Person 17 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:25,679 Speaker 1: of the Year. Now Druben continues performing around the world. So, 18 00:01:25,840 --> 00:01:29,040 Speaker 1: dear listener, we wanted to bring back this interview from 19 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: twenty eighteen with Duben Blades, the Latin music icon Ruben Blades, 20 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Latino, USA. 21 00:01:38,120 --> 00:01:40,000 Speaker 2: Which I had asked, Yes, Oh my god, it's so 22 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:41,200 Speaker 2: it's so great to have you. 23 00:01:41,520 --> 00:01:43,440 Speaker 3: Thank you in person. Thank you. 24 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:44,679 Speaker 2: I gotta tell you. 25 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: Of course, I was a Latina in New York City 26 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: in college and your music was like literally the album 27 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,160 Speaker 1: of our lives. Yeah, your music then it was not 28 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: just about dancing as we know. 29 00:01:57,720 --> 00:02:00,080 Speaker 3: Well, the thing basically is that I thought that there 30 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 3: were people who were writing about love much better than 31 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,520 Speaker 3: I could. I do feel there is a need to 32 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 3: write about what is happening around us. Well, I don't 33 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 3: believe in political art. That's like an axi mar like 34 00:02:13,919 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 3: propaganda exactly, that's what it turns into. I resent the 35 00:02:17,360 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 3: fact that anybody would ever call me a political singer, 36 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,000 Speaker 3: because I'm not. That's propaanda. I don't believe in that. 37 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 3: But I do believe that one can document what's going 38 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 3: on around us, and that somehow that will make us 39 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 3: all feel less alone, less disconnected. I think that it 40 00:02:35,880 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 3: can create and or foster solidarity and also document the 41 00:02:41,400 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 3: way things are. I think it's very important. I never 42 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 3: did like the whole thing about protest singer because it 43 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:52,000 Speaker 3: immediately placed you in a political sphere and would alienate 44 00:02:52,560 --> 00:02:56,399 Speaker 3: the parts of the message that were simply humanistic. So 45 00:02:56,480 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 3: I'd rather talk about proposal and becantante proto and you're 46 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,560 Speaker 3: talking about life in the city. So that's where I went. 47 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 3: And it was not a wise career move at all, 48 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:15,639 Speaker 3: because the radios wouldn't play my songs because they were 49 00:03:15,639 --> 00:03:19,000 Speaker 3: too long and or considered too arcane. 50 00:03:20,000 --> 00:03:22,160 Speaker 2: So like, for example, like here in New York, the 51 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:23,280 Speaker 2: radio station, No. 52 00:03:23,320 --> 00:03:25,600 Speaker 3: They wouldn't play my songs. I mean my songs. Pablo 53 00:03:25,639 --> 00:03:33,320 Speaker 3: Pelo was about six six and a half minutes Plo Pueblo. Well, 54 00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:37,160 Speaker 3: the format of the radio at the time was two 55 00:03:37,160 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 3: and a half minutes, maybe three, So if you played 56 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 3: a song that was six and a half minutes, you 57 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 3: were destroying the publicity paradigm in terms of their presentation. 58 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 3: You know, you had three songs of two minutes each, 59 00:03:49,200 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 3: just six minutes, and then we're gonna have three minutes 60 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 3: of commercials and so on. If you played a song 61 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:56,520 Speaker 3: six minutes long, that meant that you were only playing 62 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 3: one song instead of three songs. 63 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:12,320 Speaker 1: Well, so you arrive in New York City four and 64 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: seventy four. 65 00:04:12,960 --> 00:04:16,360 Speaker 3: The first time was sixty nine to visit. Well, the 66 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 3: dictatorship closing the university, and I was studying law school, 67 00:04:20,760 --> 00:04:22,720 Speaker 3: and my mother was very worried that I was going 68 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:26,839 Speaker 3: to probably join some arn movement, like seriously, yeah, she 69 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 3: was like me, yellow pain sol and no momento. 70 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 2: So how old were you then? 71 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 3: Twenty years old? Going to twenty one? And Ton said, 72 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:39,560 Speaker 3: my mother knew that I loved music, but I had 73 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 3: decided I'm going to go into law school only because 74 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 3: the deaner of the law school also he said, you're 75 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 3: going to be a lawyer a musician. You can't be 76 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 3: both here, you know, so you gotta decide. And I 77 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,720 Speaker 3: decided for law. But then the army closed the school. 78 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:57,080 Speaker 3: My mother proposed out of nowhere, this woman who did 79 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 3: not want me to be a musician because she had 80 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:01,600 Speaker 3: been one and she knew how hard the life was. 81 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 3: She proposed for me to go to New York and 82 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:07,799 Speaker 3: visited New York that I always talked about in New York, 83 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:10,440 Speaker 3: and you can see musicians in New York and I'm 84 00:05:10,440 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 3: looking at her like she drunk, you know, second, and 85 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 3: it didn't dawn on me what she was doing. I 86 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:20,560 Speaker 3: was so happy, I said, oh sure, And we had 87 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 3: no money. This is another bad perception at me because 88 00:05:23,160 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 3: I'm a lawyer and I ended up graduating from Harvard 89 00:05:25,960 --> 00:05:29,719 Speaker 3: Graduates Law School. We were working class family and I 90 00:05:29,800 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 3: was the first one to graduate from anything, and I 91 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:36,359 Speaker 3: graduated from a public university down there, Alemanama. But I 92 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 3: had a brother who worked in pan Am, So I 93 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:41,280 Speaker 3: made the trip to New York for like twenty bucks 94 00:05:41,400 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 3: nice and my mother gave me some money that she 95 00:05:44,480 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 3: had and I had a promise done earlier sixty seven, 96 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:51,600 Speaker 3: I think by Pancho Cristal, who was a huge producer 97 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 3: here in New York, and he said, oh, I can 98 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 3: do an album for you. So when I found out 99 00:05:56,800 --> 00:05:58,600 Speaker 3: that I was going to New York with the blessing 100 00:05:58,640 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 3: of my mom, I called him and I did my recording. 101 00:06:02,920 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 3: That was my first album, The Panama with pet Rodriguez 102 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 3: and the Bugalou Pete and his orchestra. The guy from 103 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 3: I like it like that and all that, and then 104 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 3: I went back to Panama University open again. And then 105 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 3: when I finished law school. My family had left in 106 00:06:23,480 --> 00:06:27,279 Speaker 3: seventy three because of the military. I stayed behind because 107 00:06:27,279 --> 00:06:30,000 Speaker 3: I was working with My thesis was on repeat criminals, 108 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 3: and once I finished, I just took the diploma and 109 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 3: the dean's office I evalidated it and I left. A 110 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,000 Speaker 3: week later. I went to Florida where they were. I 111 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 3: stayed with them for a while and feeling useless. I 112 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 3: was almost twenty six at the time. My diploma meant 113 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,080 Speaker 3: nothing there and I didn't know what to do to work. 114 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:53,960 Speaker 3: I didn't have any papers. My family was going through 115 00:06:53,960 --> 00:06:56,800 Speaker 3: a lot of hardship. I had three small brothers. My 116 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 3: father couldn't get a job. My mother was working in 117 00:06:59,440 --> 00:07:02,960 Speaker 3: Burdynes because she was a US citizen, so she was working, 118 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 3: but nobody else was. That's why I called Funny Records 119 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 3: in New York. 120 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:10,080 Speaker 2: Like literally, you're like, hey, the. 121 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 3: Biggest label in the world in salsa. 122 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:13,600 Speaker 2: I'm just going to call you guys. No you had 123 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:14,440 Speaker 2: an agent who. 124 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 3: No, no, no, no, no, no no. 125 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,600 Speaker 2: I had nothing, So like seriously, You're like, I just. 126 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 3: Picked up the phone and try to find what Funny 127 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 3: number was in New York and then called and and 128 00:07:24,800 --> 00:07:26,480 Speaker 3: I said, you know, once I wrote our song for 129 00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 3: Richie Ray in nineteen sixty nine. That was one one call, 130 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:34,840 Speaker 3: three day, I believe it was. It went well, and 131 00:07:34,880 --> 00:07:37,680 Speaker 3: then I wrote something for Miranda, you know, so would't 132 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 3: you want me to go there and write for you? 133 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 3: And they said no, and I said, thank you. You know, 134 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 3: we don't need singers, we don't need anything. And I said, 135 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,680 Speaker 3: would you have any job available? And they said it's 136 00:07:51,720 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 3: a job in the mail room and I said it 137 00:07:54,440 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 3: just opened today, as a matter of fact. Then I 138 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:57,680 Speaker 3: said how much does it pay? One hundred and twenty 139 00:07:57,680 --> 00:08:00,800 Speaker 3: five dollars a week. I said, I take it it 140 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 3: and I went and they just said okay, yeah. I 141 00:08:04,120 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 3: don't know why, but they said, oh, okay. So I 142 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:08,960 Speaker 3: went from Florida. I didn't. I don't know if I 143 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 3: told them I was in Florida. 144 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:14,120 Speaker 2: So you're starting in the mail room and. 145 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 3: The mail room of Fania. That's where I started. When 146 00:08:16,320 --> 00:08:18,880 Speaker 3: I was in Panama, I wrote two songs that were 147 00:08:18,920 --> 00:08:21,880 Speaker 3: recorded by Fannia a musicians. So I figured, now I'm 148 00:08:21,880 --> 00:08:24,760 Speaker 3: in the mail room in Fania in New York. Of course, 149 00:08:24,840 --> 00:08:27,160 Speaker 3: I'm want to write for more more people because I 150 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:29,560 Speaker 3: see them when they come to get their checks and whatnot. 151 00:08:30,280 --> 00:08:32,320 Speaker 3: So I have my guitar like right there, you know, 152 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 3: in a corner, and so I would try to sneak 153 00:08:35,800 --> 00:08:37,480 Speaker 3: in like and say, would you like to hear a 154 00:08:37,520 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 3: song or something? 155 00:08:38,559 --> 00:08:40,280 Speaker 1: Can you tell me about one of those times where 156 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: you had the guitar and you saw who walked by everybody? 157 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 3: Who would you know first of all, that I could 158 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 3: actually approach without being you know, scolded. The help doesn't 159 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 3: go and bother the stars, you know what I'm saying. 160 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,960 Speaker 3: And that's how I started. I mean, Candela recorded a 161 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:59,640 Speaker 3: song of mine called Amariamedse and I'm Out of Paquine 162 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 3: was big hit, huge hit and more with Sanchez a 163 00:09:03,800 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 3: more Petre and uh Miranda like. 164 00:09:12,960 --> 00:09:15,560 Speaker 2: All the great man like like right there next to you. 165 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,960 Speaker 1: So I'm thinking now about the heyday of Funya New 166 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:23,559 Speaker 1: York City. 167 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,360 Speaker 3: The semities were a very important moment because of what 168 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:30,040 Speaker 3: was happening in the city as a whole. It wasn't 169 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 3: just a salsa movement. It was like you had everything 170 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,520 Speaker 3: seemed to happen at the same thing. You have rock, 171 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 3: you had the beginnings of punk, you had the jazz scenes. 172 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 3: John Lennon was living in the city, the stuff that 173 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:58,559 Speaker 3: Edipamia was doing, Whitty Cologne, Vietnam, the US involved the 174 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:02,320 Speaker 3: Vietnam War. You know, the next sent the crime of perjury, 175 00:10:02,600 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 3: the young Lord said, and everything seemed to converge. At 176 00:10:08,040 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 3: the time, you know, there was an incredibly raw energy 177 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:16,920 Speaker 3: all over the place. And to have been at that 178 00:10:17,080 --> 00:10:20,360 Speaker 3: time in that mix, I mean, that was it was 179 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 3: just a very special moment. 180 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:24,880 Speaker 2: What year does Cimra come out. 181 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:27,960 Speaker 3: I think it was recording seventy cents, so I see 182 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:29,920 Speaker 3: seventy seven, seventy eight around there. 183 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 2: It is the best selling salsa album in history. 184 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 3: Well, I don't know. I do believe that there's a 185 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 3: strong possibility it is, because it's been sold still to 186 00:10:40,559 --> 00:10:43,760 Speaker 3: this day. But at the time I know that the 187 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:46,360 Speaker 3: reason why it might have been the biggest seller ever 188 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 3: is that Cimbra did something that nothing no record had 189 00:10:50,720 --> 00:10:53,280 Speaker 3: done at the time at that extent, which was to 190 00:10:53,400 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 3: internationalize salsa in sales in Venezuela. I sold over a million, 191 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:12,559 Speaker 3: two million, that had never happened before. If you sold 192 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:17,319 Speaker 3: fifty thousand records, that was wonderful. If you sold one hundred, 193 00:11:17,360 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 3: that was unheard of. We sold millions outside of the 194 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:29,880 Speaker 3: United States, I mean there was no president for it. 195 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:35,560 Speaker 3: I tell you a story. I mean, when Cimbra was done, 196 00:11:36,200 --> 00:11:38,520 Speaker 3: Jerry Masucci got blessed them, who at the time was 197 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:41,280 Speaker 3: the president of Finian. He called Willie Colonne and myself 198 00:11:41,320 --> 00:11:45,360 Speaker 3: to the office and in the office where people connected 199 00:11:45,400 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 3: to the radio business in New York, and every single 200 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 3: one at the time said they didn't like the record. 201 00:11:53,559 --> 00:11:56,600 Speaker 3: One of them said that it would be the commercial 202 00:11:56,679 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 3: death of Willi Cologne and this album ever came out, 203 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 3: and actually suggested that the album should be not released. 204 00:12:03,600 --> 00:12:06,559 Speaker 3: I wasn't at all faced by that, and neither was Willi. 205 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 3: I mean, we just listen. You also have to understand 206 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 3: that I had replaced an irreplaceable figure, which is actor Lao. 207 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:19,640 Speaker 3: You know, so people saw actor and Willy as an 208 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 3: ideal match. When Hector and Willie's played, then I come 209 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 3: in more, Let's Quina del via ko bar basar. So 210 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:35,240 Speaker 3: they weren't exactly like waiting for my next production. 211 00:12:42,080 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 2: Is such a classic? 212 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:46,320 Speaker 3: Now it is. I have to say it is, and 213 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:49,040 Speaker 3: I know because they sing it back. And what I've 214 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:51,680 Speaker 3: been doing is like for the last four or five years, 215 00:12:51,679 --> 00:12:54,720 Speaker 3: every place we go. At the end, I asked somebody 216 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,120 Speaker 3: from the band, I said table the end, and I 217 00:12:57,160 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 3: said present. We're talking about thousands of people everywhere we go. 218 00:13:09,720 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 3: But you look at them and you know they weren't 219 00:13:11,679 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 3: born when the song was out right, so they learned 220 00:13:14,559 --> 00:13:14,880 Speaker 3: the song. 221 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:18,679 Speaker 1: You know, the song that comes to mind for me 222 00:13:18,760 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: when I think of the album. 223 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:23,520 Speaker 2: It's definitely Plastical. 224 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:28,400 Speaker 1: And everybody was singing that song. I mean, we'd be 225 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,200 Speaker 1: in house parties and the floor would be like. 226 00:13:32,800 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 3: Plastic was a song about consumerism. Plastic, you know, people 227 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 3: buying things they don't need, appearances before reality, fake positions 228 00:13:50,520 --> 00:13:54,959 Speaker 3: versus the need to confront reality. And it was for 229 00:13:55,120 --> 00:13:58,640 Speaker 3: me exemplified by the whole disco thing at the time. 230 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,360 Speaker 3: Because I have no thing against this coo music. I 231 00:14:01,400 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 3: actually like some of it. Some other stuff that I 232 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:08,040 Speaker 3: was done by Doctor Buzza's original Savannah band, like Jack 233 00:14:08,120 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 3: Sheela Farm. 234 00:14:11,440 --> 00:14:12,360 Speaker 2: That was that was my thing. 235 00:14:12,400 --> 00:14:17,320 Speaker 3: Those were my jams, Yeah, my friend Kwati Mundi. The 236 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:22,040 Speaker 3: thing is that I felt that it was influencing areas 237 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 3: of our lives, sort of taking total control. The fact 238 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:29,280 Speaker 3: that you had to dress a certain way and do 239 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 3: certain things. 240 00:14:31,080 --> 00:14:32,840 Speaker 2: Or else you wouldn't even be allowed into the club. 241 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,040 Speaker 3: Well, yeah, for one. But the point is that if 242 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 3: you notice, it wasn't just about dancing plastic I go 243 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 3: from the plastic girl to the plastic boy, to the 244 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 3: plastic couple, to the plastic city, which is the progression 245 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 3: of that false appreciation of what life is about. And 246 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 3: that was what I was trying to do. That was 247 00:14:55,600 --> 00:14:57,800 Speaker 3: trying to make people aware of the fact that if 248 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 3: we didn't get ourselves together and face reality, not just 249 00:15:02,880 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 3: escape all the time. And I felt music is good 250 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,800 Speaker 3: to escape. Yes I use it too, but it should 251 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 3: not be a vehicle for perpetual escape. 252 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 2: Isn't right for denial or denial. 253 00:15:13,720 --> 00:15:24,560 Speaker 3: That's why I did that song classical, and I'm very grateful, 254 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 3: not just from the point of vanity, but just in 255 00:15:27,720 --> 00:15:31,520 Speaker 3: point of solidarity, because I always thought I wanted to 256 00:15:31,680 --> 00:15:35,120 Speaker 3: prove the fact that audiences are smarter than these people think. 257 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:38,360 Speaker 3: They think audiences can't get it. 258 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:40,960 Speaker 2: You know, it's it's too long, or we'll reject it. 259 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:43,920 Speaker 3: Well rejected, I said, you know, no, it's a story. 260 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 3: We are storytellers. 261 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 4: Also, you've got. 262 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:55,480 Speaker 2: Coming up on that in the USA. 263 00:15:56,040 --> 00:15:59,120 Speaker 1: How does Ruin Blade follow up a hit album like 264 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: Cimbra stay with us? Hey, we're back. Before the break, 265 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:24,080 Speaker 1: we were talking with multi Grammy Award winner Ruben Blades 266 00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: about his album Cimbra. It was his breakout hit record, 267 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,400 Speaker 1: which brings us to the album. He followed it up 268 00:16:32,440 --> 00:16:34,040 Speaker 1: with my estra Vida. 269 00:16:34,920 --> 00:16:37,600 Speaker 3: That's another one that was like, what the hell are 270 00:16:37,640 --> 00:16:38,080 Speaker 3: you doing? 271 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: People were like, oh, wait, he's going to make an 272 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:41,080 Speaker 1: opera out of side. 273 00:16:41,160 --> 00:16:45,320 Speaker 3: No. No. It was worse because after Plastico, then they 274 00:16:45,400 --> 00:16:49,520 Speaker 3: want you to write a song called Selohan, you know, 275 00:16:49,800 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 3: and after. 276 00:16:51,720 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 2: And after cloan title phm. 277 00:16:53,880 --> 00:16:57,160 Speaker 3: Title phone because you know, you stay there because that clicked, 278 00:16:57,240 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 3: you know better than us, And now it's one and 279 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 3: then and it's like, you know, just stay around there. 280 00:17:04,119 --> 00:17:08,359 Speaker 3: And instead of coming with something following up this months 281 00:17:08,400 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 3: to hit, I come up with my Travida. I decided 282 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:19,640 Speaker 3: I'm going to write a story about a family from 283 00:17:19,640 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 3: the moment they meet to the moment they die in 284 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:25,399 Speaker 3: a neighborhood and this particular imagination place that I created, 285 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 3: kaled Ispania. It begins with a classical introduction, you know, 286 00:17:31,760 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 3: an overture, and then it goes into a spoken word, 287 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:38,160 Speaker 3: It goes into like a narration, and then there's theater. 288 00:17:44,400 --> 00:17:46,560 Speaker 3: Then all of a sudden, the songs begin, and then 289 00:17:46,560 --> 00:17:50,119 Speaker 3: there's more talk, and then there's a diary that you 290 00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,800 Speaker 3: go to the back and you have to read the album, 291 00:17:52,840 --> 00:17:55,679 Speaker 3: and then you start following up on the characters. And 292 00:17:55,720 --> 00:17:58,879 Speaker 3: it made all these demands of an audience that allegedly 293 00:17:58,960 --> 00:18:02,960 Speaker 3: was there just to escape. And I asked people to 294 00:18:03,040 --> 00:18:06,760 Speaker 3: write me because I knew that that was gonna be 295 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 3: the way for me to gauge, you know, whether people 296 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,520 Speaker 3: were supporting. And I got thousands of letters, and I 297 00:18:13,720 --> 00:18:17,200 Speaker 3: hung to like four hundred of those thousands of letters 298 00:18:17,240 --> 00:18:21,200 Speaker 3: that I couldn't throw away for like years because they 299 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:24,200 Speaker 3: were so touching. They were bulky also, but they were 300 00:18:24,240 --> 00:18:30,080 Speaker 3: so touching for me. You know, all the work that 301 00:18:30,119 --> 00:18:33,200 Speaker 3: I've done really is about my Travia, because every single 302 00:18:33,280 --> 00:18:36,960 Speaker 3: song since nineteen sixty nine it's about my Clarida. It's 303 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 3: about this place. I'm just recognizing it now and making 304 00:18:41,680 --> 00:18:50,960 Speaker 3: the connections. 305 00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 2: So in what year is the song for Oscara Romero? 306 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: He was the archbishop of San Salvador and he was 307 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 1: assassinated for speaking out against the government. 308 00:19:04,960 --> 00:19:07,959 Speaker 3: That came out in the Buscana America that is nineteen 309 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:11,360 Speaker 3: eighty three, which was not only about Oscara. For Romero, 310 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:18,400 Speaker 3: it was also about all the people who simply oppose 311 00:19:18,560 --> 00:19:22,240 Speaker 3: a dictatorship that were murdered. And what I did was 312 00:19:22,280 --> 00:19:25,760 Speaker 3: because of what happened with Romeo at the time, n 313 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 3: Pueblo mas Riego les. You know, he felt there was 314 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 3: not the place of church to get involved in political So. 315 00:19:42,119 --> 00:19:45,399 Speaker 1: This is the archbishop of El Salvador right in a 316 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,719 Speaker 1: time when the people were being targeted massacred. 317 00:19:49,800 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 3: Two thousand people are being killed every month for. 318 00:19:52,240 --> 00:19:55,360 Speaker 2: Just raising their voice for a basic kind of union activity. 319 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 3: What they did was they said to the left, they said, okay, 320 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,240 Speaker 3: well instead of revolution, why don't you put this better 321 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 3: in the political process. And they said okay, So whenever 322 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:07,040 Speaker 3: they got together to participate in the political process, they 323 00:20:07,040 --> 00:20:11,520 Speaker 3: will go in and kill all of them. Now, thirty 324 00:20:11,560 --> 00:20:14,480 Speaker 3: eight years later, he's going to be declared America a saint. 325 00:20:14,800 --> 00:20:18,159 Speaker 3: He is going to be a saint, a saint, and 326 00:20:18,240 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 3: by the Vatican, which also ignored Rometto at the time. 327 00:20:23,160 --> 00:20:26,159 Speaker 3: When when Rometto went to the Vatican and spoke to 328 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:28,840 Speaker 3: the then Pope and said this is happening, he was 329 00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:31,639 Speaker 3: scolded and he was told to keep his position and 330 00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 3: do not get involved in on them. 331 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:42,960 Speaker 2: You end up recording in English. You start recording with 332 00:20:43,080 --> 00:20:46,120 Speaker 2: Louis Believe in. 333 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:50,280 Speaker 4: Someone with Sting. 334 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 2: With Elvis Costello, go. 335 00:20:57,880 --> 00:21:02,160 Speaker 3: To one Medica. I did an album in English and 336 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:05,360 Speaker 3: called Nothing but the Truth, and I said, I want 337 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:07,760 Speaker 3: to write with five guys. You know, I want to 338 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 3: write with Paul Simon, with Stink, with Bob Dylan, with 339 00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,440 Speaker 3: lou Reed, and with Elvis Costello. And the guy from 340 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,639 Speaker 3: A and R from Elector just looked at me like 341 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 3: I just asked him to drink a poison. And he said, 342 00:21:20,480 --> 00:21:24,879 Speaker 3: you know, Ruben, that's not going to happen. And I 343 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:27,399 Speaker 3: said why not. He said, well, first of all, the 344 00:21:27,480 --> 00:21:31,119 Speaker 3: five guys you mentioned, they've never collaborated with anyone. Two 345 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,399 Speaker 3: is they're not the easiest people on earth to reach. 346 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:37,440 Speaker 3: And the thing is, I insisted, and then he came 347 00:21:37,480 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 3: back about a month later and I've forgotten about it, 348 00:21:40,880 --> 00:21:43,239 Speaker 3: and he said, you know, they all said yes, but 349 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:44,920 Speaker 3: they don't want to talk to us. They want to 350 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 3: talk to you. So I actually met with Dylan. He 351 00:21:48,320 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 3: came to the house and we spent like five hours 352 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:53,760 Speaker 3: writing supposedly a song which I still have on a 353 00:21:53,760 --> 00:21:54,440 Speaker 3: tape recorder. 354 00:21:56,480 --> 00:22:01,400 Speaker 1: So you do something again another Ruben Blades's Okay, I'm 355 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: actually going to translate Michael Jackson's I just can't stop loving. 356 00:22:04,920 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 2: You each time the wind blows on your voice. 357 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,719 Speaker 3: So this is the way it happened. So Quincy Jones 358 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 3: called me and he was very hit to Latin things 359 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:20,960 Speaker 3: and that music. So he said, you know, Michael Jackson 360 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:25,120 Speaker 3: wants to sing a song in Spanish, Ruben, and I 361 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 3: think that you're the guy who can write the lyrics 362 00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:32,400 Speaker 3: for him. And uh and and I said, really. 363 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:35,600 Speaker 2: So you you were actually like. 364 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 3: I wasn't sure. 365 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 2: I don't know if I want to work with Michael Jackson. 366 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 3: I wasn't sure. It seems odd, too eccentric. Denzel Washington 367 00:22:43,560 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 3: is a dear friend of mine. I share his philosophy. 368 00:22:47,240 --> 00:22:49,880 Speaker 3: Denzel says, keep it simple, and that's how I want 369 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 3: to keep my life. And I thought that might be 370 00:22:52,440 --> 00:22:59,639 Speaker 3: too complicated. Also, he was huge, huge, I mean the 371 00:23:00,520 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 3: right after Thriller. It's like, my god, you know. So 372 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:06,439 Speaker 3: I said, okay. The other thing I said was I 373 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 3: don't want I can't write just a translation. This has 374 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 3: to make sense. Well, I have the freedom to write 375 00:23:12,280 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 3: a lyric that would also incorporate new elements to it, 376 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 3: but that conjure or transmit what he did, and he 377 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:26,399 Speaker 3: said yes. So I wrote the lyric. I made a 378 00:23:26,600 --> 00:23:30,400 Speaker 3: one for Michael that word by word, explaining what each 379 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:33,919 Speaker 3: word meant, explaining where it was a change, you know 380 00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:36,159 Speaker 3: why I had changed it. So I sent it to 381 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 3: Quincy and Quincy said, okay, this is great. This is 382 00:23:40,440 --> 00:23:43,919 Speaker 3: gonna work. And then he said okay, so now I 383 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:49,399 Speaker 3: need you to come and coach them. And I said, okay, now, 384 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:53,240 Speaker 3: but who's gonna be there because I don't, you know, 385 00:23:53,480 --> 00:23:57,640 Speaker 3: I don't like entourages, and I mean, if we're gonna work, 386 00:23:57,680 --> 00:24:00,200 Speaker 3: we're gonna work. And he said, no, no, no, it's Queency, 387 00:24:00,359 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 3: Michael and you. That's it. And I said, okay, that's great. 388 00:24:04,160 --> 00:24:06,600 Speaker 3: So I went in and for three days I worked 389 00:24:06,600 --> 00:24:07,120 Speaker 3: with Michael. 390 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:09,560 Speaker 2: And did you get to get a sense. 391 00:24:09,720 --> 00:24:13,399 Speaker 3: Yes, so tremendous professional. And I'm going to tell you something. 392 00:24:13,520 --> 00:24:15,919 Speaker 3: I think he sang the song and I believe he 393 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 3: thought so. Also, I think he sang the song better 394 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:29,720 Speaker 3: in Spanish, with more emotion than in English. Maybe he 395 00:24:29,800 --> 00:24:33,639 Speaker 3: was so proud of how it came out, and so 396 00:24:33,880 --> 00:24:37,040 Speaker 3: was I. I mean, he was a wonderful, wonderful peer. 397 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 3: I mean, he would finish the take and he'll say, so, 398 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 3: what do you think? I said, it's good. He said, 399 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:43,320 Speaker 3: you think I can do it better? I said, I 400 00:24:43,320 --> 00:24:45,440 Speaker 3: don't know, what do you think? And he would try 401 00:24:45,480 --> 00:24:52,160 Speaker 3: it again. And the funny part is I don't even 402 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,679 Speaker 3: have a picture with him. I kind of regret that 403 00:24:54,840 --> 00:24:57,800 Speaker 3: now because I never expected and to leave so early, 404 00:24:58,320 --> 00:25:00,879 Speaker 3: But I feel very privileged to have had the opportunity 405 00:25:00,880 --> 00:25:02,040 Speaker 3: to work with such a talent. 406 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:08,000 Speaker 1: Then, you know, something more modern which happened, which I 407 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:12,600 Speaker 1: think everybody was thrilled to hear you with Residente from. 408 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 3: Character and those kids I heard about them. I had 409 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,960 Speaker 3: no idea who they were. And then somebody said, this 410 00:25:28,080 --> 00:25:30,400 Speaker 3: guy is talking very nicely of you, and I said, really, 411 00:25:31,200 --> 00:25:33,680 Speaker 3: and are them? And then they're very young and they're 412 00:25:33,680 --> 00:25:43,399 Speaker 3: doing said I listened to their stuff and there was 413 00:25:43,440 --> 00:25:46,920 Speaker 3: an intelligence there and there was a humor there which 414 00:25:46,960 --> 00:25:50,680 Speaker 3: really appealed to me. So I contacted them and then 415 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:52,640 Speaker 3: we said, you know, we should do something one day 416 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 3: and then uh, they invited me to be a part 417 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:57,400 Speaker 3: of one of their songs and one of their albums 418 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:05,119 Speaker 3: and with La Perl and I wrote my part. I 419 00:26:05,200 --> 00:26:08,359 Speaker 3: was working government there, so after I, after I finished work, 420 00:26:08,680 --> 00:26:10,880 Speaker 3: I went over and I recorded it in one take 421 00:26:11,240 --> 00:26:13,360 Speaker 3: or two takes. I think I did much to their 422 00:26:13,400 --> 00:26:15,119 Speaker 3: surprise because they had no clue what I was going 423 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:17,720 Speaker 3: to do. And then that became like a huge hit. 424 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:21,040 Speaker 3: I got a Grammy for a video. That was all 425 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:22,919 Speaker 3: I had to say. And what though, But you know, 426 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:24,639 Speaker 3: I just was a part of it. 427 00:26:24,400 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 1: It raises the question of, you know, Ruben Blade and 428 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:31,560 Speaker 1: his evolution of music, and what would you say when 429 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:33,800 Speaker 1: people say, like, what's the evolution? It seems to me 430 00:26:33,960 --> 00:26:37,000 Speaker 1: like you're saying, yo, I'm an artist and wherever I 431 00:26:37,119 --> 00:26:38,320 Speaker 1: kind of feel like I need. 432 00:26:38,200 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 3: To be, that's what I do. I mean, right now 433 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:44,119 Speaker 3: we're playing We got an album coming with Wynton Marsalis 434 00:26:44,280 --> 00:26:50,960 Speaker 3: and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. We did three shows in 435 00:26:50,960 --> 00:26:54,560 Speaker 3: twenty fourteen and we did songs in Spanish and songs 436 00:26:54,560 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 3: in English. And this is like the outmost I think 437 00:26:57,359 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 3: is the best jazz ensemble band and the world. And 438 00:27:00,840 --> 00:27:06,520 Speaker 3: Winton is like the trumpet heer world White, Maria Nola Left. 439 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,920 Speaker 3: I mean to work with them, and everybody again was like, 440 00:27:10,160 --> 00:27:16,400 Speaker 3: what's gonna happen? What's gonna come out of this? Now 441 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:18,760 Speaker 3: we're doing with the band. I'm doing big band stuff. 442 00:27:19,640 --> 00:27:24,600 Speaker 3: We're doing Tony Bennett standards, we're doing Sinatra standards. 443 00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:30,160 Speaker 4: Let's do. 444 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 3: I give it my own twists And again some people say, like, 445 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,280 Speaker 3: why is he doing that? You know? And I said, 446 00:27:35,280 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 3: why not? Why not? 447 00:27:38,680 --> 00:27:40,320 Speaker 2: You've gotten a lot of criticism for that. 448 00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: Well in the sense of like better, wait, wait, Ruben Blades, 449 00:27:44,880 --> 00:27:46,320 Speaker 1: he's like our singer. 450 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:48,760 Speaker 2: Wait, now what is he doing in Hollywood? Wait? 451 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:51,480 Speaker 1: Rubyen Blades, he's our guy. Wait what is he doing 452 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: singing with rock and roll people like? And it confused 453 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 1: a lot of people. 454 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,480 Speaker 3: It did because we seem to have like a proprietary 455 00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 3: sense of people who influenced us in some way, and like, 456 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,240 Speaker 3: you can only do one thing. Yeah, just do what 457 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 3: makes me comfortable. You know that what I need. I 458 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,080 Speaker 3: don't need you to do this because I already have 459 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 3: canteen flus, you know, so I don't need you to 460 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:20,040 Speaker 3: do movies. But anyway, I never was about fitting in. 461 00:28:20,359 --> 00:28:24,920 Speaker 1: That's actually the real key. You never were really about 462 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:25,600 Speaker 1: fitting in. 463 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 3: But you know, I didn't do it like I'm not 464 00:28:27,800 --> 00:28:31,360 Speaker 3: going to fit in. It's just that I went wherever 465 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:35,359 Speaker 3: I felt that I could enjoy and produce something that 466 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:38,040 Speaker 3: I would be proud, feel good about, and that I 467 00:28:38,080 --> 00:28:40,240 Speaker 3: felt would have some consequence. 468 00:28:40,600 --> 00:28:41,640 Speaker 2: Where did that come from? 469 00:28:42,000 --> 00:28:44,360 Speaker 3: Is that your mom, my grandmother and my mother? I 470 00:28:44,400 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 3: think most likely? 471 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:47,480 Speaker 1: So what were they saying? Were they like, look, your 472 00:28:47,520 --> 00:28:49,560 Speaker 1: life has to have meaning or do something? 473 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 3: Really? My grandmother was just she was a very special woman, 474 00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:54,640 Speaker 3: and she took a lot of time with me. She 475 00:28:54,720 --> 00:28:56,440 Speaker 3: taught me how to read when I was about four 476 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,880 Speaker 3: or five. So, and my mother was like an excellent singer, 477 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 3: a singer i'll ever be, a piano player who left 478 00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,440 Speaker 3: her vocation to take care of the family. So I 479 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:12,360 Speaker 3: saw sacrifice, I saw talent. I saw my grandmother's desire 480 00:29:12,400 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 3: for education. And they were both very intelligent women and 481 00:29:17,680 --> 00:29:23,360 Speaker 3: very strong women. So I think that without them, definitely, 482 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 3: I would not be where I am. 483 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: So we are living in a time guven when things 484 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: are very confusing politically, they were difficult in the nineteen 485 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: seventies and eighties. We're living through really complicated times and 486 00:29:39,760 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: Latinos and Latinas. Frankly, it feels like we are the 487 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: target of a lot of the animosity at hatred right 488 00:29:48,160 --> 00:29:51,320 Speaker 1: now it's a very confusing time. How are you feeling 489 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: as a human being, as a Latino, as a Latin American, 490 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: as an artist? 491 00:29:56,680 --> 00:29:57,880 Speaker 2: What's going on? 492 00:29:58,240 --> 00:29:59,920 Speaker 3: I'm very hopeful you remain. 493 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 2: I love that you're just like I hope. 494 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 3: I'm very hopeful, and I'll tell you why, because there's 495 00:30:04,440 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 3: no secret about what's going on. I think that the 496 00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:10,560 Speaker 3: most insidious part of these matters is when they occur 497 00:30:11,200 --> 00:30:16,000 Speaker 3: in subterranean way. Now it's up, it's out there. I mean, 498 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:19,400 Speaker 3: look what's happening with the Me Too movement. This is 499 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 3: not gonna go away. It is not going to go away. 500 00:30:22,880 --> 00:30:24,920 Speaker 3: But I'm glad that all these things are coming out 501 00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 3: because what it means now is that from now on 502 00:30:28,360 --> 00:30:31,120 Speaker 3: there's gonna be a new reality. And that is important. 503 00:30:31,160 --> 00:30:33,560 Speaker 3: And I think what's happening right now is making people 504 00:30:33,960 --> 00:30:37,120 Speaker 3: look at what the problems that we have. Everybody thought, oh, 505 00:30:37,240 --> 00:30:41,680 Speaker 3: racism is defeated when Obama was elected. No, No, that 506 00:30:41,800 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 3: is an eternal fight. This is not something that is 507 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 3: gonna be resolved by one generation. It's a continuous job. 508 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 3: So I am hopeful. I think all of these things 509 00:30:51,960 --> 00:30:54,920 Speaker 3: are gonna bring the clash that is needed, and after 510 00:30:54,960 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 3: that then we're gonna have our reality because we're gonna 511 00:30:57,480 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 3: have to. We're gonna know which way to go with this, 512 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 3: you know. I think so. I don't feel this is 513 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 3: the end of the world. I think it's the beginning 514 00:31:04,760 --> 00:31:10,880 Speaker 3: of something. I think good will trump evil. 515 00:31:08,680 --> 00:31:27,880 Speaker 5: I maybe I go out yo what I significa patriaemplate. 516 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:29,880 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for joining us and latin us 517 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,120 Speaker 1: say and spending some time with us, and thank you 518 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:35,560 Speaker 1: for being the unencumbered artist that you are. 519 00:31:36,280 --> 00:31:37,360 Speaker 2: We really appreciate it. 520 00:31:37,400 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 3: Thank you. I don't do much at least because I 521 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:42,960 Speaker 3: really don't like It's weird that I don't really like 522 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,480 Speaker 3: policity that much, but I really enjoy it when I'm 523 00:31:46,480 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 3: doing it, so maybe I should do more. 524 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:50,800 Speaker 2: We're so thankful that you gave us the time. 525 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:52,080 Speaker 3: No, thank you for having me. 526 00:31:54,320 --> 00:32:08,880 Speaker 4: Florida Worrio. That's it for today. 527 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,400 Speaker 1: This episode was produced by Gini Montalbo and edited by 528 00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: Marlon Bishop, and it was mixed by Stephanie Lebau. The 529 00:32:16,280 --> 00:32:21,040 Speaker 1: Latino USA team also includes Julia Caruso, Jessica Ellis, Victoria 530 00:32:21,080 --> 00:32:25,880 Speaker 1: strad Renaldo Leanez Junior, Andrea Lopez Crusado, Luis Luna Dori 531 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:30,800 Speaker 1: mar Marquez, Marta Martinez, Norsaudi, and Nancy Trujillo. Benile Ramirez 532 00:32:30,920 --> 00:32:33,600 Speaker 1: is our co executive producer, I'm your host and co 533 00:32:33,680 --> 00:32:36,880 Speaker 1: executive producer as well. Join us again on our next episode. 534 00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:40,720 Speaker 1: In the meantime, I'll see you on social media, especially 535 00:32:40,800 --> 00:32:44,080 Speaker 1: anin stegram No te ba yas chaou. 536 00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:54,120 Speaker 6: Latino USA is made possible in part by California Endowment, 537 00:32:54,520 --> 00:32:58,040 Speaker 6: building a strong state by improving the health of all Californians. 538 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 6: The heusing Simons foundoundation unlocking knowledge, opportunity and possibilities more 539 00:33:05,360 --> 00:33:10,840 Speaker 6: at hsfoundation dot org and the Ford Foundation, working with 540 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:14,360 Speaker 6: visionaries on the front lines of social change worldwide. 541 00:33:18,240 --> 00:33:20,720 Speaker 2: Like in a car or something, and you'd hear the cut. 542 00:33:20,680 --> 00:33:23,440 Speaker 3: No, no, no, no, I don't drive. I never learned 543 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:26,200 Speaker 3: to drive. Wait what, I don't know how to drive.