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Rubén Blades
As a Panamanian-born singer-songwriter-actor, Rubén Blades’ experience as an artist and immigrant to the U.S.inspired him to write tunes that spoke of the Latino working-class reality. At a time when war and/or political turmoil were tearing apart Nicaragua, El Salvadorand Panamá, he sang provocative suggestions for social change and justice. Blades has continued to influence salsa music with his highly literate, politically tinged lyrics and his modern-minded arrangements. Since arriving in the U.S., the 54-year old Blades has explored his dreams. His run for the presidency of Panamá in 1994 helped a voiceless sector of the country to rise and create an avenue toward positive change. A few years ago, he also forged an association with the Costa Rican band Editus, which has greatly refreshed his music. Sonically, it's a cross between jazz, classical and folk rhythms that Blades uses as a creative bed for his songs. On his latest album, Mundo, Editus grants him a stunning backdrop to songs that speak of the trials and tribulations of our times. While much of Blades' repertoire is in the Spanish language, he has also recorded an English-language album, Nothing but the Truth, featuring songs by Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, and Sting, in 1988.
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Yerba Buena
Yerba Buena has always channeled the spirit of tropical island rhythms with the energy of New York. Intense critical praise was instant and far-reaching with Yerba Buena’s 2003 Grammy nominated debut album President Alien. Yerba Buena has been described as Latin-fusion ambassadors whose hipshaking desires want to play Afrobeat one moment, cumbia another, with hip-hop to follow, and throwing down a Yoruban chant or two. Finding that music throughout their island of Manhattan, their new and critically acclaimed album IslandLife gets into your blood and won’t let you go. Put simply, the album is about Levin and the members of Yerba Buena living and breathing the immigrant music scene of New York, and sharing as Dre puts it, “a multicultural soundtrack for Urbanistic Island Living.”
Las Orishas
Cuban rappers like Las Orishas have invented a unique style of hip-hop from within their traditional musical heritage, but updated it for the new century. Most international rappers have yet to evolve past a mediocre mimicry of American hip-hop, but Las Orishas have distinguished themselves by creating a homegrown version of hip-hop firmly grounded in their Cuban roots. Latin music is inside the blood," said Yotuel. "For us, it's impossible to do hip-hop that isn't Latin hip-hop." Las Orishas' form of Latin hip-hop is distinct from reggaeton, a hybrid of hip-hop and Jamaican dancehall music made popular by Sean Paul and Daddy Yankee.
In general, Las Orishas avoids polemic issues of politics and prefer to focus on social issues. When asked how he feels about Cuban-Americans' criticism that Las Orishas have not been sufficiently anti-Castro, band member Yotuel responded: "We don't want to mix politics with music. I don't know anything about politics, but I have things to say about social issues, about life in the streets. Check out the 2000 groundbreaking album, A Lo Cubano or their critically acclaimed new album, El Kilo, which was made with help from prolific producer and multi-instrumentalist Andres Levin, the Venezuelan head of New Yorkband Yerba Buena.
