This is The New Yorker Radio Hour, a co-production of WNYC Studios and The New Yorker.

This is The New Yorker Radio Hour. I'm David Remnick.

In the world of salsa music, Ruben Blades is one of the greats.

His 1978 album Siambra, a word that means planting or cultivating,

remains one of the best-selling salsa albums of all time.

So Ruben Blades, or as we call him in Latin America, Ruben Blades, though his name is actually Ruben Blades, is one of the most important figures in salsa.

Graciella Mutchkowski writes for the New Yorker about Latin American politics and culture.

He's an incredibly prolific artist, a writer, a singer, an activist, and a Hollywood actor.

Hi. My name is Rudy Velos, and I have this music that is going to blow you away.

I grew up in Argentina Argentina and he really sings for an entire people. We all feel like Bledes' or Blades' songs are speaking about the struggles of our own countries.

It's not about Panama or Latinos in New York. It's really about all of us.

45 years ago, he released his very first really big album, Siambra, that he recorded with

Willie Colon, who was at the center of the salsa movement then. And it was the first album that

really brought salsa outside of New York and outside of the U. then. And it was the first album that really brought salsa outside of

New York and outside of the U.S. and land America to the world. Now you can, you know, there's salsa,

the salsa movement is very much alive and vibrant in Israel, in Taiwan, in Japan. You know,

you could say that Ruben Bledes Blades sort of did for salsa music, what

Bob Marley did for reggae.

And he really brought it into the global consciousness.

Blades just finished up a summer tour, and he's been working on a memoir.

Graciela Mutchkowski sat down to talk with Blades about his life in music, politics,

and acting.

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