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Title: Blades's Dark Horse
Review: This is Ruben Blades's "dark horse" recording. A disc full of political allusions and full of the pain of loss (his mother had recently passed away). Standouts on this disc are: Apagon (Blackout), which criticizes both the American invasion of Panama but also the corrupt Panamanian society that accepted it; Cilindro (Cylinder), which chronicles the true story of an energy company that dumps nuclear waste in the Chilean countryside; and Adan Garcia, the bitter-sweet story of a desparate poor man trying to get out of his poverty; and West Indian Man, which talks about his own English/Caribbean roots--his grandfather was English (contrary to what many Spanish speakers insist Ruben's last name is pronounced in English, not "BLAH-des; this fact comes from Ruben himself in an interview on National Public Radio)Blades's music, though based in salsa and Afro-Latin rhythms, is not for dancing, but steadfast contemplation and social action.Que sigas la lucha, Ruben!
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