"So that I saw music as a way of documenting realities from the urban cities of Latin America"
- Ruben Blades
About this Quote
In this quote, Ruben Blades, a distinguished Latin American musician, reveals his perspective on the power of music. He believes that music functions as a method of recording and preserving the truths of life in the urban cities of Latin America. Through his music, Blades has the ability to record the struggles, accomplishments, and daily experiences of individuals living in these cities. He sees music as an effective tool for storytelling and shedding light on the social, political, and cultural issues that exist in these metropolitan locations. Blades' words highlight the importance of music as a type of expression and a way to accentuate essential issues in society.
"If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away"
"Jazz vision is the fusion of music and art a real paradox of same-yet different. Here we play in exchanges, like the hardness of the key of c# major and from the softness of Db major - capturing, reflecting and improvising"
"We worked very hard to make the lyrics suit the music. I can't, like Elton John, for example, compose by lyrics. Elton has a great talent for that. Whatever you give him, including your questions, he composes in half an hour and makes a great song out of it"