Rubén Blades Bellido de Luna (born July 16, 1948), known professionally as
Rubén Blades ( but in Panama and within the family), is a Panamanian singer, songwriter, actor, musician, activist, and politician, performing musically most often in the
Afro-Cuban,
salsa, and
Latin jazz genres. As a songwriter, Blades brought the lyrical sophistication of Central American
nueva canción and
Cuban nueva trova as well as experimental tempos and politically inspired
Nuyorican salsa to his music, creating "thinking persons' (salsa) dance music".