This film by Robert Mugge showcases the music and worldview of Panamanian singer Ruben Blades. Commencing with his college graduation, the film takes you to Blades home of Panama where he discusses the hopes and dreams of his home country. In between exciting concert footage, Blades talks about the “promise” of America that many people from Latin America have, only to be disappointed by the realities once arriving.
Most intriguing is not only his wonderfully rich voice, but his stated reason for getting into salsa music. He believes that the music of his country is the next logical step for popular music as “rock music is too confining” and salsa is able to capture the passion like no other style. After watching him perform with his sizzling band during this film, it’s hard to disagree!
MVD Visual