Rubén Blades, born on July 16, 1948, in Panama City, is a multifaceted artist known as a musician, singer, composer, actor, activist, and politician. He rose to prominence in the 1970s as a key figure in the New York salsa revolution, blending Afro-Cuban salsa with rock, jazz, and pan-Latin influences. Blades has won numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards for his music, which is celebrated for its socially conscious lyrics and memorable melodies. Beyond his musical career, he has acted in over 35 films and television series, earning Emmy nominations and other accolades. Blades holds degrees in law and political science, including an LLM from Harvard Law School. He ran for president of Panama in 1994 and later served as the country's Minister of Tourism from 2004 to 2009. His diverse accomplishments have made him one of the most influential Latin American artists of the late 20th and early 21st centuries.