Rubén Blades Q&A: Salsa’s Crossover Pioneer Gets Emotional on 'Tangos' — billboard.com

Rubén Blades takes an emotional turn with “Tangos,” a set of versions of his songs, including “Pedro Navaja,” “Pablo Pueblo” and “Juana Maya,” recorded with Argentine tango musicians. Blades brings tango’s characteristic drama to his classics without going over the top, for an album set to exceed expectations of the concept when it’s released on June 24 through Sunnyside Records. The Panamanian singer/songwriter, actor and activist, still best known to many for the crossover success of his 1978 track “Pedro Navaja,” recently announced that at the end of 2016 he will stop performing salsa music on tour. In a note on his Website, he wrote that he will continue to perform salsa concerts in Panama “specifically for tourists,” adding that no other artist will be permitted to perform his salsa material, “even in tribute” to him. He also revealed he plans to return to politics in his native Panama, where he served as Minister of Tourism from 2004-2009.

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