Tiempos

Performer: Rubén Blades
Engineer: Oscar Marin; Alexander Orozco
Distributor: Sony Music Distribution (

Notes: Personnel: Ruben Blades (vocals); Edin Solis (guitar); Ricardo Ramirez (violin, viola); Carlos "Tapado" Vargos (piano, drums, percussion, cajon peruano, bombo leguero, timbales, teponaztle, sound effects). Additional personnel: Gerardo Ramirez, Patricia Gonzalez (violin, viola); Ricardo Ramirez (violin); Angela Ramirez, Gabriela Alfaro (cello); Gerardo "Lalo" Rojas (saxophone, background vocals); Walter Flores (piano, keyboards); Marcos Navarro (electric bass); Reynaldo Cruz, Oscar Cruz (percussion); Ramses Araya (congas, bongos, campana, claves, bata, temponaztle, shekere); Olman Obando, Alfredo Poveda (maracas). Producers: Edin Solis, Walter Flores, Carlos Vargas. Recorded at The Mix, San Jose, Costa Rica. TIEMPOS won the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance. "Tiempos" was nominated for the 2000 Latin Grammy Award for Record Of The Year. Afro-Cuban purists would have loved it if Rub�n Blades had stuck with the type of straight-ahead salsa that put him on the map. But in the '80s, Blades felt the need to branch out and start experimenting with other Latin styles -- a move that disappointed salsa purists while earning him a reputation as one of Latin music's major risk-takers. Even though he was still considered a salsa vocalist in the late '90s, 1999's Tiempos is far from a pure salsa album. Rather, it's an adventurous, probing Latin pop effort that incorporates salsa along with Brazilian, Spanish, and Central American elements. On Tiempos, Blades is joined by the Costa Rican band Editus, whose members fit in perfectly and help the Panamanian singer provide an unpredictable, eclectic album. And Tiempos is as compelling lyrically as it is musically. Often sociopolitical, Blades' lyrics reflect on such topics as poverty in Latin America and corruption on the part of some governments in that part of the world. Though much of the album is melancholy, it isn't without optimism or hope for the future -- Blades sees a lot of suffering and hardship in Latin America, but he also has hopes for a brighter tomorrow. Of course, those who don't speak Spanish won't understand the lyrics; they'll have to settle for savoring the album's musical richness. ~ Alex Henderson TIEMPOS stands as one of Blades' most urbane, elegant works. The earthy folkloric meets urban smooth in this colorful summit of violins, saxophone, percussion, and nylon-string guitar with Blades singing his way through all-original Pan-Latino songs. The stylistic landscape stretches from hot New York salsa to traditional Argentine rhythmic gestures, and the tasteful arrangements manage to tie it all together seamlessly. The instrumental "Mar Del Sur" opens with the refreshing, maritime strains of Ricardo Ramirez' violin and Gerardo Rojas on soprano saxophone. It's a dynamic piece that ebbs back and forth between an easy, rolling beat and grand, open spaces with no rhythm section. "Vida" is a lovely salsa cut featuring Blades' typically acute topical lyrics. Its softly-delivered chorus ("Dream of a different world!") is a welcome touch among the verses about self-determination and society's sometimes arbitrary assignment of privilege.

Rolling Stone (9/16/99, p.117) - 4 stars (out of 5) - "...an impeccable, rich stew of flamenco, Afro-Cuban, Brazilian and obscure regional folk beats and melodies....could be the best Latin record of the year..." Dirty Linen (2-3/00, p.56) - "...exceedingly pretty, instantly capable of seducing the listener with its warmth - but Blades' real forte has always been the lyrics, and this disc is no exception....one of the best discs of his long career."

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