Singer, songwriter, jazz musician, lawyer, activist, and politician, Rubén Blades pioneered the crossover of Latin dance music into the Anglo-American popular mainstream. The Panamanian-born superstar brought lyrical sophistication, experimental tempos, and politically inspired Nuyorican poetry to the irresistibly rhythmic music, creating salsa that was as intelligent as it was danceable. Blades earned degrees in political science and law at the Universidad Nacional de Panama before moving to the U.S. in 1974 to begin his musical career. He started working in the New York City mailroom of legendary salsa label Fania Records, where his gift as a songwriter soon brought him to the attention of such superstars as Ray Barretto, Larry Harlow, and trombonist/bandleader Willie Colón, with whom he began collaborating.
1978 saw the release of Colón and Blades’ Siembra, which would go on to become the biggest-selling salsa album in history and bring Latin dance music to its widest audience to date.

In 1984, Blades signed with Elektra and assembled his own crack band that he dubbed alternatively “Seis del Solar” and “Son del Solar.” Their label debut, entitled Buscando América, saw Blades expanding his musical horizons to incorporate experimental textures and sociopolitical lyrical content. The following year, Escenas – featuring guest appearances from Linda Ronstadt and Joe Jackson – was honored with a “Best Tropical Latin Performance” Grammy – Blades’ first.

Nothing But The Truth, the first English-language album of Blades’ long career, arrived in 1988. The acclaimed recording featured contributions from three of Blades’ biggest fans in Lou Reed, Elvis Costello, and Sting. Blades’ final Elektra release was 1990’s powerfully funky Rubén Blades Y Son del Solar…Live!

Blades has also pursued a remarkable range of other activities. He has acted in a number of films, including his breakthrough performance in 1985’s Crossover Dreams – which he co-wrote. In 1997, he made his Broadway debut, starring with Marc Anthony in Paul Simon and Derek Walcott’s The Capeman.

Long active in Panamanian politics, Blades put his artistic career on hold in 2004 to serve a five-year appointment as Panama’s Minister of Tourism. Upon the completion of his service, he returned to music in a big way by reuniting Seis del Solar to embark on a major tour of the Americas in celebration of the 25th anniversary of their now-classic Elektra debut, Buscando América.

Damian Robert Nesta Marley, also known around the world as “Junior Gong” and more recently as “Gongzilla” was born in 1978 to parents Bob Marley and Cindy Breakspeare, Miss World 1976.  As a young adult, he developed a passion and a gift to speak for those who cannot always speak for themselves. A self-proclaimed ‘Spiritual Revolutionary’, Damian has worked assiduously to carve his own niche in music history and to add a new perspective to the Marley legacy for the 21st century. 

At the age of 13, Damian began performing in a group called “The Shepherds” which comprised of Shiah Coore (son of Third World guitarist Cat Coore) and currently a member of his band, and Yashema Beth McGreggor, daughter of reggae singers Freddie Mcgreggor and Judy Mowatt and then began touring with his brothers, Stephen, Ky-mani, Julian and Ziggy. 

By 1996, Damian had already made his stamp as a different kind of Marley when he released his first solo album “Mr. Marley”, a heavily dancehall-influenced album produced by his brother Stephen Marley.  His second album “Halfway Tree” was released in 2001 by a major record label and showcased Damian’s unique gift for blending dancehall, reggae and hip-hop styles.  This album won Damian much recognition and remained on the Billboard Top Reggae Album Charts for 158 weeks and earned him his first Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2002. 
While honored by this recognition by the global music fraternity, Damian continued to work in the studio, laying the groundwork for the tracks that would become his highly anticipated album, “Welcome To Jamrock”. The lyrics in this album presented Marley as a true spiritual revolutionary, as he used his talent to evoke a spiritual change while trying to enforce a better way of thinking.  He is described as “rhyming with the conviction of a street preacher with the intellect of a university economist”.  

Damian’s hit single “Welcome to Jamrock” was listed as one of the Top 100 Songs of the Decade by Rolling Stone, and at the 2006 Grammy Awards, he won Best Reggae Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Welcome to Jamrock. Damian is the only Jamaican reggae artist in history to win two Grammy Awards on the same night. He is also the only reggae artist to win in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance category at the Grammy Awards. The New York Times called Welcome to Jamrock the “best reggae song of the decade.” 
Welcome to Jamrock led the pathway to Damian’s critically acclaimed collaboration with Nas for 2010’s much lauded album “Distant Relatives” – a project which explored the relationships between reggae, hip-hop and Africa. The album title refers not only to the bond between the artists, but the connection to their African ancestry, which inspired the album both musically and lyrically. USA Today referred to the album as a “potent and often provocative collaboration” and by Rolling Stone as “an Afrocentric winner.” The album debuted at Number 5 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart and Number 1 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Rap Albums and Reggae Albums charts, with Billboard heralding the album as “a dynamic hybrid.”    

The Distant Relatives Tour kicked off in 2011 and saw Damian traveling and performing for thousands of fans all over the world, including South America, Europe, The United Kingdom, The Caribbean and North America.  

Damian continued to cross musical boundaries in 2012, as he went on to partner with Skrillex for their groundbreaking track “Make It Bun Dem”, which Rolling Stone called “a monster mash up of dubstep and dancehall” and has led to several remixes of the original version.  Damian recently released two other singles; “Set Up Shop” and  “Affairs of the Heart” which both received widespread airplay. 

Damian continues to tour with his band all over the world as a way of entertaining and healing as he continues to spread the message for those whose voices cannot be heard. He is working with his brothers Stephen and Julian under their Ghetto Youths International Label, to discover, develop and sign gifted artistes by applying their musical talent and vast experience to create new and different styles of music.  

Damian is currently in the studio working on his upcoming solo album.

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An absolute lover of good music no matter the genre, what's good and pleasant to the ears is what it is! Gotta give credit whenever it's due!!

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