Trump is not America Says Panama Artist

Panamanian singer-songwriter and multiple Grammy winner Rubén Blades revealed this Friday in Medellín,  that he plans to write a book about his experience as a migrant in the US, which he considers “does not mirror ” its president Donald Trump and said he does not feel a “hypocrite” for living there.

“There are people who tell me: ‘Ruben, you are a hypocrite. You talk about gringos and you live there.’ I tell people to look at a dictionary and read the definition. The hypocrite does not say what he thinks, the hypocrite disguises his feelings and his intentions to avoid be harmed, ” the artist said  in Medellin,Colombia on Friday, November November 8 where  he is participating  in “Music and Social Change” in Circulat 10, the professional platform of the Latin American music industry.

The artist said that “it is more difficult to make criticisms from the inside than from outside.” His composition “Tiburon”,  (Shark) recorded with the salsa artist Willie Colon on the album “Songs of the Boredom” in 1981, meant he was banned for 15 years on the radio.

“Taking out a record like ‘Shark’ there was not hypocritical, it was direct and that cost me,” said Blades.

Before the audience that filled the auditorium of the Pablo Tobón Theater, Blades lashed out at Trump

“That guy (does not represent the United States.”

For him, most of the people who voted in the United States did so “against that guy. He did not win the election by popular vote”, but won it by the polling stations.

The Panamanian said he will continue “providing” his opinion with the purpose of “guiding”, but warned that because of the positions he publicly assumes he never expects “unanimity” but says  he is “accustomed to the blows”.

“You will never be able to please the extremes,” said the most recognized creator of Panama and former Minister of Tourism.

He ironically pointed out that “if you speak well of those who are scrubbed and defend those who have been invaded, you are a communist. If you attack military dictatorships you are a subversive communist. If you say ‘Cuba, give people freedom ‘, then you are from the CIA.”

Blades, 71, revealed that he is in talks to publish a book that will not only include comments on the music.

“It will be about my experience as a migrant in the United States, especially now with what is happening with this man.

In that context, Blades said that he does not believe that all musicians have an obligation to make music that has any connection with the political aspect, but said that music does not only work as “escape and fun.”

“I think music can also serve to educate, to stimulate, to inform, to raise awareness, to demonstrate solidarity,” he said.

This  encouraged him to develop in music as a composer and chronicler, as Gabriel García Márquez called it.

“One of the most important things now is to share the knowledge acquired over time to try to help people have fewer problems, especially young people,” he said