4 singers who have also worked in politics
From Rubén Blades to Willie Colón, these four musicians have worked in politics. In LatinAmerican Post we tell you more about it
Do you know what Rubén Blades, Sergio Vargas, Susana Baca, and Willie Colón have in common? That the four are Latin American musicians who have worked in politics. In LatinAmerican Post we tell you how they did it.
Leer en español: 4 cantantes que también han trabajado en la política
Rubén Blades: from Latin Grammy winner to presidential candidate
The Panamanian singer-songwriter Rubén Blades, winner of a Latin Grammy, is one of the great musicians of salsa that has been linked to politics. In 1994, for example, Baldes tried unsuccessfully to become president of Panama. Then, between 2004 and 2009, he held the position of Minister of Tourism during the presidency of Martín Torrijos, according to Shock.
As a minister, as columnist Francisco Vega of El Nuevo Día explained, Blades sought to increase tourism in Panama. In fact, he participated in advertisements inviting people to travel to Panama. According to Vega, the strategy worked to the point where it doubled tourism in the country.
His departure from the Ministry of Tourism of Panama and his return to the stage, said the columnist, was with a song entitled La Perla in collaboration with Calle 13. In the video appears young people, as a strategy to reconnect with new audiences and thus enter again to music. 9 years later, said EFE, Blades would seek to run again for the presidency for the 2019 elections, with an independent political party.
Susana Baca: singer of Afro-Peruvian rhythms and Minister of Culture
The Peruvian singer and composer is a representative figure of Afro-Peruvian sounds and Latin folklore, winner of two Latin Grammy. She won the first one in 2002 with her album Lamento Negro and the second one in 2013 for her collaboration in the song Latinomérica of Calle 13. Latinoamérica is an anthem for most Latinos, in which the socio-political message is felt in the interpretation of Baca.
In addition to music, Baca was also named in 2011 by the then president of Peru, Ollanta Humala, Minister of Culture. During the same year, she was elected by the OAS as president of the Inter-American Committee on Culture, highlighted El País de España.
Sergio Vargas: from merengue to the Chamber of Deputies
Sergio Vargas is a great Dominican artist, known for his songs La ventanita, La quiero a morir and Dile. What some may not know is that from 2006 to 2010, the great merengue singer represented his hometown Villa Altagracia as a deputy for the Dominican Liberation Party, said El Nacional of the Dominican Republic.
According to Shock of Colombia, during his tenure he carried out the construction of two aqueducts and proposed a bill to pension artists at age 60. "I have never drunk a soda with the money I earn in the Chamber of Deputies, I have a check in the direction of that money, through an account in the Reserve Bank, which I distribute to the people most in need of Villa," he told the newspaper Hoy.
You can also read: Maduro, Trump and Duque: The life before the presidency
Willie Colón: from salsa to politics
The political work of another great salsa musician like Willie Colón has been the fight in favor of the Latino migrant community. In fact, according to El Tiempo, he was part of the UN's Pro Immigrants Foundation and the Coalition for a Better New York.
"A lot of my work with the city is based on the Latino community and cultural issues, I keep close to culture and art, what I do allows me to contribute as an artist and as an activist," he told the US media when he was an advisor to the Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg.
LatinAmerican Post | Edwin Guerrero Nova
Translated from "4 cantantes que también han trabajado en la política"
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