I think it’s fitting to finish election week (in the US and Puerto Rico) with a couple of Salsa songs about elections!
Sometimes, especially if our candidate didn’t win the election, we feel a bit blue about the outcome and the future. These songs may provide some empathy to how you may be feeling.
Déjenme Reír (Para No Llorar) – (1980)
It makes sense to get us started with a song by Rubén Blades. A lawyer and past presidential candidate (in Panama), Ruben captured the people’s feeling about elections in this song which was part of the Maestra Vida double albums (1980).
Besides the fantastic lyrics, the song was arranged by using the Puerto Rican rhythms of Bomba and Plena.
Plena, in particular, is a rhythm that has been used in political movements in Puerto Rico dating back to the early 20th century.
The combination of great lyrics with a great and fitting arrangement make this a perfect song for election blues.
Si Yo Fuera Presidente (1972)
Eight year before Maestra Vida was released, Frankie Dante released a song called “Si Yo Fuera Presidente“, which was part of the album “Frankie Dante y Orquesta Flamboyán con Larry Harlow” (1972).
This song carried a more radical message of all the things that would be fixed (did he miss world hunger?) if he were elected president.
Pablo Pueblo (1977)
Perhaps the song that broke in “social themes” to Salsa, Ruben Blades‘ Pablo Pueblo is a bonus song in this blog as it is not particularly about elections. It’s a blue song that describes the agony and frustrations of a normal poor or lower middle class man trying to support his family.
Among the frustrations expressed in the song, is the fact that elections don’t seem to help to improve his situation, as in the “soneo”, “votando en las elecciones, pa’ después comerse un clavo”.
Another great arrangement by the maestro Luis “Perico” Ortiz.
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