Buscando América (Searching for America) is the first album by Rubén Blades and Seis del Solar, released in 1984. The production, under the Elektra label, fuses different musical rhythms such as salsa, reggae, rock, and jazz Latin. The album was recorded at Eurosound Studios in New York between May and August 1983.
With songs having political and social content and given their content of political questioning, some tracks had problems being broadcast on the radio; such as "Desapariciones", later covered by other musicians. The album received a Grammy nomination for Best Tropical Latin Performance.
Production The album was recorded with the six musicians of Seis Del Solar. The lyrics were printed inside the album in both Spanish and English.
Critical reception
The New York Times wrote that "the musicians, most of whom have labored for years on the salsa circuit, respond to Mr. Blades's creativity and risk-taking with some of the freshest, most impressive playing heard on a pop album this year." Trouser Press wrote that Buscando América "stands as the finest of his major-label recordings to date."
The Pazz & Jop 1984 all critics poll ranked in the 18th position. Time named the album one of 1984's best. The album was named one of the 50 greatest salsa albums of all time by Rolling Stone in October 2024. In the list Los 600 de Latinoamérica, an acclaimed ranking created by several Latin American music journalists, it was ranked the thirteenth best album on the list, which covers the years 1920 to 2022.
Track listing
Personnel Rubén Blades: vocals, acoustic guitar, maracas
Seis del Solar Mike Viñas: electric guitar, bass, backing vocals Oscar Hernandez: piano Eddie Montalvo: drums, percussion Louie Rivera: bongo, percussion, backing vocals Ralph Irizarry: timpani, percussion Ricardo Marrero: vibraphone Ray Adams: drums
References