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Blades Fights Labels: Independence is the Only Path
8 May
Summary
- Blades sued Fania Records twice for unpaid royalties and copyright infringement.
- He launched his own label in 2004, winning 11 Grammys and 11 Latin Grammys.
- Labels are criticized for exploiting artists and withholding fair compensation.
Salsa icon Rubén Blades, a Harvard Law graduate, has spoken out about the exploitative practices of record labels throughout his career. He detailed his arduous fight for artistic and financial control, including suing Fania Records twice for unpaid royalties and copyright infringement, ultimately reclaiming some compositions but not master recordings.
Blades founded his own label, Rubén Blades Productions, in 2004, which has since produced 11 albums earning him 11 Grammys and 11 Latin Grammys. He asserts that independence is crucial for artists to own their creations and secure their legacies, a stark contrast to the "everything for the company, and the minimum for the artists" paradigm he experienced at both Fania and Sony.
He advised aspiring artists to prioritize originality, financial prudence, and professional advice. Blades continues to be politically outspoken, stating that his artistic platform allows him to offer an objective societal analysis, unaffected by external interests. His upcoming projects include a new album and a memoir.
