Plástico
Willie Colón & Rubén Blades · 1978 · from the album Siembra · written by Rubén Blades
A Panamanian songwriter in New York's biggest band turns salsa into a message for all of Latin America.
- coro and soneo
Why it matters
Rubén Blades is Panamanian, and in New York he sang and wrote for Willie Colón's band. Plástico is the opening track of Siembra, released by Fania in December 1978, and Blades is credited as its writer. Siembra is described as the best-selling salsa album ever, with more than three million copies sold.
Blades wrote about Latin America as one place, not one country. In Plástico he speaks to Latinos from everywhere, and that pan-Latin message helped salsa travel far beyond the New York neighborhoods it came from. The song came out as a single in June 1979.
What to listen for
- The opening: a disco-style arrangement, the sound of New York clubs in the late 1970s. Then the band slips into a real salsa groove. The joke is part of the message.
- The coro and Blades's soneos as the song builds, and the roll call of countries at the end that answers “present!” for each one.
- The long, steady groove. At over six minutes, it gives you time to settle into the dance.
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