Pedro Navaja, which can be literally translated as “Peter
the Knife”, is arguably the most famous song of Rubén Blades, a timeless
classic that is not only a wonderful example of the experimental tempos he
introduced to Cuban music but also shows the lyrical sophistication and
cultural contributions inherent in many of his salsa songs. Being the
masterpiece of Willie Colón’s & Rubén Blades’ album Siembra, it led to this
album becoming the best-selling salsa record for 24 years until Jerry Rivera’s
Cuenta Conmigo came out in 1992.
While it is said that the record company deemed Pedro Navaja
to be too long at first, especially in terms of the lyrics, their fears that it
would not sell were soon put aside as it became Siembra’s signature song
selling over 3 million copies world-wide.
The song is remarkable in its musical technique. An example is the
increase in speed as well as the incrementing keys used until a climax is reached in time with the lyrical culmination towards the end of the song. However, one
of the main features that has elevated this song above so many others aside
from its musical appeal is its expressiveness.
Sometimes described as a hybrid of Cuban and Nuyorican (New
York and Puerto Rican) influences, Rubén Blades created “a thinking person’s dance
music” to be differentiated from the mainstream salsa songs which tend to be
romantic by nature but without a deeper subtext. With Pedro Navaja he gave an
excellent example of salsa music being much more than just a popular form of
entertainment and showed that it is a medium rich in variety, limited only by
the creativity of the composer. Its cultural importance extends far beyond the walls
of salsa clubs and while Pedro Navaja rose to fame internationally and is most
certainly musically appealing, it is actually not easy to dance to nor do the
lyrics invoke the general happy feeling we expect from salsa songs. Rather, it
criticises society by painting a very depressing but familiar picture
juxtaposed with the happy atmosphere of the salsa genre to inspire people to
think about the ideological messages the song delivers, an effect that elevates
the music to a piece of art worthy of recognition as high culture in academic
discourse.
Pedro Navaja tells the story of a criminal who kills a
prostitute with a knife in search for some extra cash without remorse or pity
but is surprised to find her armed with a revolver. He is shot while stabbing
the prostitute and both are presumed dead at the end of the song. The stories
of Pedro Navaja and the prostitute are recounted independently at first with
Pedro being described as a thief wearing an overcoat with long pockets
concealing his knife. He is also wearing a slightly slanted hat and sun glasses
covering most of his face revealing nothing but a gold tooth which shines in
the dark night when he laughs. The prostitute on the other hand is presented as
having a difficult night with no clients having walked the entire sidewalk for
the fifth time oblivious to the danger that awaits her three blocks away. She
is wearing an old coat which conceals a revolver she keeps to ward off any trouble. After she takes a drink to try and forget the fact that she did not make
enough money to eat, Pedro Navaja sneaks up on her and the two stories meet.
