The story behind
When you dive into Nuestro adiós by Rubén Blades, you encounter a piece that marks a turning point. The album Antecedente, released in 1988, represents for Blades a return to the roots of salsa, seeking a more organic sound than what older studio techniques sometimes left behind. In fact, the band that accompanied him, formerly known as Seis del Solar, was renamed Son del Solar, and in this phase, trombones were incorporated to give it a distinctive character, leaving behind some synthesizer elements. This work did not go unnoticed, going on to win a Grammy Award in the category of "Best Tropical Latin Performance" and reaching number 8 on Billboard's Tropical Albums chart.
The production of the album fell to Blades himself, who, along with Son del Solar, and with a duration of 4:17 for Nuestro adiós, built a sound that resonated strongly. It is interesting to note that this album is often compared to La Pistola y El Corazón by Los Lobos, another record from the era that also explored a return to the essential. The proposal of Antecedente was clear: to recover the essence of tropical music, and Nuestro adiós is a reflection of that sonic quest.