Roberto Blades

Roberto Blades, a Panamanian native and brother of the versatile Latin artist Rubén Blades, committed himself fully to music after abandoning his earlier intention to enlist in the U.S. Air Force. In 1981, musicians based in Miami formed the tropical orchestra Inmensidad with him, and the group soon topped the charts with the songs "Lágrimas" and "Ya No Regreso Contigo."

The songwriter and producer Roberto Blades earned his first Grammy awards through partnerships with Latin music entrepreneur Emilio Estefan Jr. on projects featuring Gloria Estefan and Marc Anthony, then received his initial solo Grammy for the greatest-hits collection Encore.