By Michael Quinn

Singer Ruben Blades has conquered the Spanish-speaking world with his mix of salsa and social consciousness, and won over the rest of the globe with his movie roles. Now Blades faces the toughest audience yet--his native Panama, where last month Blades began investigating a possible run for the Panamanian presidency. While not formally declared, the Harvard-trained lawyer surely notices the piddling popularity of current President Guillermo Endara. Presidente Blades might not be music to the ears of the U.S. State Department, however. His song Tiburon compares interlopers in Latin America to a marauding shark.