Rubén Blades was inspired to write Pedro Navaja
when he first heard the medley of The Threepenny Opera song. He felt the
haunting story and medley of the characters in the opera and fell in love with
it. Later in his life, he heard the song Mack the Knife. The first
singer to record Mack the Knife was Bobby Darin and later Louis
Armstrong performed the song. In parties, Blades was asked to sing the Mack
the Knife song, which tells the story of a panderer's life and his
presumed death. Rubén Blades was shy in singing the song but he loved it since
his early youthful days. The song stuck with him for the remainder of his
life, which later influence him and Willie Colon to produce a
1978 collaboration album titled Siembra. The album introduced us to songs
like Plástico, Buscando Guayaba and the hit classic Pedro
Navaja.
Mack the Knife (Bobby Darin)
Mack the Knife (Louis Armstrong)
