‘The Only Path For Me Was Independence’: Latin Music Legend Rubén Blades On His Decades of Art and Activism

At 77, the salsa pioneer and all-around Renaissance man — who is Billboard's 2026 Indie Icon — is still setting a blueprint for what independent artists can accomplish.

At 77, the salsa pioneer and all-around Renaissance man — who is Billboard's 2026 Indie Icon — is still setting a blueprint for what independent artists can accomplish.

At 77, the salsa pioneer and all-around Renaissance man — who is Billboard's 2026 Indie Icon — is still setting a blueprint for what independent artists can accomplish.