According to ethnomusicologist Marisol Berríos Miranda, salsa serves as an escape valve for people who live under neocolonial conditions to express their discontents. This paper will discuss the role of nationalism and supranationalism and its manifestation through four of contemporary Panamanian salsa artist, Rubén Blades' songs. His ability to understand social and political conditions throughout the region, allows for him to deploy Latin Americanism-the political philosophy developed by

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... y developed by Simón Bolívar-as an anti-imperialist call urging Latinos to counter United States' intervention in Latin America during the Cold War.