CarlosSantana

Carlos Santana

Latin rhythm, blues fire and spiritual yearning in every sustained note

Carlos Santana was born in 1947 in Autlán de Navarro, Mexico, the son of a mariachi violinist who gave him his first music lessons. The family moved to Tijuana in 1955, where the boy switched to guitar and began playing in local clubs, absorbing the blues of B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. His family later relocated to San Francisco, and Carlos followed, arriving in a city that was about to become the centre of the rock counterculture.

In 1966 he formed the Santana Blues Band, soon shortened to Santana, mixing blues-rock guitar with conga and timbales. Promoter Bill Graham championed the group, and in August 1969 an afternoon set at Woodstock, before the band even had an album out, made them international stars. The debut album followed that year, and Abraxas (1970) went to number one, with Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va becoming signature hits. Santana III repeated the chart-topping feat in 1971.

From Caravanserai (1972) onward Santana leaned toward jazz fusion and spiritual exploration. He became a follower of Sri Chinmoy, recorded Love Devotion Surrender with John McLaughlin and Illuminations with Alice Coltrane, and filled albums with long, meditative instrumentals. Records such as Amigos and Moonflower kept him in the charts through the late 1970s, while his touring band remained a world-class live draw even as his commercial fortunes fluctuated in the 1980s and early 1990s.

In 1998 Santana was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the following year Supernatural brought one of the biggest comebacks in music history. Built around collaborations such as Smooth with Rob Thomas and Maria Maria, it sold millions and won Album of the Year among a haul of Grammys. He has since released many albums, including the Spanish-language Corazón and a 2016 reunion with the classic lineup, and received Kennedy Center Honors in 2013.

The 10 greatest Carlos Santana solos

1. 1
   Europa

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1976
2. 2
   Samba Pa Ti

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1970
3. 3
   Soul Sacrifice

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1969
4. 4
   Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1970
5. 5
   Song of the Wind

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana, Neal Schon · 1972
6. 6
   Incident at Neshabur

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1970
7. 7
   Oye Como Va

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1970
8. 8
   Flor d'Luna (Moonflower)

   Santana · solo by Carlos Santana · 1977
9. 9
   Smooth

   Santana feat. Rob Thomas · solo by Carlos Santana · 1999
10. 10
    Put Your Lights On

    Santana feat. Everlast · solo by Carlos Santana · 1999

The sound

Santana's sound is instantly identifiable within a few notes: a thick, violin-like sustain drawn from humbuckers and high-gain tube amps, often pushed into controlled feedback. He favours simple, singable melodies, minor-key modes such as Dorian, and long notes bent with a wide, emotional vibrato rather than flurries of speed. His phrasing sits inside Afro-Cuban rhythms, answering the percussion like another drummer. Spiritual intent is central to his approach, and he often treats a solo as a prayer, building slowly from quiet statements to searing climaxes.

• Gibson SG Special (guitar) The guitar he played at Woodstock in 1969.
• Yamaha SG175B (guitar) A carved-top Yamaha he used heavily in the mid-to-late 1970s.
• Gibson L6-S Custom (guitar) Another 1970s mainstay during his fusion period.
• PRS Santana signature models (guitar) Paul Reed Smith guitars he has played since the late 1980s, with signature models from 1988.
• Mesa/Boogie Mark I (amp) He reportedly gave the Boogie amp its name after trying it.
• Dumble Overdrive Reverb (amp) A boutique amp central to his smooth, sustaining later tone.
• Alvarez Yairi classical (guitar) Used for nylon-string passages on stage and in the studio.

Covers

• Black Magic Woman, originally by Fleetwood Mac He wraps Peter Green's song in Latin percussion and jazz organ, then segues into Gypsy Queen.
• Oye Como Va, originally by Tito Puente The mambo becomes a hypnotic rock groove with lean, biting guitar.
• Evil Ways, originally by Willie Bobo His first hit, turning a Latin jazz tune into a tight, organ-and-guitar single.
• Jingo, originally by Babatunde Olatunji A percussion-heavy reworking where his guitar dances over the drums.
• A Love Supreme, originally by John Coltrane With John McLaughlin, he turns Coltrane's devotional theme into an electric chant.
• She's Not There, originally by The Zombies A funky, darker version that became a hit in its own right.
• Stormy, originally by Classics IV A silky soft-rock reading carried by his lyrical lead.

Timeline

• 1947 Born in Autlán de Navarro, Mexico
• 1955 Family moves to Tijuana
• 1966 Forms the Santana Blues Band in San Francisco
• 1969 Plays Woodstock and releases the debut album
• 1970 Abraxas tops the US charts
• 1972 Caravanserai signals a turn to jazz fusion
• 1998 Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
• 1999 Releases Supernatural
• 2000 Supernatural wins Album of the Year at the Grammys
• 2013 Receives Kennedy Center Honors

Facts

1. His father was a mariachi violinist, and Carlos began on violin before switching to guitar.
2. Santana played Woodstock in 1969 before the band had released an album.
3. Bill Graham arranged the Woodstock slot, which paid the band $2,500.
4. He is often credited with naming the Mesa/Boogie amplifier.
5. Abraxas stayed on the Billboard album chart for 88 weeks.
6. Smooth spent 12 weeks at number one in the US.
7. Supernatural won Album of the Year, and Santana took home a string of Grammys that night.
8. He recorded Illuminations (1974) with jazz harpist and pianist Alice Coltrane.
9. He married jazz drummer Cindy Blackman in 2010.
10. Corazón (2014) was his first Spanish-language album.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Carlos Santana
• Wikipedia: Santana (band)