Carlos Santana is considered a pioneer of Latin rock. The guitar legend's career began in Woodstock – and has spanned over 60 years. Now the exceptional musician is celebrating his 75th birthday.
In the list of the 100 greatest guitarists and member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Carlos Santana
The album “Supernatural” gave the guitarist, singer and band leader a furious comeback in 1999 at the age of 52. With eight Grammy awards, it is not only one of Carlos Santana's most successful albums, it is also one of the best-selling music albums worldwide. Nevertheless, it is only one of the highlights of a long and eventful musical career. This Wednesday Santana celebrates his 75th birthday.
Idols from T-Bone Walker to Ray Charles
Carlos was born on July 20, 1947, the son of a mariachi musician in Autlán de Navarro, Mexico. The first instrument of the musician, who later became known for his blues guitar solos and riffs on the electric guitar, was a violin, which he received at the age of five. He didn't learn to play the guitar until he was eight. As a child, Santana, who later became a US citizen, listened to the music of the US rocker Ritchie Valens.
Valens combines his Mexican roots with a rocking beat – as for example in the 1958 hit ” La Bamba”. At the time, Santana had no idea that one day he too would play a pioneering role in Latin rock. His other idols are B.B. King, T-Bone Walker, Ray Charles and finally John Lee Hooker, whose influence can be heard in Santana's guitar sounds.
Santana's trademark plaintive guitar solos
Santana's family moves to San Francisco, where Carlos finishes high school. He doesn't get anything from studying, instead he takes a job as a dishwasher, earns a little pocket money as a street musician and otherwise uses every opportunity to play in bands.
The San Francisco of the 1960s – a time full of political and social movements – has had a major impact on Santana, both in terms of his musical development and his political leanings. “Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Che Guevara, Mother Teresa – they were the leaders of a revolution in consciousness,” Santana said of that time. “The Beatles, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix – they were the revolution. Their music was like the works of Dalí: full of color and with revolutionary approaches.”
Key moment of Santana's music career
Santana's breakthrough came in 1966. At Fillmore West, a popular rock hall in San Francisco, he was spontaneously called onto the stage to replace a drunk fellow musician. His performance makes the audience and a producer sit up and take notice. Shortly thereafter, Santana founded the “Santana Blues Band”, later known as “Santana”. He signs a deal with the Columbia Records label and begins wowing the world with his signature sound and long, singing guitar solos.
Santana plays at the legendary Woodstock Festival in 1969, here with bassist David Brown
In August In 1969, Santana performed with his band at the legendary Woodstock Festival and released the album “Evil Ways”, which reached number 4 in the US charts. More performances and albums followed over the next few years, including hits like “Oye Como Va” and “Black Magic Woman”.
Excursion into spirituality
But crises are not absent either. The band faces many conflicts: musical disagreements, substance abuse and financial problems. In 1973, Santana discovered meditation for herself. The spiritual world appeals to him and he takes the name “Devadip”, which means something like “the lamp, the light and the eye of God”.
At the same time, his musical style also changed – towards jazz fusion with influences from East Indian music. Critics praise the change, but sales are falling. In 1982, after a falling out with his guru, Santana turned his back on spirituality and refocused on commercial success. He continues to tour, but the great success does not return until the late 1990s.
In the 1980s, Santana turned her back on spirituality
In 1999 Santana produced the cha-cha rock hit “Smooth” with the rock band “Matchbox Twenty” around singer Rob Thomas. As in the earlier Santana songs, the song leaves plenty of room for plaintive guitar solos and combines Latin American instruments with rock. Alongside “Smooth,” the hit “Maria Maria” appears on Santana's album “Supernatural,” which has sold nearly 27 million copies worldwide. Santana has won eight Grammys, including Album of the Year.
World musician, world activist
Santana is not only a universal artist, but also a global activist. In 1998, the rock musician and his family founded the “Milagro Foundation”, which supports disadvantaged children in the areas of art, education and health.
Describes in his 2004 memoir “The Universal Tone: Bringing my Story to Light”. Santana his personal journey and his belief that every human being has infinite potential. “Love is the light that each of us carries within us,” he writes, allowing his spiritual side to shine through again.
Santana's second marriage is to drummer Cindy Blackman. The musician has three adult children from his long-term marriage to Deborah King. Carlos Santana doesn't want to retire just yet, he regularly performs live. Most recently, his fans worried about the guitarist's health in early July after he collapsed on stage during a performance in Detroit. Shortly thereafter, Santana gave the all-clear: Despite the great heat, he hadn't drunk enough.