Carlos Santana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Carlos Santana
Santana performing in 2011
Background information
Birth name	Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán
Born	(1947-07-20) July 20, 1947 (age 77) Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico
Origin	San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres	Latin rock blues rock jazz fusion
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Guitar vocals
Years active	1965–present[update]
Labels	RCA Arista Polydor Columbia CGD PolyGram

Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (born July 20, 1947) is a famous American guitarist. He is best known as a founding member of the rock band Santana. Carlos grew up in Mexico and learned music there. He became very famous in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. His band, Santana, was special because it mixed rock and roll with Latin American jazz.

Their music featured Carlos's amazing guitar playing, which was based on the blues. This was combined with Latin American and African rhythms. They used instruments not usually found in rock music, like timbales and congas. Carlos Santana became popular again in the late 1990s.

Rolling Stone magazine has called Santana one of the greatest guitarists of all time. He has won 10 Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards. In 1998, he and his band were added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Carlos Santana's Early Life and Music

Growing Up and Learning Music

Carlos Santana was born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico, on July 20, 1947. He started playing the violin when he was five years old. At age eight, he learned to play the guitar. His father, who was a mariachi musician, taught him. Carlos's younger brother, Jorge, also became a professional guitarist.

His family later moved to Tijuana, which is on the border with the United States. Carlos began his rock and roll journey in a city park called Parque Teniente Guerrero. His mother took him to see a pioneering rock and roll band from Tijuana called the Tj's. When he was 12, Carlos became a helper for the band. He later joined them as a bass player. The Tj's introduced Carlos to blues music. He was inspired by artists like T-Bone Walker and B.B. King.

Moving to San Francisco and Forming a Band

The Santana family then moved to San Francisco, where his father found steady work. In October 1966, Carlos started a band called the Santana Blues Band. By 1968, the band began adding different musical styles to their electric blues sound. Carlos once said that listening to many types of music, from Sly Stone to Tito Puente, felt like being at a "university."

Around age eight, Carlos was greatly influenced by blues guitarists. These included B.B. King, Javier Bátiz, and John Lee Hooker. The jazz guitar work of Gábor Szabó in the mid-1960s also had a big impact on Santana's playing. Santana's 2012 album Shape Shifter even has a song called "Mr. Szabo" as a tribute. He also learned from Jimi Hendrix and Mike Bloomfield.

Carlos lived in the Mission District and finished James Lick Middle School. He left Mission High School in 1965. He chose not to go to college, deciding to focus on music.

Santana's Rise to Fame

Early Career and Woodstock

Carlos Santana was influenced by popular artists from the 1950s. These included B.B. King and John Lee Hooker. Soon after he started playing guitar, he joined local bands in Tijuana. This helped him develop his unique sound. He also discovered new types of music like jazz and folk music. He saw the growing hippie movement in San Francisco in the 1960s.

After working as a dishwasher and playing music on the streets, Santana decided to become a full-time musician. In 1966, he got a chance to play at the Fillmore Auditorium. His guitar playing impressed the audience and the promoter, Bill Graham.

That same year, Carlos and other street musicians formed the Santana Blues Band. The members included David Brown on bass, Marcus Malone on percussion, and Gregg Rolie on vocals and organ.

Signing a Record Deal and Woodstock Breakthrough

An old ad for Santana's album Santana III

Santana's band signed with Columbia Records. Their name was shortened to just "Santana." They recorded their first album in 1969. The band wasn't happy with it at first and made some changes to their members. They added Mike Shrieve on drums and José Chepito Areas on percussion.

Bill Graham, who loved Latin Music, helped the band play at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. This was even before their first album came out! Their performance was one of the biggest surprises of the festival. An 11-minute instrumental song called "Soul Sacrifice" was a highlight. This performance was included in the Woodstock film and soundtrack. This made the band incredibly popular.

Graham also suggested Santana record the song "Evil Ways." He thought it would be a hit on the radio. The band's first album, Santana, was released in August 1969. It became a huge success, reaching No. 4 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart.

Continued Success and New Sounds

The band's success at Woodstock and their first album brought them international fame. But the sudden popularity also created pressure. Band members like Gregg Rolie wanted to stick to a hard rock sound. However, Carlos Santana wanted to explore more jazz and spiritual music. He was inspired by jazz legends like Miles Davis and John Coltrane.

Despite these challenges, the band released their second album, Abraxas, in September 1970. This album mixed rock, blues, jazz, and salsa. It showed how much the band's music had grown. Abraxas included two of Santana's most famous songs: "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen." Abraxas was No. 1 on the Billboard chart for six weeks. It sold millions of copies and is considered one of the greatest albums ever.

In 1971, a young guitar player named Neal Schon joined the band. This helped complete their third album, Santana III. The band now had two strong lead guitarists, giving the album a tougher sound. Santana III was another big hit, reaching No. 1 on the charts. It sold two million copies and featured the song "No One to Depend On."

However, there were still tensions within the band. Carlos wanted more control over the music. Also, some money problems were found. Some members left, and new ones joined.

In January 1972, Carlos Santana and some band members played a concert with drummer Buddy Miles. This was recorded for the album Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles! Live!, which became a gold record.

Santana's Musical Evolution

Exploring Jazz Fusion with Caravanserai

Santana performing in Hamburg, West Germany in 1973

In early 1972, Santana and his band started working on their fourth album, Caravanserai. For this album, Carlos brought in new musicians. These included percussionists Armando Peraza and James Mingo Lewis. Keyboard players Wendy Haas and Tom Coster also joined.

During these recording sessions, Gregg Rolie and Neal Schon decided to leave the band after the album was finished. They later formed the famous band Journey.

When Caravanserai was released in 1972, it showed a big change in Santana's music. It moved towards jazz fusion, a style that mixes jazz with rock. Critics loved the album, but the record company worried it wouldn't be a "Top 40" hit. Still, over the years, the album sold very well.

Shifting Styles and Spirituality

New Year's Eve 1976 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco

In 1972, Carlos Santana became very interested in the jazz fusion band the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Its guitarist, John McLaughlin, introduced Carlos to his spiritual teacher, Sri Chinmoy. Carlos and his wife Deborah became followers in 1973. Carlos was given the spiritual name Devadip.

Carlos and John McLaughlin recorded an album together called Love, Devotion, Surrender (1973). This album featured musicians from both their bands.

In 1973, Santana formed a new version of his band. They toured Japan, and their live performances were recorded for the album Lotus (1974). This album showed Carlos's growing interest in jazz fusion and his spiritual journey.

He also worked with John Coltrane's wife, Alice Coltrane, on the album Illuminations (1974). This album explored more experimental jazz and Eastern influences.

Carlos changed his band members again. He added vocalist Leon Patillo and brought back bassist David Brown. The band recorded the album Borboletta in 1974.

Santana during his European tour in the Netherlands in 1978

By this time, Bill Graham was managing the band. He felt Carlos needed to get back to the band's original rock sound to sell more records. Carlos also saw that many fans were not connecting with the new jazz direction. Even though critics liked the jazz fusion albums, sales went down.

Carlos, along with keyboardist Tom Coster and producer David Rubinson, formed another version of the band. They added vocalist Greg Walker. Their 1976 album Amigos had a strong funk and Latin sound. The instrumental song "Europa (Earth's Cry Heaven's Smile)" became very popular on the radio. This helped bring Santana back to the music charts.

Albums in the late 1970s continued this style, with new members joining, including percussionist Raul Rekow in 1977. A notable hit from this time was their version of "She's Not There" on the 1977 album Moonflower.

Carlos also recorded two solo albums: Oneness: Silver Dreams – Golden Reality (1979) and The Swing of Delight (1980). The second album featured famous jazz musicians like Herbie Hancock.

Being a famous rock musician and following the strict rules of his spiritual teacher, Sri Chinmoy, caused stress for Carlos. He felt that Chinmoy's rules were too much, especially not allowing him and Deborah to start a family. He also felt his fame was being used to promote the guru. Carlos and Deborah eventually left Sri Chinmoy in 1982.

Santana in the 1980s and 1990s

New Hits and Collaborations

Santana in Barcelona, Spain, 1984

L to R: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Santana in Hamburg, May 1984

More radio-friendly songs followed from Santana and the band. "Winning" (from Zebop!) in 1981 and "Hold On" in 1982 both became top twenty hits. After leaving Sri Chinmoy, Carlos recorded another solo album, Havana Moon (1983). This album looked back at his early music experiences in Tijuana. It included songs like Bo Diddley's "Who Do You Love" and the title track, Chuck Berry's "Havana Moon." Famous guests like Willie Nelson and even Carlos's father's mariachi orchestra played on the album. Carlos also helped create the music for the film La Bamba, which was about the rock and roll legend Ritchie Valens.

The band Santana released a new album, Beyond Appearances, in 1985. Two years later, they released Freedom. This album had nine band members, including some who had played with Santana before. Freedom returned to the band's original Latin rock sound.

Carlos grew tired of trying to make hit records just to please record companies. He enjoyed playing with other famous musicians. He jammed with jazz fusion groups like Weather Report and blues legend John Lee Hooker. He also recorded with Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji. In 1988, Santana brought together past members of the band for a series of concerts. CBS records released a special collection of the band's music called Viva Santana!.

That same year, Carlos formed an all-instrumental group with jazz legend Wayne Shorter. This group received great reviews, reminding people of the Caravanserai era. Carlos also released another solo album, Blues for Salvador (1987), which won a Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance.

In 1990, Santana left Columbia Records after 22 years and signed with Polygram. He also made guest appearances on other artists' albums. In 1992, Santana hired the jam band Phish to open for his concerts. Phish also toured with Santana in Europe in 1996.

Return to Huge Success

Santana performing in 2000

Carlos Santana started the 1990s with new albums like Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990) and Milagro (1992). He also released a live album Sacred Fire (1993) and Brothers (1994) with his brother and nephew. However, these albums didn't sell very well. Carlos toured a lot but didn't release new music for a while. He even lost his recording contract.

But then, Arista Records' Clive Davis, who had worked with Santana before, signed him again. Davis encouraged him to record an album with many younger, famous artists. The result was the 1999 album Supernatural. This album featured collaborations with artists like Everlast, Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, Eric Clapton, and Lauryn Hill.

The first song from the album, "Smooth", was a huge hit. It was co-written and sung by Rob Thomas. Carlos's amazing guitar playing was all over the song. "Smooth" was played on many radio stations and spent 12 weeks at number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was the last No. 1 song of the 1990s. The music video was also very popular. Supernatural reached number one on the US album charts. The next song, "Maria Maria", also hit number one. Supernatural sold over 15 million copies in the United States. It won eight Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, making it Santana's most successful album ever.

In 1998, Carlos Santana, along with the classic members of his band, was added to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He performed "Black Magic Woman" with Peter Green, who wrote the song.

In 2000, Supernatural won nine Grammy Awards. Carlos won eight of them personally. He won for Album of the Year, Record of the Year for "Smooth," and Song of the Year for the writers of "Smooth." Carlos often spoke about how music connects to spirituality in his acceptance speeches. Later that year, he won three Latin Grammy Awards. In 2001, Carlos's guitar playing was featured on Michael Jackson's song "Whatever Happens."

In 2002, Santana released Shaman. This album also featured many guest artists, like Michelle Branch and Seal. While not as big as Supernatural, it had two popular songs. "The Game of Love" with Michelle Branch reached number five on the Billboard Hot 100. "Why Don't You & I" with Chad Kroeger also did well. "The Game of Love" won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. In the same year, he was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

Santana 2003 at a concert in Barcelona

In August 2003, Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana as one of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." In 2004, the Latin Recording Academy honored Santana as their Person of the Year.

On April 21, 2005, Santana was honored as a BMI Icon. This award is given to artists who have had a unique and lasting influence on music.

Santana during a concert in 2005

In 2005, Herbie Hancock asked Santana to work on an album again. Carlos also played guitar on Shakira's song "Illegal."

Santana's 2005 album All That I Am also featured many collaborations. The first song, "I'm Feeling You", again featured Michelle Branch. Other artists included Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and Joss Stone. In 2006, Carlos toured Europe and promoted his son Salvador Santana's band.

In 2007, Santana played on Gloria Estefan's album 90 Millas. He also teamed up with Chad Kroeger again for the hit song "Into the Night." He played guitar on Eros Ramazzotti's song "Fuoco nel fuoco."

In 2008, Santana worked with his friend Marcelo Vieira on his solo album Acoustic Demos. Carlos performed at the 2009 American Idol Finale. In July 2009, Santana played a long concert in Athens, Greece, as part of his "Supernatural Santana – A Trip through the Hits" tour. This show also played in Las Vegas until 2011.

Santana is a playable character in the video game Guitar Hero 5. His song "No One to Depend On" is in the game. In 2011, three Santana songs were available for the guitar learning software Rocksmith. That same year, Santana received the Billboard Latin Music Lifetime Achievement Award.

In 2007, Santana helped open a chain of upscale Mexican restaurants called "Maria Maria." As of 2021, one location is still open in Walnut Creek, California.

In 2012, Santana released an album called Shape Shifter, mostly with instrumental songs. In 2013, there was an announcement about a reunion of the surviving members of the Santana band from 1971. Their next album was called Santana IV. On May 6, 2014, his first album entirely in Spanish, Corazón, was released.

In 2015, Santana played with Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh's band. He continues to guide younger musicians like Derek Trucks.

In 2016, Carlos Santana reunited with past band members Gregg Rolie, Michael Carabello, Michael Shrieve, and Neil Schon. They released the album Santana IV and went on a short tour. A live performance from this group was filmed and released as Live at the House of Blues Las Vegas.

In 2017, Santana worked with the Isley Brothers to release the album The Power of Peace. In December 2018, Santana shared a guitar lesson on YouTube as part of the MasterClass online series.

In October 2019, Santana was featured on the American rapper Tyga's song "Mamacita." In March 2020, Santana's "Miraculous World Tour" was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In August 2021, Santana signed a new record deal to release his album Blessings and Miracles. In the same month, he performed in New York's Central Park with Rob Thomas and Wyclef Jean.

In December 2021, Santana had heart surgery. On July 5, 2022, he collapsed on stage during a concert due to heat and dehydration. He recovered and postponed some shows to rest.

In an interview in 2000, Santana spoke about his Christian faith and how it helped him through tough times.

Carlos Santana's Guitars and Equipment

Guitars and Effects

Santana's Yamaha SG2000 Devadip guitar (1976) on display in a museum

At the Woodstock festival in 1969, Santana played a red Gibson SG Special guitar. From 1970 to 1972, he used different Gibson Les Pauls and a black Gibson SG Special. In 1974, he played a Gibson L6-S Custom. From 1976 to 1982, his main guitar was a Yamaha SG 175B.

In 1982, he started using a special PRS Custom 24 guitar. Since 1988, PRS Guitars has made Santana signature model guitars, which he has played ever since.

Santana currently uses a Santana II model guitar with PRS Santana III pickups. He uses a tremolo bar and D'Addario strings. He also plays a PRS Santana MD "The Multidimensional" guitar. His Santana guitars have necks made of mahogany and rosewood fretboards.

Some of his signature PRS models include:

• PRS Santana I "The Yellow" guitar (1988)
• PRS Santana II "Supernatural" guitar (1999)
• PRS Santana III guitar (2001)
• PRS Santana SE guitar (2001)
• PRS Santana Retro guitar (2017)

The Carlos Santana exhibit at the Musical Instrument Museum of Phoenix

Santana also plays a classical guitar, the Alvarez Yairi CY127CE. In recent years, he has used custom-made semi-hollow "Model-T" Jazz Electric Nylon guitars.

Santana does not use many effects pedals. His PRS guitar connects to a Mu-Tron Wah-wah pedal (or a Dunlop 535Q wah) and a T-Rex Replica delay pedal. Then it goes through a special amp switcher to his amplifiers. He has also used an Ibanez Tube Screamer and an Electro-Harmonix Big Muff distortion pedal. For the song "Stand Up," he used a Heil talk box.

Santana uses two different guitar picks: the large triangular Dunlop pick and the V-Pick Freakishly Large Round pick.

Amplifiers

Santana's unique guitar sound comes from his PRS signature guitars plugged into several amplifiers. He uses a Mesa Boogie Mark I, a Dumble Overdrive Reverb, and a Bludotone amplifier. Carlos compares the sound of each amplifier to a singer's different vocal tones. He uses a three-way switch to change between amps. Often, the sounds of each amplifier are mixed together to create a richer tone.

Carlos Santana is even credited with naming the popular Mesa amplifier. When he tried one, he said, "That little thing really Boogies!"

Specifically, Santana combines a Mesa/Boogie Mark I head with a Boogie cabinet. He also uses a Dumble Overdrive Reverb or a Dumble Overdrive Special. These run through a Marshall 4x12 cabinet. Shure KSM-32 microphones capture the sound for the audience. He also uses a Fender Cyber-Twin Amp at home.

In his early career, Santana used a GMT transistor amplifier and a silverface Fender Twin. The GMT rig was used at Woodstock and for his first album. The Fender Twin was used for his first album and Abraxas.

Personal Life

In 1965, Carlos Santana became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

From 1973 to 2007, he was married to Deborah King, who is the daughter of blues musician Saunders King. They have three children: Salvador, Stella, and Angelica. Together, they started the Milagro (Miracle) Foundation. This non-profit organization helps provide money for education, medical needs, and other important things. In 2007, Deborah filed for divorce.

On July 9, 2010, Santana proposed to his touring drummer Cindy Blackman on stage during a concert. They got married in December 2010 and now live in Las Vegas.

Discography

Studio Albums

• Love Devotion Surrender (1973)
• Illuminations (1974)
• Oneness – Silver Dreams Golden Reality (1979)
• The Swing of Delight (1980)
• Havana Moon (1983)
• Blues for Salvador (1987)
• Santana Brothers (1993)

Memoir

On November 4, 2014, Carlos Santana's book about his life, called The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light, was published.

Awards and Honors

Images for kids

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  Santana performing in 2011

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  Trade ad for Santana's album Santana III

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  Santana performing in Hamburg, West Germany in 1973

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  New Year's Eve 1976 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco

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  Santana during his European tour in the Netherlands in 1978

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  Santana in Barcelona, Spain, 1984

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  L to R: Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Santana in Hamburg, May 1984

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  Santana performing in 2000

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  Santana 2003 at a concert in Barcelona

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  Santana during a concert in 2005

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  Santana's Yamaha SG2000 Devadip (1976, with inlay) on exhibit in the Berlin Musical Instrument Museum

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  The Carlos Santana exhibit in the Artist Gallery of the Musical Instrument Museum of Phoenix

See also

In Spanish: Carlos Santana para niños