Cindy Blackman Santana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cindy Blackman
|
|
|---|---|
Blackman performing in May 2008
|
|
| Background information | |
| Born | November 18, 1959 Yellow Springs, Ohio, U.S. |
| Genres | |
| Occupation(s) |
|
| Instruments |
|
| Years active | 1980s–present |
| Labels |
|
| Associated acts |
|
Cindy Blackman Santana (born November 18, 1959) is an amazing American drummer. She is known for playing both jazz and rock music. Cindy has made many jazz albums as the leader of her own band. She has also played drums for famous musicians like Lenny Kravitz, Joss Stone, and Carlos Santana.
Contents
Early Life and Her Start in Music
Cindy Blackman was born on November 18, 1959, in Yellow Springs, Ohio. Her family loved music. Her mother and grandmother were classical musicians, and her uncle played the vibraphone. When Cindy was little, her mom often took her to classical music concerts.
Cindy discovered drums when she was seven years old. She was at a pool party and saw a drum set. She felt a strong connection to them right away. "Just looking at them struck something in my core," she said. "And then, when I hit them, it was like, wow, that's me." Soon after, Cindy started playing drums in her school band. She also convinced her parents to get her toy drums.
When Cindy was 11, her family moved to Bristol, Connecticut. She went to the Hartt School of Music in Hartford. At 13, she became very interested in jazz music after hearing the famous drummer Max Roach. She got her first professional drum set when she was 14.
Later, Cindy went to the Berklee College of Music in Boston. There, she learned from a great teacher named Alan Dawson. He had also taught Tony Williams, who was one of Cindy's biggest inspirations. After three semesters, a friend helped her get a job playing with The Drifters. So, Cindy left college and moved to New York City in 1982 to pursue her music career.
Cindy's Music Career
In New York City, Cindy played music and also watched many other talented musicians. She learned a lot from watching Art Blakey, another famous drummer. Cindy said he was like a father to her. She asked him many questions about drums and music, and he always helped her.
In 1984, Cindy was featured on a radio show called Jazz Stars of the Future. In 1987, she started writing her own music, which appeared on an album called Verses. In 1988, Cindy released her first album as a bandleader, called Arcane. Her band included other amazing musicians like Joe Henderson and Kenny Garrett.
Playing with Lenny Kravitz
In 1993, Cindy got a big chance to work with the rock star Lenny Kravitz. She talked to him on the phone from New York and played drums for him. Lenny was so impressed that he immediately asked her to fly to Los Angeles. She stayed for two weeks and even filmed the music video for his song "Are You Gonna Go My Way". Cindy ended up touring with Lenny Kravitz as his drummer for 18 years!
Her Own Music and Projects
In the late 1990s, Cindy recorded an album with her own band called Telepathy. They chose this name because the band members communicated so well through their music. Cindy and her band also made a video to teach others how to play drums, called Multiplicity.
In 2004, Cindy took a break from touring with Lenny Kravitz to focus on her own music. She released an album called Music for the New Millennium. She explained that her band experiments with music, but everything is carefully planned and written out.
Cindy also toured South America in 2007, teaching drum workshops in Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. She performed with her band at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
In 2010, she released an album called Another Lifetime. This album was a tribute to her hero, Tony Williams. She also played drums at the 2011 Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland with her husband, Carlos Santana, and John McLaughlin.
In 2020, Cindy released a 17-song album called Give the Drummer Some. On this album, she sings on 11 of the songs. It features performances by other great musicians like John McLaughlin and Kirk Hammett.
Personal Life
On July 9, 2010, the famous guitarist Carlos Santana proposed to Cindy on stage during a concert! He asked her to marry him right after her amazing drum solo. They got married in Maui, Hawaii, on December 19, 2010.
Cindy believes that music is a very special and spiritual thing. She says that when you play music, you are doing something like a prayer because you are so focused and intentional.
Cindy Blackman Santana is a unique figure as a female jazz drummer. She has spoken about how there used to be ideas that certain instruments were not for women. But she believes that you should never let someone's opinion stop you from doing what you love. "If you let somebody stop you because of their opinions," she says, "then the only thing you're doing is hurting yourself."
Discography
Cindy Blackman Santana has released many albums as a bandleader and has played on albums with many other artists. Some of her albums as a leader include Arcane, Telepathy, and Another Lifetime. She has also played with artists like Lenny Kravitz, Santana, and Joss Stone.
See also
In Spanish: Cindy Blackman para niños
