Carlos Santana’s name has become associated with some of today’s most influential musical genres, including jazz, Latin, salsa, blues, and rock. He was taught the value of music at a young age, and how it brought cultures, religions, and people from all over the world together. Aside from native music, he was exposed to a variety of musical influences, including worldwide folk music, which can be heard in his huge body of work today. He is a well-known guitarist, musician, vocalist, and bandleader who pioneered the notion of “world music” by combining many types of music from other nations. After the memorable performance at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival and the establishment of the band ‘Santana,’ he catapulted to prominence. Since then, there has been no halting this epic musical whirlwind. His distinct and recognizable tone is legendary, and it is through it that his audiences remember him. He’s also noted for his usage of percussion instruments and other indigenous instruments like as congas and timbales, which aren’t widely used. Santana was named one of the “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine. He has also received numerous Grammy and Latin Grammy Awards.
Childhood and Adolescence
Carlos Augusto Alves Santana was born in the Mexican town of Autlan de Navarro. From a young age, he and his younger brother, Jorge Santana, were heavily affected by music.
He began learning to play the violin at the age of five, followed by the guitar. The music of musicians such as Ritchie Valens influenced him significantly.
He attended Mission High School and James Lick Middle School. He was also accepted to California State University, Humboldt State University, and California State University, Northridge, but he declined.
In the 1960s, he was heavily affected by B.B. King’s music and was exposed to a wide range of musical influences. He also saw the hippie movement, which was a major force in San Francisco at the time, grow in popularity.
Career of Carlos Santana
He began his career as a musician after a series of missteps. In 1966, he was put together in an impromptu band to take the place of Paul Butterfield’s band. His guitar playing abilities were observed by a large crowd as well as his peers during these unintentional sessions.
The ‘Santana Blues Band,’ which included Gregg Rolie and David Brown, was created in 1966. After a foot-tapping performance at Woodstock in 1969, they garnered an immediate fan following in San Francisco with their innovative blend of Latin-infused rock, African rhythms, and jazz. The band changed their name to ‘Santana’ right away.
As a result of his immediate success, he signed a contract with CBS Records. After that, Santana moved on to make their first album. It was published in 1969 as a self-titled album, with the release getting a head start thanks to their famous performance at the Woodstock Festival. This CD, as well as their performance at the festival, propelled them to international prominence.
The next year, the band released their second album, ‘Abraxas.’ The band’s second self-titled album, ‘Santana III,’ was released in September 1971. ‘Man with an Outstretched Hand’ was another nickname for the CD.
Tensions inside the band grew to the point where he began to detest a number of his band members. He later reunited with a handful of his former bandmates to record ‘Carlos Santana & Buddy Miles Live,’ which was released in 1972. ‘Santana’ released their fourth album, ‘Caravanserai,’ the same year.
‘The Mahavishnu Orchestra,’ a fusion band, was a major fan of his. He was quickly introduced to Sri Chinmoy, the teacher of one of the fusion group’s guitarists. Santana was given the moniker ‘Devadip,’ and together with the guitarist, he recorded the album ‘Love, Devotion, Surrender,’ in 1973.
With his fifth studio album, ‘Welcome,’ released in 1973, he continued to dabble with jazz fusion. The following year, ‘Lotus’ was released, which was followed by another album.
He appeared on the albums ‘Illuminations,’ ‘Borboletta,’ ‘Amigos,’ ‘Moonflower,’ and ‘Inner Secrets’ from 1974 to 1978.
In 1979, he embarked on a solo career with the help of CBS. The next year, he released ‘Oneness: Silver Dreams-Golden Reality,’ followed by ‘The Swing of Delight.’ During this period, he was under a lot of pressure from his guru, Sri Chinmoy, to combine his rock music career with his spiritual life.
He was a part of a number of singles and albums during the 1980s, including ‘Shango,’ ‘Beyond Appearances,’ and ‘Freedom.’ He also composed the score for ‘La Bamba,’ a 1987 American film based on the life of his idol, Ritchie Valens.
In 1988, he planned a reunion with his former bandmates and CBS Records to create an album called ‘Viva Santana!’ that compiled the band’s accomplishments. He created an all-instrumental band the same year.
After twenty-two years with Columbia Records, he left in 1990 and secured a new record deal with Polygram. His album sales were quite low in the early 1990s. In 1999, he released ‘Supernatural,’ a collaborative album with a variety of foreign performers that catapulted him back into the spotlight.
From 2002 to 2005, he published ‘Shaman,’ as well as contributing to other artists’ albums such as ‘Possibilities,’ ‘Oral Fixation Vol. 2’, and eventually his own album, ‘All That I Am,’ which mostly featured his collaborations with other musicians. He traveled Europe with a group of musicians over the next year.
He was working on his solo album, ‘Acoustic Demos,’ at the end of 2008, which was released at the end of the year, and he also performed at the American Idol finale the following year.
In 2009, as part of his ‘Supernatural Santana – A Trip Through the Hits’ tour, he performed live at the Athens Olympic Stadium with his 10-piece band.
Santana’s 22nd studio album, ‘Shape Shifter,’ was released in 2012 under a new record label, Starfaith Records.
Major Projects of Carlos Santana
Due to the band’s key appearance at The Woodstock Festival, his 1969 album, ‘Santana,’ which was also his debut studio album, was destined to be one of the largest releases for a newbie. The songs, which were mostly instrumental, had a significant impact on listeners and reached at number four in the US Top 10 and on the Billboard 200. The album was also named one of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time” by Rolling Stone magazine.
‘Santana III,’ released in 1971, contained two hit singles: ‘No one to Depend on’ and ‘Everybody’s Everything.’ It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Santana’s 17th album, ‘Supernatural,’ was released in 1999 and went on to win 9 Grammy Awards, including ‘Album of the Year.’ It went on to win three major Latin Grammy Awards as well. The album debuted at number one in ten countries around the world and spent over 18 weeks on the Billboard 200 chart. The album has been awarded Platinum numerous times and has also received a Diamond certification.
Achievements & Awards
In 1977, he received the CBS Crystal Globe Award for ‘First Band with More Than 5 Million Record Sales Worldwide.’
He earned the Billboard Century Award in 1996.
In 1997, he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which he received.
He was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999.
In 2000, he received the American Music Awards for ‘Favorite Pop/Rock Album’ for ‘Supernatural.’
He has three times been listed in the ‘Guinness Book of World Records’ for ‘Most Grammy Awards in a Single Year.’
Personal History and Legacy
He became a naturalized American citizen in 1965.
In 1973, he married Deborah King, with whom he has three children. With his wife, he launched the non-profit organization ‘Milagro.’ In 2007, the couple split after 34 years of marriage.
He married Cindy Blackman in 2010 and now resides in Las Vegas with her.
Carlos Santana Net Worth
Trivia
This nine-time Grammy Award winner made history by being the first Hispanic to win the ‘Record of the Year’ award.