Carlos Santana

by

Hermann Hudde

• LAST MODIFIED: 22 November 2024
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780199913701-0282

Introduction

Carlos Santana (b. 1947) is an international guitarist and songwriter whose music style embodies an intercultural approach often identified as Latin rock. He was born in Jalisco and raised in Tijuana, where he played violin in mariachi groups as a child with his violinist father in the mid-1950s. After becoming enamored with blues and rock ‘n’ roll, Santana embraced the guitar, which he played in the streets and dance club-strip circuit. In 1963, his family settled in San Francisco, with its diverse cultural and ethnic environment, which inspired him to create a boundary-blurring style rooted in blues, rock, and Afro-Caribbean music. In 1966, the guitarist formed the Santana Blues Band and performed at San Francisco counterculture clubs Fillmore West and Winterland, where the band caught Bill Graham’s attention. In 1969, because of this association, the band performed at Woodstock, appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show, and signed a contract with Columbia Records, resulting in the release of Santana (1969), Abraxas (1970), Santana III (1971), and Caravanserai (1972). Since the 1970s, Santana embarked on an international touring career, collaborated with several musicians including George Benson, Bob Dylan, Tito Puente, Miles Davis, Rubén Blades, José Feliciano, Buddy Guy, Herbie Hancock, B.B. King, John McLaughlin, and Los Lobos, and he embraced Sri Chimnoy’s spiritual teachings. The 1980s were a time of adopting pop music aesthetics with albums such as Zebop (1981) and Shangó (1982). A decade later, Santana won eight GRAMMY® awards for his album Supernatural (1999). Santana, who comes from humble origins and is a member of an underrepresented group in the United States, understands the barriers people must overcome to fulfill their potential. Consequently, he is a passionate activist for a wide range of humanitarian causes, including participation in Live Aid (1985), Amnesty International concert tours (1986), and “Blues for Salvador” (1988), while producing the documentaries Dolores (2017) and Fandango at the Wall: Bringing the United States and Mexico Together (2020) to promote civil rights consciousness. In 1988, Santana and his family established the Milagro Foundation to fund educational, health, and arts programs. Carlos Santana remains one of the few Latin American, Latino, and Chicano musicians to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame (1998). As a performing artist, Santana continues to be significant.

Biographies

Due to his importance as a popular music artist within a global context, Carlos Santana has been the subject of several biographies covering both his musical and personal achievements. Davis, et al. 2014 offers an autobiography with Santana as a co-writer. The focus of biographies traditionally has been on those members of society who belong to circles of power and status quo. However, recent changes and trends in biography attempt to document the lives of “ordinary” people, bringing more balance, inclusion, and diversity into the category. Golio 2018, Mahin 2021, and Slavicek 2006 narrate Santana’s life from the perspective of a member of an underrepresented group in the United States and with reference to important social and political events during his lifetime. Remstein 2002 provides an accessible introduction to Latino popular music culture for newcomers. Leng 2000, Shapiro 2000, Woog 2007, and Weinstein 2009 provide an in-depth biography of Santana on the basis of the musician’s context while avoiding the mythologization of the artist. Santana’s biographical accounts have been documented in accordance with his involvement in broader cultural, historic movements and people. Taking this approach, Santana becomes more aligned with the microhistory perspective in which the agency of the artist is connected to larger historical themes and social structures. Molenda 2010 and Santana 2009 include biographical stories that cover Santana’s career as a Latin rock creator and electric guitar performer alongside his private and public personas.

• Davis, Jonathan, Carlos Santana, and Ashley Kahn. The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light. New York: Little Brown, 2014.

  This autobiography by Santana is one of the most ambitious about the musician ever published. The text is supported by anecdotes and dialogs well chosen for their validity that illustrates the musician path. As each chapter progresses, Santana’s albums, band members, family events, documents, collaborations, and tours are covered in greater or lesser detail.

• Golio, Gary. Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World. Illustrated by Rudy Gutiérrez. New York: Henry Holt, 2018.

  From Carlos Santana’s early life in Mexico to his eventual migration to the United States, author Gary Golio and illustrator Rudy Gutiérrez offer a biographical narrative for children. It illustrates Santana’s journey to discovering his music style through navigating San Francisco’s multiculturality. In addition to a biography of Santana and a glossary, the book also includes a personal note from Rudy Gutiérrez, who designed the CD cover for Santana’s Shaman.

• Leng, Simon. Soul Sacrifice: The Santana Story. London: Firefly, 2000.

  A well-written and insightful biography of Santana by rock guitarist Simon Leng focuses on the musician’s career until 1999. Covers almost every aspect of Santana’s walk of life, including his albums, tours, musical partners, and songs. Relies on information gleaned from the artist, musicians, and people around him. Includes three appendices: a Santana discography, Santana guest appearances, Santana players, off-shots, and visitors.

• Mahin, Michael. Cuando los ángeles cantan (When Angels Sing): La historia de la leyenda de rock Carlos Santana. Illustrated by José Ramírez and translated by Alexis Romay. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2021.

  A book in Spanish geared toward children and youth provides an overview of Santana’s life. Through accessible prose and illustrations, Santana’s life is narrated chronologically. Explores two turning point events in the musician’s life, namely the Chicano civil rights movement led by Cesar Chávez and Dolores Huerta and Santana’s idea of musical eclecticism after hearing various bands in San Francisco.

• Molenda, Michael. Guitar Player Presents: Carlos Santana. By Michael Molenda. London: Backbeat Books, 2010.

  A multi-author publication, including Santana himself, edited by Guitar Player’s editor-in-chief Michael Molenda, examines Santana’s music and musicianship. A sympathetic analysis of Santana’s musical voice from a variety of sources, but primarily based on interviews. In his reflections, he uses metaphorical language to illustrate the complex relationship between his artistic philosophy and musicianship as a solo artist or as a musical partner with Miles Davis, Eric Clapton, and others.

• Remstein, Henna. Carlos Santana. Latinos in the Limelight. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 2002.

  Recounts a conventional biography of Santana from the viewpoint of a freelance writer. In contrast to other biographical publications containing quotes from interviews, it remains a simple, easy-to-read one. Similarly, the book includes photographs of Santana, his family, and his band. A chronology, discography, and further readings are included at the end of the publication.

• Santana, Deborah. Space Between the Stars: My Journey to an Open Heart. New York: One World, 2009.

  Beyond being Carlos Santana’s first wife and mother of his children , Deborah Santana is also a political activist, author, documentary producer, spiritual person, and philosopher. She was born the daughter of blues musician Saunders King. Despite the fact that this is not a biography of Santana, the author shares several memories and testimonies about both her life and that of the musician in the United States’ contemporary historical and cultural context.

• Shapiro, Marc. Carlos Santana: Back on Top. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000.

  Marc Shapiro is a freelance journalist and biographer who reviews Santana’s distinctive musical and human qualities. This eloquent biography attempts to connect the musician with the individual. The book is divided into ten chapters that focus on Santana’s own negotiations as an artist to design his music career as well as his negotiations with record labels, band members, and others who are related to him.

• Slavicek, Louise Chipley. Carlos Santana. The Great Hispanic Heritage. New York: Chelsea House, 2006.

  This is a valuable and well-sourced book directed at youths that provides a narrative of Santana’s life and emphasizes with subsections the influence Mexican music had on the musician besides his contribution to underrepresented groups in America. While the book explores Santana’s highs and lows, the emphasis is on the wealth of musical traditions and knowledge that his music embraces. It contains a chronology, timeline, bibliography, and websites.

• Weinstein, Norman. Carlos Santana: A Biography. Greenwood Biographies Series. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2009.

  DOI: 10.5040/9798400623509

  In this publication aimed at a broad audience, popular culture freelance writer Norman Weinstein examines Santana’s life beyond his musical contributions. The musician is portrayed in the context of professional and personal challenges and successes. Covers, among other topics, Santana’s guitar sound, personal philosophy, marital and family life, performances with other musicians, in addition to his artistic and personal reinventions.

• Woog, Adam. Carlos Santana: Legendary Guitarist. Twentieth Century’s Most Influential Hispanics. Farmington Hills, MI: Thomson Gale, 2007.

  Music biographer Adam Woog presents Santana’s story as part of a series dedicated to bringing awareness to the contributions of a selected group of Hispanics to the United States and the world. Discusses several aspects of Santana’s music and personal life, including his band, albums, collaborations, concerts, marriage, family spirituality, and crises.