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Supernatural
July 20 marks the 77th birthday of legendary guitarist. Carlos Santana. Born in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico, Santana’s family moved to Tijuana when he was five. That year he began playing the violin but ditched that instrument in favor of a guitar when he was eight.
The family moved to San Francisco when he was a teenager. Soon after the move, Carlos quit school and started washing dishes at a restaurant. He became heavily influenced by the city’s hippie culture and opened himself up to different styles of music including folk and jazz. After seeing his idol B.B. King in concert, Carlos became focused on playing professionally. He formed “Santana Blues Band” with some fellow street musicians and it soon became simply “Santana”.
The band’s big break came at the rock cathedral, Fillmore West when blues singer Paul Butterfield became so drunk he couldn’t perform. Santana’s manager convinced concert promoter Bill Graham to let Santana fill the void. After their acclaimed performance, the group received a record contract and soon became world famous because of their dynamic performance at 1969’s Woodstock Festival. That same year, their first album was released featuring their first hit “Evil Ways”. The recording reached triple platinum status with its unique blend of African rhythms, blues, jazz, and Latin-infused rock.
The 1970s and Beyond
The band enjoyed great celebrity for a few years but Carlos was becoming disenchanted with the drug fueled rock scene. He had experimented with hallucinogens for years and was under extreme influence during his legendary Woodstock performance. He became enthralled with the music of jazz greats Miles Davis and John Coltrane and started developing an interest in spirituality. He teamed up with legendary fusion guitarist John McLaughlin who had played on Miles’ classic album “Bitches Brew” and was now fronting the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Santana and McLaughlin brought their bands together to record an album in 1973. That year, McLaughlin introduced Santana, and Santana’s wife Deborah, to his guru, Sri Chinmoy who accepted the couple as disciples.
Santana claims the guru enforced a strict regimen for his followers- “It was like a West Point approach to spirituality. Five o’clock in the morning mediating, every day.” Santana was forced to cut his hair and become a strict vegetarian. The guitarist decided to leave Chinmoy’s fold when he heard the guru mocking Billie Jean King’s same-sex relationship. Carlos explains “this guy’s supposed to be spiritual after all these years; mind your own spiritual business and leave her alone”.
Santana easily mixes spiritualism and music and his performing schedule continues to be relentless. In 1986 he finally got to perform with Miles a milestone that Santana claims was ”the musical highlight of my life”. The following year Santana was able to pay tribute an earlier idol, fellow Mexican/American rocker Ritchie Valens. Santana wrote the score to the movie, “La Bamba”, the life story of Valens.
Music, Spirituality and Mentorship
Santana was already a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when his 2000 “Supernatural” album won nine Grammy awards, breaking the previous record of eight Grammys earned by Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”. Santana dedicated his award to “all the people who don’t have running water or electricity…if I could do it, you could do it.”
He gives millions in financial aid through his Milagro (miracle) Foundation. For many years he has mentored a new generation of musicians. During his 1992 tour he invited members of the then up and coming band Phish to jam with his band. He has also acted as a mentor to Derek Trucks, Robert Randolph and Billy Strings.
Santana has designated a building on his California estate as his “church”. He claims that Miles sometimes visits him at night and that he also converses with John Coltrane and several saints. He also records his thoughts with hopes of inspiring others”. One entry from the year 2000 is “If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment”. “There is no person that love cannot heal; there is no soul that love cannot save”.
Happy Birthday Carlos and thanks for all that incredible music.
Have a great weekend, everyone.
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