“We need to create music that brings unity and harmony to the world, not fear.”

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Carlos Santana still remembers the moment he fell in love with the guitar as if it were just last week.
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“I fell in love with the guitar when I saw this guy named Javier Batiz in Tijuana. He had a big mop like Little Richard, but he was like B.B. King, Little Richard and Ray Charles combined. The first time I heard him play, my mom grabbed me by the hand and took me to the park to listen to this guy,” he reminisced over Zoom on a recent afternoon.
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Santana, now 76, said he got goosebumps when he heard Batiz play the guitar.
“My whole body was shaking. It was like I saw a UFO or a white whale appear in front of me. It was so powerful. The electricity from the guitar was vibrating through the trees and I could see the church across the street… I was mesmerized. At that moment I realized that all I wanted to do for the rest of my life was play the guitar. Playing the guitar was all I could think about.”
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Santana drew inspiration from his parents to arrive at the signature six-string sound that has become instantly recognizable over a career that spans more than half a century.
Supernaturalwas his band’s 17th studio album, which sold 30 million copies upon its release in 1999 and featured several chart-topping singles. Smooth Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty provides vocals.
2016 Santana IVSantana reunited with the surviving musicians who had helped him make the 1971 album. Santana IIIMost recently, he collaborated with producer Rick Rubin, exploring Afro-Latin-inspired sounds on his 2019 album. Voices of AfricaHe recorded with an eight-piece band, including his wife, Cindy Blackman, on drums.
For him, music is not a job, it’s a way of life. — and it’s good for the heart.
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“Live shows are always a wonderful opportunity to bring enthusiasm, joy and positive vibes,” the 10-time Grammy Award-winning artist says of his live shows. “After all these years, I’ve gained a calm confidence and deep awareness that maybe it looks like I know what I’m doing.”

Santana recalls the first time he heard Batiz and says his sound is a combination of his mother and father.
“Charisma and conviction,” he explains with a smile.
But other musicians remain heavily influenced in his music: “People like Javier Batiz, who I love. B.B. King, Albert King, Freddie King… the Kings. Then I studied with John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Wes Montgomery, Ravi Shankar. I found that I identify with them. We are really one. And I’m not just saying that because of the hippies. I identify with all of them,” he says.
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Santana, who brings his aptly named Oneness Tour to Toronto on June 26, still loves to get the crowd going. After all, it’s what he’s been doing ever since he stormed the stage at Woodstock in the late ’60s and awed crowds with his virtuoso routine. – all This was before he released his debut album in August 1969.

Speaking from a sun-drenched living room in Las Vegas, Santana reflected on his endless musical journey that took him from Mexico to the San Francisco Bay Area, his career-defining performance at Woodstock, and why spirituality guides him both on and off stage.
“We need to create music that brings unity and harmony to the world, not fear,” Santana said. “South Korea, China, Russia are selling fear. The U.S. is promoting it, too. But real musicians dispel fear with their passion to reclaim their own wholeness and absoluteness.”
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I remember in one of your interviews you talked about people who said no to you early in your career.
I don’t remember at all. I think a lot of record companies wanted us. Different people remember things differently. San Francisco had something that a lot of other bands didn’t have. They had Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Quicksilver, Sly Stone, John Fogerty, Creedence Clearwater Revival. But Santana sounded totally different. It was more than Willie Bobo. It was more than Tito Puente or B.B. King. I think someone described us as having an “X-factor.” I think the X-factor was being able to compliment Ravi Shankar, Paco de Lucia, Coltrane, Wayne, Miles. Santana had an element of universal spirit, — Like Bob Marley and Coltrane — Heal this planet. This planet is polluted with fear. When Santana plays, the places of fear are sanitized and transformed into places of exuberance, joy, and happiness, along with a deep awareness of our own wholeness and infinity.
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Has spirituality always been a part of your music?
Pretty much. I didn’t want to join the club of religions that didn’t include spirituality. Spirituality is the breath of God. You can’t say you only have one nose or that only this water tastes good. Religion is like Coca-Cola or Pepsi. But spirituality is like water that comes directly from heaven. It purifies you, fills you, and gives you life. I was drawn to spirituality, not religion, since I was a child. I respect people who quote the Bible and say what the Bible says. But I always ask myself, — And I ask them — What is God saying to you right now? Right this moment? What God is saying to me is, “I love you. I’m proud of you. And I believe in you.” Because God says that to me every morning, I can confidently go on stage and create a tsunami of light and harmony…There’s a lot of talk about war, but we need a worldwide concert like Woodstock. — Friday, Saturday, Sunday — With artists like Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Santana, and others… we need to create music that brings unity and harmony to the world, not fear… The more you say, “I am a ray of light. God loves me and believes in me,” the more you become part of the solution in that moment. Whether you sell shoes or play your guitar, you will make a difference.
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Woodstock marks its 55th anniversary this year. What memories of that music concert do you have?
It turned the tide. The people at Woodstock stopped the Vietnam War…Woodstock was to bring peace, harmony and resolution. If we are not in alignment with our light and divinity every morning, there will be war in our hearts, in our countries, in our cities and on the planet. But if we connect with the light and oneness with our divinity, there will be peace on the planet.
You’ve had so many musical adventures, what do you want to leave as your musical legacy?
Above all, it gave people hope and courage.
Our world is divided. How do we remain hopeful and courageous?
I easily get caught up in that idea. To me, the world is like a bad movie. Hollywood promotes fear. How many horror movies can they make? How can they sell negativity? As a kid, I was obsessed with Dracula, Frankenstein, and the Wolf Man. Now it’s boring. That stuff is boring to me. I’m the kid who didn’t like Halloween, because even candy is boring. I want to celebrate Halloween by opening the door, shaking the owner’s hand, saying, “Hello…thank you for welcoming me into the neighborhood.” That’s what candy is to me. That’s where I am now. Santana brings a powerful message to the listener. It’s about unity, harmony, and togetherness. That’s Santana.
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It’s not every day you get the chance to talk to a legend in music, what was the best thing about growing up and getting older?
Growing up and getting older… Learning to French kiss. Tasting delicious food in India. Learning to dance and play rhythm in Africa. Visiting Disneyland for the first time from Tijuana and being given tickets for unlimited rides and food. When someone told me, “Welcome to Earth. This is the planet of free choice. Have fun.” That’s what’s happening now.
For a complete list of Carlos Santana tour dates, visit Santana.com
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