The singer, songwriter, and guitarist known throughout the world as Santana was born in the town of Autlan de Navarro, Mexico in the year of 1947. He was said to have been heavily influenced by the early guitar style of Ritchie Valens and would begin to play the violin at age five then proceed to the guitar at age eight.

Santana

I knuckle down with my demons, and with my weaknesses.

South of the Border

The singer, songwriter, and guitarist known throughout the world as Santana was born in the town of Autlan de Navarro, Mexico in the year of 1947. He was said to have been heavily influenced by the early guitar style of Ritchie Valens and would begin to play the violin at age five then proceed to the guitar at age eight.

He would eventually move to the town of Tijuana where he would go under the wing of the famous Tijuana guitarist named Javier Batiz and would make Batiz's techniques conform to his own style later in life. He would eventually move from the border town of Tijuana to the city of San Francisco where he would pursue his career in music.

Early Years Paying Dues

Santana would begin his life in the new California city by busking, or playing in the streets for change all the while washing dishes in various restaurants. He would form his first band called Santana Blues Band in 1966 with his fellow street musicians. The group would begin playing the strip of clubs that were hot spots in the city of San Francisco where they would gain a small but loyal following eventually increasing in size with each date that the group played.

With a legendary performance at the rock n' roll festival of the century known as Woodstock, the group would go on to sign a recording contract with Columbia records. Although at first signed with Columbia, the group would move to CBS Records where they would go on to record their first full length studio album called Santana, which would contain their first hit single Evil Ways. The song would eventually make it to the number nine position on the United States Billboard charts and would make the band a household name throughout the country.

70's Success

Santana would move into the next decade with the release of their second album called Abraxas. The album would be their biggest commercial success of yet when it would climb to number one on the Billboard Album Charts later that year. It would go on to be certified platinum multiple times over and sell more than four million copies. During this time, the group would begin to feel the pull of stardom in a negative way and would undergo some changes to its line up.

They would eventually settle down and go on to work on their third album that was simply called Santana III. With the dual lead guitar, the group was a force to be reckoned with and were making history with every stop. The album would also reach number one on the album charts, which was the group's second consecutive number one album. However, the group would again experience more members leaving to substance abuse and life on the road. The group, now short many original members, would go back to the studio to release its next album called Caravanserai in 1972. The album was a far cry from other Santana albums and would be mostly what was called jazz fusion.

It was said that this change could spell trouble for the group but the album would still go platinum. The group would begin to slowly part after the release of the last album and many said this was due to the fact that Carlos had become a spiritual being and began to pursue enlightenment.

Whatever the reason, the group would reform later in the 1970's with new additions to its members and begin to play again. Over the years, the group has released many albums that have continued to be successful. In the early 1990's Carlos pursued a solo career while collaborating with many up and coming musicians. The fans of Santana may visit his website where they may find free music downloads or songs for internet screening.

Did You Know

• Carlos became a Buddhist in the mid 1970's.
• He was given a spiritual name that was called Devadip.
• He would play with what was known as the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

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