Santana

Carlos Santana was born in Mexico and came to San Francisco as a teenager. In San Francisco, he was introduced to jazz, world, and folk music. Santana decided to become a full-time musician in 1966 and formed the Santana Blues Band with fellow street musicians keyboardist Gregg Rolie and bassist David Brown.

With its original blend of Latin-infused rock, jazz, blues, and African rhythms, the band, (which became known simply as Santana) gained a following in the San Francisco club scene. The band’s memorable performance at Woodstock in 1969 led to a recording contract with Columbia Records. Watch that performance below.

The band’s unique sound features Carlos’ melodic, blues-based guitar set against Latin percussion, such as timbales and congas. In 2003, Rolling Stone named Carlos Santana number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time.

Black Magic Woman

Oye Como Va

Evil Ways

Samba Pa Ti