As the child of a musical legend, it can often be hard to establish your own path. Sure, you’re gifted with the famed connection and the initial benefits of it. But when you choose to go out on your own path, especially in music, it can often be hard to move out of your parent’s shadow.
That’s sort of the case with Stella Santana. The daughter of Latin Jazz luminary Carlos Santana and activist Deborah Sara Santana (whose father was legendary blues artist Saunders King), she has found inspiration from both of her parents. She credits them for providing her with as normal a childhood as possible – even growing up in San Francisco to avoid much of the celebrity ringer that is Los Angeles. Even still, Stella’s been making a way for herself from a young age while possessing much of the musical chops of her famed father.
Releasing her newest project Distant next month (July 14), Santana says the EP is a culmination of the emotions she initially felt during a 2016 breakup from her then boyfriend, and now husband, that started a rollercoaster journey through a COVID pregnancy and move from New York to L.A. Much of that feeling is very present on Distant – as evidenced by singles “Attention” and “Highways,” where she describes the lack of presence one experiences when their mind is occupied with someone or something else.
During a recent interview with BET, Stella Santana discussed her latest work, growing up in San Francisco and with a famous father, the advice he’s given her during her life and career, her admiration for Lauryn Hill and much more. Read below.
Stella Santana: Yeah, well it’s definitely not the same as it was. I haven’t really been since 2020. And even then, I was only back for a few days and I was pregnant and you couldn’t really see anyone. And so I was just seeing the family. We drove up there. But I feel like growing up in the Bay in the late 80s/early 90s, it was cool. There was Haight Ashbury, everyone was still remembering that and respecting it and loving it. It felt super artsy and very diverse and very open and less performative as it might feel now.
I’m grateful that my parents raised me outside of L.A. and they have never really been in like the celebrity. I feel like there’s something that happens to you, and you’re good at what you do, and people watch you, but that’s different than being a celebrity who’s like, trying to be watched. So my family was never trying to be watched. If anything, they were trying not to be watched and raise us in that sort of environment.
Santana: Not original at all. I’m not a producer really – engineer wise, but by ear. So I was like just like making some things and writing some things, and a lot of those things I took two other producers and they kind of reproduced around my vocals, which a lot of my vocals were like gibberish at that point. I sent it to this producer Omen, but I haven’t actually met him before. We were just passing things back and forth. I did another song with him called “My Summertime,” which came out in 2020.
And then for the visuals. I just wanted it to be outside. I wanted it to be in a natural place. A lot of the themes, or the theme of the projects is distance or space, and how actually taking space can give you more connection, and can actually give you more clarity than holding on to something or like getting super close and microscopic. I think it’s good to be able to move your view. And also just let go of your story around what your narrative – whatever it is, and be open. So I just feel like nature is the place where that is just like constant.
BET: That and your single “Highways” are off your upcoming EP Distant, slated for a July 14 release. What can fans expect on that and the sort of creative direction behind the project?
Santana: I had this concept around 2016 or 2017, when my heart was actually broken because I went through a breakup as one does. Now he’s my husband and we have kids together. But at the time there was a lot happening. In my own world, I had a relationship that I was shocked because this is actually someone that I think I could have a life with, which I didn’t really think I was going to meet because I’m very picky. I was just kind of like, I’m never gonna meet anyone. And that’s fine. I love being alone. It’s great. And then I met him, and he was 22. And I was 30. And I was like this is so random and weird. Obviously, he had to go do some growing, and I wanted to let him go do that. I didn’t really want to participate in that because I already did that. Having that knowing of like, this isn’t good for right now doesn’t make it hurt any less. It actually also sometimes makes it harder to choose everyday to continue to take that space and trusting that it was all going to unfold in a beautiful way. I didn’t have to see it. I just liked that as a nice lesson to take everywhere with anything.
