FILE PHOTO: Singer Carlos Santana performs during the "We Love NYC: The Homecoming Concert" at Central Park in New York City, New York, U.S., August 21, 2021. REUTERS/Eduardo Munoz/File Photo
On this day, July 20th, 2024, we gather to honor the incandescent spirit of Carlos Santana, a beacon in the world of music whose fiery guitar licks have ignited souls for decades. A maestro of the six-string, Santana’s journey is a mesmerizing odyssey that spans continents and transcends time. His musical career, a sprawling landscape of sound and emotion, is adorned with moments that shimmer like stars in the vast cosmos.
Santana’s ascent to the pantheon of musical legends was forged in the crucible of the late 1960s, a time when the world was ablaze with change. At the tender age of 22, Santana and his band took the stage at Woodstock in 1969, a performance that would etch their name into rock history. High on the potent mescaline gifted by none other than Jerry Garcia, Santana’s hands danced over the frets in a frenzied ballet, his guitar singing with a voice both primal and celestial. It was a baptism by fire, and the world bore witness to the birth of a legend.
Santana’s playing style is a kaleidoscope of influences, woven with threads of blues, rock, Latin rhythms, and spiritual exploration. His guitar is not merely an instrument but an extension of his very soul, capable of conjuring emotions as varied as joy, sorrow, and ecstasy. He paints outside the frame, much like his dear friend Jerry Garcia. Santana once wrote in Rolling Stone, “Most people who play the blues are very conservative. They stay a certain way. Jerry Garcia was painting outside the frame. He played blues but mixed it with bluegrass and Ravi Shankar. He had country and Spanish in there.”
Their bond was more than musical; it was a communion of kindred spirits. Santana often spoke of Garcia with a reverence reserved for the enlightened. “Jerry was the Sun of the Grateful Dead – the music they played was like planets orbiting around him,” Santana mused. “He wasn’t a superficial guy at all. It was a lot of fun to play with him because he was very accommodating. He’d go up and down; I’d go left and right. And I could tell he enjoyed it because the Dead always invited me back.”
Their collaborations are etched in the lore of rock ‘n’ roll: the Grateful Dead and Santana sharing the stage at the Calaveras County Fairgrounds on August 23, 1987, and the electrifying performance in Las Vegas on April 28, 1991, where Santana joined the Dead for a mind-blowing, face-melting rendition of “Bird Song.” Santana opened for the Dead at Mile High Stadium on June 28, 1991, a night that resonated with the energy of a thousand suns. These moments are not just footnotes in history; they are the stuff of legend.
Santana’s love for Garcia and the Dead was a reciprocal dance. They would jam separately from the Dead, with Garcia plugging into his jazz knowledge and diversifying his playing style while trading licks with Santana. “There was a lot of Chet Atkins in him – going up and down the frets. But you could always hear a theme in his playing,” Santana continued. “It’s like putting beads on a string, instead of throwing them around a room. Jerry had a tremendous sense of purpose. When you take a solo, decide what to say, get there and give it to the next guy. That’s how Jerry worked in the Dead.”
As we celebrate Santana’s birthday, we are reminded of the profound impact he has had on the world of music. His journey is a reflection of the power of passion, creativity, and the unyielding spirit of exploration. Santana’s music, much like the man himself, is a force of nature – wild, untamed, and eternally vibrant. Here’s to you, Carlos Santana, a true maestro whose legacy will continue to illuminate the hearts and minds of music lovers for generations to come.
