Santana (band)

Santana

Carlos Santana during a concert in 2005
Background information
Also known as Santana Blues Band
Origin San Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres Latin rock, blues rock, jazz fusion, psychedelic rock, funk rock
Years active 1967–present
Website www.santana.com
Members
Carlos Santana
Karl Perazzo
Dennis Chambers
Tommy Anthony
Chris Schwegler
Freddie Ravel
Victor Lasic
Past members
Former members

Santana is a rock band based around guitarist Carlos Santana and founded in the late 1960s. It first came to public attention after their performing the song "Soul Sacrifice" at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, when their Latin rock provided a contrast to other acts on the bill. This initial exposure made their first, eponymous album a hit at the time, followed in the next two years by successful follow-ups Abraxas and Santana III.

Over the next few years, lineup changes were common and frequent, and although retaining a basis of Latin rock, Carlos Santana's increasing involvement with guru Sri Chinmoy took the band further into more esoteric music, which continued for many years, although never quite losing the initial Latin influence.

In 1998, the group was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, with Carlos Santana, Jose Chepito Areas, David Brown, Mike Carabello, Gregg Rolie and Michael Shrieve being honored.

Santana has achieved a total of eight Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards which were all awarded in 2000. Carlos also won two Grammy Awards as a solo artist in 1989 and 2003.

Contents

Overview

Early days

The band was formed in 1967 in San Francisco as the Carlos Santana Blues Band with the help of Tom Fraser.[1]  The first established members were Carlos Santana (lead guitar), Mike Carabello (percussion), Rod Harper (drums), David Brown (bass guitar) and Gregg Rolie (lead vocals, Hammond Organ B3). The group's first audition with this line up was at the Avalon Ball Room in the late summer of 1967. After the audition, Chet Helms the promoter, in concert with The Family Dogg, told the band that they would never make it in the San Francisco Music Scene playing Latin fusion and suggested Carlos keep his day job washing dishes at Tick Tock's Drive-In on 3rd St.

Woodstock and breakthrough

The band was announced as one of the performers at the Woodstock Festival. Santana started recording their 1969 debut album in May 1969 and finished it in a month.

Santana would perform at the festival with a huge crowd. Later that month, they released their debut album which peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard 200 pop chart with the single "Evil Ways" being a top 10 single in the US.

Abraxas and Santana III

Santana went on tour to promote the album and started work on their next album, Abraxas. Work started on the album in mid-April 1970 and was done in early-May 1970. The album was released in September 1970 and would peak at number 1 on the US Billboard 200 and the Australian Kent Road Report. The album also featured the hit single "Black Magic Woman", which peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100.

From January to July 1971, Santana would work on another album. The album was called Santana III. Released in September 1971, the album would be another number 1 on the US Billboard 200 and would become the band's peak popularity. This was the last album to feature the classic Woodstock era line-up of Santana.

Caravanserai and member changes

Before recording their fourth album Caravanserai, there had been multiple line-up changes. Bassist David Brown left in 1971 before recording started and was replaced by Doug Rauch and Tom Rutley. Percussionist Michael Carabello left Santana and was replaced by Armando Peraza. Keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie was replaced by Tom Coster on a few songs.

Caravanserai was released on 11 October 1972 and peaked at number 8 on the US Billboard 200 pop chart without a hit single.

Band members

Vocals Keyboards Guitar
  • Gregg Rolie: 1967-71
  • Leon Thomas: 1973
  • Wendy Haas: 1973
  • Leon Patillo: 1973-1975
  • Evan Thur: 1974-75
  • Greg Walker: 1975-76, 1976–79, 1983–85
  • Luther Rabb: 1976
  • Joel Badie: 1976
  • Alex Ligertwood: 1979-83, 1984–85, 1987, 1989–91, 1992–94
  • Mike Carter: 1986, 1987
  • Tony Lindsay: 1991, 1995–present
  • Vorriece Cooper: 1993
  • Curtis Salgado: 1995
  • Ifrab Musflyleng: 1995
  • Victor Lasic: 2010–present
  • (Various guest singers: 1999–present)
Bass guitar Drums Percussion
  • Gus Rodriguez: 1967
  • David Brown: 1967-71, 1974–76
  • Tom Rutley: 1971-72
  • Doug Rauch: 1972-73
  • Byron Miller: 1976
  • Pablo Telez: 1976-77
  • David Margen: 1977-82
  • Keith Jones: 1983-84, 1989
  • Alphonso Johnson: 1985-89, 1992
  • Benny Rietveld: 1990-92, 1997, present
  • Myron Dove: 1992-1996
  • Chris DiNoia: 1997-1999
  • Chris Schwegler: 2006
Other instruments  
  • Jules Broussard: saxophone 1974-75
  • Miles Davis: trumpet 1986
  • Alex Jackaman: trumpet 1993
  • Oran Coltrane: saxophone 1992
  • Russell Tubbs: flute 1978
 

Discography


References

External links