Santana
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At the end of 1966, Tom Frazier (guitar) wanted to form a new rock band. Frazier joined Carlos Santana (guitar/vocals), Mike Carabello (percussion), Rod Harper (drums), Gus Rodrigues (bass guitar), and Seattle native Gregg Rolie (organ/vocals), to form the Santana Blues Band. After a while the name was shortened to just Santana. Promoter Bill Graham saw them and the band debuted in June 1968 at the legendary Fillmore (later Fillmore West), where many of the great San Francisco bands began. Santana's recording debut occurred on The Live Adventures of Mike Bloomfield and Al Kooper with Al Kooper and Mike Bloomfield.

On the tour to support the album, the band played at Woodstock Music and Art Festival. They were one of the surprises of the festival; their set was legendary, and later the exposure of their eight-minute instrumental "Soul Sacrifice" in the Woodstock film and soundtrack albums vastly increased Santana's popularity. Santana became a huge hit, reaching number four on the U.S. album chart, and the catchy single "Evil Ways" reached number nine on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 1970 the group reached its early commercial peak with their second album, Abraxas, which reached number one on the album charts and went on to sell over four million copies. The innovative Santana musical blend made a number-four hit out of English blues-rockers Fleetwood Mac's "Black Magic Woman", and a number-thirteen hit out of salsa champion Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va". Abraxas has since been placed on several "best albums of all time" lists. The classic Santana lineup of their first two albums was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.

Santana at Woodstock '69'

Carlos Santana used the Santana name and a series of changing musicians to continue to tour around the country, releasing several albums. Santana had five top-forty singles in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with "Winning" in 1981 and "Hold On" in 1982 both reaching the top twenty.

Many albums followed in the 1970s and 1980s, including collaborations with Willie Nelson, Herbie Hancock, Booker T. Jones, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and The Fabulous Thunderbirds. In 1988 Santana won the Grammy Award for Best Rock Instrumental Performance for Blues for Salvador. In 1990 he left Columbia Records after twenty-two years and signed with Polygram.

Supernatural eventually sold over 15 million copies in the US alone, making it Santana's biggest sales success by far.
Supernatural and the different tracks on it then won nine Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year for "Smooth", and Song of the Year for Thomas and Itaal Shur. Santana's acceptance speeches described his feelings about music's place in one's spiritual existence.

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'Santana at Bill Graham Memorial' © Lisa Law

Santana DVD's

Santana - Sacred Fire (1993) DVD
This 18-song, 97-minute offering is the finest visual document of a live performance by Santana currently available on DVD, and till they start releasing his classic shows from the 1960s and 1970s, this is the way to go.
The songs span the heady 1960s ("Jingo" and "Soul Sacrifice" from the self-titled debut album) to the 1990s ("Make Somebody Happy" from the Milagro album that marked the beginning of a comeback cycle that ended with Supernatural).
Add to the fact that the concerts on this DVD were filmed in Mexico City in 1993 while Santana was touring on the strength of his excellent Milagro album, and the presence of Alex J. Ligertwood (in my humble opinion, the finest of many vocalists who have worked with Santana's band), and you have a great package on your hands.

Santana - Supernatural Live - DTS (2000) DVD
Like the hit album that inspires its name, Supernatural Live brings journeyman guitarist Carlos Santana back into the mainstream by surrounding him with younger superstars eager to bask in his formidable musical presence. Resuscitating stardom through sheer proximity can translate to forced pairings or superfluous music making, but credit Santana himself with minimizing such missteps. A fusion artist before the term was coined, the erstwhile Mexican street musician long ago extended his technical reach and broadened his stylistic palette by hungrily assimilating different styles of music. Accordingly, he shifts gears easily, whether soloing behind Dave Matthews, trading lines with legendary saxophonist Wayne Shorter, or spicing up a hip-hop excursion with Lauryn Hill.
Production values are excellent, with crisp camera work and sound mixing. A special remote camera, mounted on the neck of Santana's guitar, presents his intricate fretwork in nifty close-ups that are wisely held to just a few songs.

Santana - Live by Request (2005) DVD
Watching Carlos Santana and his band on this DVD brings to me a special enjoyment. What an incredible harmony between him and his highly talented keyboardist Chester Thompson. This guy is absolutely genious, and the two consist the heart and soul of the band. Just listen to the organ improvising theme of OYE COMO VA, EVIL WAYS and SOUL SACRIFICE, and you'll understand what I mean.No underestimation of the other band members.. All of them are great.