Carlos santana early life

How old is carlos santana

The band, later simply known as Santana, signed a contract with Columbia Records, with Santana becoming the consistent front man. Throughout the s and early '80s, Santana released a string of successful albums such as Abraxas , Lotus and Amigos , making a big comeback in with the Grammy-winning Supernatural. His father, Jose, was an accomplished professional violinist, and as a child Carlos learned to play the instrument from his father, though he ultimately didn't enjoy the tones he created.

He would eventually take up the electric guitar, for which he developed an ardent passion. King , Ray Charles and Little Richard. In the early s, Santana moved again with his family, this time to San Francisco, where his father had already relocated to find work. Carlos became a naturalized American citizen in In San Francisco, the young guitarist got the chance to see his idols, most notably King, perform live.

He was also introduced to a variety of new musical influences, including jazz and international folk music, and witnessed the growing hippie movement centered in San Francisco in the s. After several years spent working as a dishwasher in a diner and playing for spare change on the streets, Santana decided to become a full-time musician. In , he formed the Santana Blues Band, with fellow street musicians David Brown and Gregg Rolie bassist and keyboard player, respectively.

With their highly original blend of Latin-infused rock, jazz, blues, salsa and African rhythms, the band—which quickly became known simply as Santana—gained an immediate following on the San Francisco club scene. The band's early success, capped off by a memorable performance at Woodstock in , led to a recording contract with Columbia Records, then run by Clive Davis.

Their first album, Santana , spurred by a Top 10 single, "Evil Ways," went triple platinum, selling more than four million copies and remaining on the Billboard charts for more than two years. As the band's personnel changed frequently, Santana the band came to be associated almost exclusively with Santana himself—who soon became the only remaining member of the original trio—and his psychedelic guitar riffs.

In addition to his work with his band, Santana recorded and performed with a number of other high-profile musicians, notably drummer Buddy Miles, pianist Herbie Hancock and guitarist John McLaughlin.