Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana
Background information
Birth name
Carlos Augusto Santana Alves
Born
July 20, 1947 (1947-07-20)
Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico
Genre(s)
Latin rock, hard rock, rock, blues-
rock, jazz fusion, psychedelic rock,
Post-Grunge
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter, guitarist
Instrument(s) Guitar
Years active
1966–present
Label(s)
Arista, Polydor, Columbia/CBS
Associated
acts
Santana
Website
http://www.santana.com
Notable instrument(s)
PRS Santana II
Yamaha SG2000
Carlos Augusto Santana Alves (born 20
July, 1947 in Jalisco, Mexico) is a Grammy
Award-winning rock musician and guitarist.
He became famous in the late 1960s and
early 1970s with his band, Santana, which
created a highly successful blend of rock,
salsa, and jazz fusion. The band’s sound fea-
tured his melodic, blues-based guitar lines
set against Latin percussion such as timbales
and congas. Santana continued to work in
these forms over the following decades. He
experienced a sudden resurgence of popular-
ity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s.
Rolling Stone also named Santana number 15
on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of
All Time in 2003.[1]
Biography
Early life
Born 20 July, 1947, in Autlán de Navarro, Jal-
isco. His father, José, was an accomplished
professional violinist, and Carlos learned to
play the guitar at age 8. In1955, the family
moved from Autlán de Navarro to Tijuana,
the border city between Mexico and Califor-
nia. As a teenager, Santana began perform-
ing in Tijuana and near-by Mexicali, inspired
by the American rock & roll and blues music
of artists like B. B. King, Ray Charles, and
Little Richard. Santana moved again with his
family, this time to San Francisco’s Mission
District, where his father hoped to find work
by becoming a famous violinist and his moth-
er Maria belen , an artist
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, an