Mexican-American guitarist, composer and singer, Carlos Santana is the backbone of the Santana group. He is one of the most famous contemporary guitarists in the world, considered one of the creators of Latin rock and the precursor of world music. In 2003, the magazine Rolling Stone ranked him fifteenth in the list of the 100 best guitarists of all time. He’s releasing a new album, Blessings and Miracles.
franceinfo: The first single from this album, Move, is a homecoming with Rob Thomas, with whom you have already collaborated, especially on the title Smooth, which won several Grammy Awards in 1999. Move is the continuation of Smooth ?
Carlos Santana: Yes. It’s an extension.
Is this album a homecoming?
It’s a new form of expression anyway. For me, the basics are sincerity, authenticity, truth, reality. I’ve always been in it and never had to go back to basics.
Is it an album intended to heal, to do good for the soul and the body? There is reggae, blues, gospel, country, and for example the title of Joy in collaboration with Chris Stapleton is a piece of upliftment, celebration.
Yes. It’s mystical and medicinal music to get better, to fight fear. There are too many fears in the world. When we enter eternity, we play with novelty, with freshness each time.
Does that mean that you are looking for a form of serenity, of appeasement over time?
Yes, I am looking for inner peace so that I can play music that is outside of gravity and time. The guitar has a very important place in my life, like air and water. An essential place to inspire people, to have a deep feeling of self-confidence.
Was it your father who gave you this love of music?
Yes, absolutely, my dad taught me the value of cherishing music with its feelings, emotions and passion.
At first there was the violin and then you quickly chose to switch to the electric guitar. You were 8 years old when love at first sight took place. It was funnier to play electric guitar.
Yes. Infinitely more fun. The violin was to please my father, but I didn’t like it. I immediately loved the electric guitar.
At the beginning, when you start in this Santana Blues Band, you are in the streets. Do you understand then that there is a public craze?
Yes, absolutely. In San Francisco, there was a kaleidoscope of different things, from Ravi Shankar to Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Miles Davis, the Grateful Dead …
“In San Francisco, there was no sound between blues and African rhythms, and that’s what gave birth to Santana.”
Carlos santanato franceinfo
You have always known, in more than 50 years of career, to develop your music. You are considered today as one of the greatest guitarists of the 20th century. What does it mean to you?
I am very grateful, but I don’t think about it. You know, I try to maintain a kind of innocence and purity in my playing and play music every day, and every note like my first kiss with the tongue!
What does the title represent Europa in all this course?
The title means that when someone dies, the earth cries like when your mother or your father or someone in your family dies, the earth cries, but Heaven smiles because it takes that person back. We come from the light and we return to the light.
There is a cover and a beautiful interpretation of A whiter shade of pale by Procol Harum, why?
Because I heard it very clearly with my brother, Steve Winwood who sang it and who played the organ, and me with my guitar. He brought a kind of very sensual presentation. I am very grateful to say that Steve Winwood agreed with my request and that is how it was done.