Santana

Santana, an American rock band, was formed in San Francisco, California, in 1966 by Mexican-born guitarist Carlos Santana. Initially known as the Santana Blues Band, their early lineup included Gregg Rolie on organ and lead vocals, Michael Carabello and José “Chepito” Areas on percussion, Michael Shrieve on drums, and David Brown on bass. The band’s critically acclaimed performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969 significantly raised their profile, leading to a record deal with Columbia Records. Their debut album, “Santana” (1969), reached number four on the U.S. Billboard 200, featuring hit singles like “Evil Ways.” This success was followed by “Abraxas” (1970), which peaked at number one and included “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va,” and “Santana III” (1971), also a number one album.

Following these early successes, the band underwent line-up changes and musical evolution, incorporating more jazz fusion elements into albums such as “Caravanserai” (1972), “Welcome” (1973), and “Borboletta” (1974). A return to success was marked by “Amigos” (1976) and the double album “Moonflower” (1977). In 1998, the “classic” lineup, including Santana, Rolie, Carabello, Shrieve, Brown, and Areas, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The band reached a new commercial peak in 1999 with “Supernatural,” an album that topped charts in eleven countries and sold 12 million copies domestically. It earned eight Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards, featuring hit collaborations like “Smooth” with Rob Thomas and “Maria Maria.

Santana has continued to release new music and tour globally. Notable later works include “Shaman” (2002), “Guitar Heaven” (2010), and a reunion album “Santana IV” (2016) with original members Carlos Santana, Gregg Rolie, Neal Schon, Michael Carabello, and Michael Shrieve. The band also released “Africa Speaks” (2019), produced by Rick Rubin, and “Blessings and Miracles” (2021). Their discography includes 25 studio albums, 14 of which have reached the U.S. Top 10, contributing to over 100 million records sold worldwide. Santana maintains a multi-year residency at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.