PRS honored Carlos with his own signature model which is extremely popular. According to legend, Carlos was instrumental in the development of Mesa Boogie amplifiers after playing a prototype amp in which Carlos exclaimed 'this little thing really boogies!' Later in his career, he was also important to the rise to prominence of Paul Reed Smith (PRS) Guitars. His sound relied on long, soulful sustained notes with extended solos that owed as much to Jazz as they did the Blues. While he is not featured on any studio albums, Schon later rose to prominence with Journey, which also featured Santana vocalist/keyboardist Greg Rollie.īy this point, Santana had fully developed his trademark sustained, liquid tone for which he is famous. Around this time, teenage guitarist Neal Schon had also joined the group. Abraxis took the number one spot on the Billboard chart and the album eventually sold in excess of four million copies. Fueled by the incendiary version of the eleven-minute tune 'Soul Sacrifice,' Santana and the band made their presence known to the world.ġ970 saw the release of their second album, Abraxis, which featured the mega hits 'Oye Coma Vas' and 'Black Magic Woman.' 'Black Magic Woman' was written by the British Blues band Fleetwood Mac’s Peter Green, but the Santana version proved to be the most popular version. After signing to Columbia Records, the band released their self-titled debut album in 1969 which included their first hit song, a cover of Latin percussionist Willie Bobo’s 'Evil Ways.' Before the album was even released, Santana (they dropped Blues Band from their name when they signed their record deal) made their legendary performance at Woodstock. The band featured the vocals and organ playing of Gregg Rollie along with Latin percussionists. While starting out in San Francisco, The Santana Blues band caught the attention of concert impresario Bill Graham. His family then moved to the San Francisco area where he was exposed to multiple forms of music including jazz greats John Coltrane and Gabor Sza. His father was a Mariachi musician, but Carlos became enamored with the Blues. The family moved to Tijuana and Carlos took up the violin and later guitar. Santana was born in Jalisco, Mexico in 1947.

Guitarist Carlos Santana first rose to prominence in the fertile late '60s San Francisco Rock scene by combining Latin rhythms with Blues Rock guitar to create a new sound. Oye Como Va, Black Magic Woman, Evil Ways, Soul Sacrifice, and Smooth Biography Journey, Rob Thomas, John McLaughlin, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Alice Coltrane Notable Songs Rock and Roll, Blues, Latin, Jazz, Pop Associated Artists

Song buddy holly sings in la bamba