Carlos Santana And The Search For Something More
From Woodstock to meditation, gurus and midnight music, the legendary guitarist's spiritual journey shaped every note he played.
Carlos Santana slots neatly into our series on interesting famous folks. But in 1969, possibly few people realized how deep he really was. They saw the birth of a rock star at Woodstock. But to this day, people still sit. Midnight headphones on.
Hypnotic music like Black Magic Woman. Slow rhythm and lyrics about losing oneself. That slightly dreamlike state of late-night hours.
Santana Wanted Something More
The sound didn’t come from the festival alone.
Some musicians want applause. Santana wanted something else. In fact, a strong spiritual current ran through his music, per Grokipedia.
Way more than any adulation from millions of mesmerized fans.
Music Came Young
Born into a musical family in Mexico, Carlos Santana probably sat listening to it from a young age. His dad played mariachi violin.
By five, Carlos learned the violin. By eight, he grabbed the guitar.
After the family relocated to San Francisco in the early 60s, Carlos received offers to continue his education. Good ones too. Humboldt State among them.
Well, he said “nope to that.” Instead, he took himself off. Menial jobs. Weebly noted that busking the streets had more appeal.
The Recognition
Of course, the formation of the Santana Blues Band found recognition. But was he truly fulfilled? In retrospect, it seems something was lacking. An emptiness that never went away.
Did you know that he ended up as a disciple of Indian guru Sri Chinmoy?
The guru said no alcohol. No drugs. No mainstream media.
Contemplative nights became part of the routine. Meditation too. And, he started running. Literally. Some accounts describe him running extraordinary distances in pursuit of spiritual discipline.
A rock star running for a guru. Go figure.
His Collaborations
Prog Archives reminds readers that later, he and guitarist John McLaughlin collaborated on Love, Devotion, Surrender.
Plus, he and Alice Coltrane featured in Illuminations. Strange records. Beautiful records.
His fans didn’t know what to do with them.
By 2015 Carlos Santana found kudos from publications like Rolling Stone. One of the greatest guitarists in history, they said. Then more accolades followed.
A Brother
His brother, Jorge Santana, unlike many fans, did know what to do with Carlos Santana.
Like millions of music aficionados, he’d seen his brother reach for, and find fame. Jorge changed, became involved in production, closer to his talented sibling.
But Carlos needed Jorge too. A brother keeps you from floating away.
Life Creeps In
Touring takes its toll, and presumably being awake all night, followed by running miles, might make even one of the world’s greatest guitarists in the world weary.
Fans got a fright when life eventually handed Carlos Santana a health scare.
Distractify reported that severe dehydration led to a frightening collapse on stage during a Texas show. Earlier health scares, including heart surgery in 2021, had already reminded fans that even legends are mortal.
Still Delivering Great Music
He’s still around, doing things. He continues to celebrate Latin music through performances, interviews and television appearances.
And, his Oneness Tour started a few months ago.
What still comes through?
The deep spiritual fire that still burns clear as day. At midnight. Moon low. Twinkling world through the curtain.
A safe space for listeners in the lonely hours.
Why? Maybe because the stage is his church. It was never just a concert.
Your thoughts? Shout out in the comments and come back here often for more articles about interesting famous people.
