Carlos Santana
Carlos Santana (born as Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán; 20 July 1947 in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, México) is a Mexican rock guitarist. He became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which pioneered rock, salsa and jazz fusion. The band's sound featured his melodic, blues-based guitar lines set against Latin and African rhythms. Santana continued to work in these forms over the following decades. He experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s. In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana at number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. He has won 10 Grammy Awards and 3 Latin Grammy Awards.
Santana has was an avenue named after him as well as a statue of a guitar in the city where he was born (born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, México) to honour him. The family moved from there to Tijuana In La Calonia Libertad, the city on Mexico's border with California, and then San Francisco, USA. Carlos stayed in Tijuana but joined his family in San Francisco later and graduated from James Lick Middle School and Mission High School there.
Most of his musical career has been spent with Santana, the band he formed in San Francisco in 1967. His music underwent large changes in 1973 when he was introduced to the spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, by fellow guitarist "Mahavishnu" John McLaughlin. After this he adopted the title "Devadip" which he still uses. In 1998 he formed the Milagro Foundation along with his wife Deborah, which supports disadvantaged children. Later Carlos and Deborah divorced, but the Milagro Foundation is still alive and well.
Other huge influences of Carlos Santana are both Miles Davis (with whom he maintained a big personal connection), and John Coltrane, who unfortunately passed away in 1967.
Photos
Films (89)
A Grammy Celebration of Latin Music
2025 · Self
Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023
2024 · Self
Carlos : L'Odyssée Santana
2023 · Self
"They All Came out to Montreux !" - De la Riviera suisse au gotha de la scène musicale
2023 · Self
Jose Feliciano: Behind This Guitar
2022 · Self
McEnroe
2022 · Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Torch
2022 · Self
A Song for Cesar: Beware a Movement That Sings
2021 · Self
Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me Over
2021 · Self
Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away
2021 · Self
Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres
2021 · Self
Fandango at the Wall
2020 · Executive Producer
The Birth of Cool: La historia de Miles Davis y su música
2019 · Self - Musician
Woodstock, ils voulaient changer le monde
2019 · Self
John Lee Hooker: The Boogie Man
2019 · Self
Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives
2017 · Self
Chasing Trane
2017 · Self - Musician
Dolores
2017 · Executive Producer
Santana IV - Live At The House of Blues, Las Vegas
2016 · Himself
Santana: Down Under - Live in Australia
2016 · Himself
Korla
2015 · self
Santana - Montreux Jazz Festival 2015
2015
Santana - Corazon Live From Mexico
2014 · Self
Woodstock: Untold Stories Revisited
2014 · Self
Santana Live at New Orleans Jazz Festival 2014
2014 · himself
Move Me Brightly - Celebrating Jerry Garcia's 70th Birthday
2013 · Self
Born In Chicago
2013 · Self
Beware of Mr. Baker
2012 · Self
B.B. King, the Life of Riley
2012 · Self
Santana - Live at Montreux 2011
2012 · Self : Guitar, Author, Original Music Composer, Compositor
Santana: Greatest Hits - Live at Montreux 2011
2011 · self, Executive Producer
The Santana Story: Angels and Demons
2011 · Self
Carlos Santana & McLaughlin - Live at Montreux
2011 · himself
Rock Prophecies
2009 · Self
Woodstock: Untold Stories
2009
Peter Green: Man of the World
2009 · himself
Santana - Viva Santana!
2009 · Himself
Buddy Guy: Live At Montreux 2004
2008
Clarence Gatemouth Brown: Live At Montreux 2004
2008
Miles Davis: Kind of Blue
2008 · Self
Movin' on Up: The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield and the Impressions
2008 · Self
Herbie Hancock: Possibilities
2006 · Self
Ed Sullivan's Rock 'N' Roll Classics: Rockin' the Sixties
2005
Santana: In Concert
2005 · Self - Guitar, Vocals
The Five Keys to Mastery
2005 · Self
Miles Electric - A Different Kind of Blue
2004 · Self
Carlos Santana Presents: Blues at Montreux 2004
2004 · Himself
Bobby Parker: Live at Montreux 2004
2004
The World of Nat King Cole
2004 · Self
Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival
2004 · Self
Live Eighties
2004 · Self
John Lee Hooker: Come and See About Me
2004 · Self
Trey Anastasio: Live at the Warfield
2004 · Self - guitar, vocals
Salif Keita: World Music Portrait
2004 · Self
Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux
2004
Larry presents: Best of The 80s
2004 · Self
Prachtig 80: Volume 1
2003 · Self
Santana: Special Edition EP
2003 · Self
Santana
2003 · Guitar / Vocals
The Best of Musikladen: Vol. One
2001 · Self
John Lee Hooker - That's My Story
2001
All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!
2001 · Self
Arista Records' 25th Anniversary Celebration
2000 · Self
Santana - Live in Tokyo Supernatural Tour
2000 · himself
Ricky Martin: One Night Only
2000 · Self
Santana: Supernatural Live
2000 · Self
Blue Note - A Story of Modern Jazz
1997 · Self
Santana - Sacred Fire
1995 · Himself
Woodstock Diaries
1994 · Self
Santana - Rock in Rio
1991 · himself
Santana - Live Watsonville, CA.
1989 · himself
Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter – Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival
1988 · Himself
A Reggae Session
1988 · Self
La Bamba
1987 · Original Music Composer
Santana: East Berlin 1987
1987 · Himself, Director
Live Aid
1985 · Self
Heart & Santana - Concert for the Americas
1982 · Himself
Santana Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 15th, 1976
1977 · guitar, percussion, backing vocals
The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1976
1976 · Self
Santana
1974
Fillmore
1972 · Self - Performers(as Santana)
Stamping Ground
1971 · Self - Santana
Soul to Soul
1971 · Self
Santana - Live at Tanglewood 1970
1970 · guitar, vocals
Woodstock
1970 · Self
San Francisco Rock: A Night at the Family Dog
1970
Got No Shoes, Got No Blues: the Texas International Pop Festival
1969
Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana & Steve Lukather Live In Japan
Tramaine Hawkins Live
Séries (22)
Johnson and Knopfler's Music Legends
2024 · Self
Wayne Shorter: gravedad cero
2023 · Producer
Monochrome: Black, White & Blue
2017 · Self
Soundbreaking, la grande aventure de la musique enregistrée
2016 · Self
PBS News Weekend
2013 · Self
Rockpolitik
2005 · Self
Ultimate Albums
2002
Star Academy
2001 · Self
Latin Grammy Awards
2000 · Self
Late Show with David Letterman
1993 · Self - Musical Guest
Later... with Jools Holland
1992
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992
ECHO-Verleihung
1992 · Self
Wetten, dass..?
1981 · Self
CBS News Sunday Morning
1979 · Self
The South Bank Show
1978
Saturday Night Live
1975 · Self - Musical Guest
Rockpalast
1974
American Music Awards
1974 · Self - Musical Guest
Viña del Mar International Song Festival
1963 · Self - Musical Guest
The Grammys
1959 · Self
The Oscars
1953 · Self