
Person
Carlos Santana
Acting · Born 1947-07-20 · Autlán de Navarro (México)
Biography
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.
Known for

Late Show with David Letterman
Self - Musical Guest

Saturday Night Live
Self - Musical Guest

CBS News Sunday Morning
Self

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992

PBS News Weekend
Self

Wetten, dass..?
Self

The Oscars
Self

American Music Awards
Self - Musical Guest

Rockpalast
1974

Viña del Mar International Song Festival
Self - Musical Guest
Filmography
- 2025A Grammy Celebration of Latin MusicSelf
- 2024Eric Clapton’s Crossroads Guitar Festival 2023Self
- 2024Johnson and Knopfler’s Music LegendsSelf
- 2023CarlosSelf
- 2023Wayne Shorter: Zero GravityProducer
- 2023They All Came Out to MontreuxSelf
- 2022Jose Feliciano: Behind This GuitarSelf
- 2022McEnroeSelf (archive footage) (uncredited)
- 2022The TorchSelf
- 2021A Song for Cesar: Beware a Movement That SingsSelf
- 2021Dionne Warwick: Don't Make Me OverSelf
- 2021Buddy Guy: The Blues Chase the Blues Away
- 2021Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-TorresSelf
- 2020Fandango at the WallExecutive Producer
- 2019Miles Davis: Birth of the CoolSelf - Musician
- 2019Woodstock: Three Days That Defined a GenerationSelf
- 2019John Lee Hooker: The Boogie ManSelf
- 2017Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our LivesSelf
- 2017Chasing TraneSelf - Musician
- 2017DoloresExecutive Producer
- 2017Monochrome: Black, White & BlueSelf
- 2016SoundbreakingSelf
- 2016Santana IV - Live At The House of Blues, Las VegasHimself
- 2016Santana: Down Under - Live in AustraliaHimself
- 2015Korlaself
- 2015Santana - Montreux Jazz Festival 2015
- 2014Santana: Corazón Live from Mexico: Live It to Believe ItSelf
- 2014Woodstock: Untold Stories RevisitedSelf
- 2014Santana Live at New Orleans Jazz Festival 2014himself
- 2013Move Me Brightly - Celebrating Jerry Garcia's 70th BirthdaySelf
- 2013PBS News WeekendSelf
- 2013Born In ChicagoSelf
- 2012Beware of Mr. BakerSelf
- 2012B.B. King: The Life of RileySelf
- 2012Santana Live at Montreux 2011Self : Guitar
- 2011Santana: Greatest Hits - Live at Montreux 2011self
- 2011The Santana Story: Angels and DemonsSelf
- 2011Santana & McLaughlin: Invitation to Illumination - Live at Montreuxhimself
- 2009Rock PropheciesSelf
- 2009Woodstock: Untold Stories
- 2009Peter Green: Man of the Worldhimself
- 2009Santana - Viva Santana!Himself
- 2008Buddy Guy: Live At Montreux 2004
- 2008Clarence Gatemouth Brown: Live At Montreux 2004
- 2008Miles Davis: Kind of BlueSelf
- 2008Movin' on Up: The Music and Message of Curtis Mayfield and the ImpressionsSelf
- 2006Herbie Hancock: PossibilitiesSelf
- 2005Ed Sullivan's Rock 'N' Roll Classics: Rockin' the Sixties
- 2005RockpolitikSelf
- 2005Santana: In ConcertSelf - Guitar, Vocals
- 2005The Five Keys to MasterySelf
- 2004Miles Electric: A Different Kind of BlueSelf
- 2004Carlos Santana Presents: Blues at Montreux 2004Himself
- 2004Bobby Parker: Live at Montreux 2004
- 2004The World of Nat King ColeSelf
- 2004Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar FestivalSelf
- 2004Live EightiesSelf
- 2004John Lee Hooker: Come and See About MeSelf
- 2004Trey Anastasio: Live at the WarfieldSelf - guitar, vocals
- 2004Salif Keita: World Music PortraitSelf
- 2004Santana: Hymns for Peace - Live at Montreux
- 2004Larry presents: Best of The 80sSelf
- 2003Prachtig 80: Volume 1Self
- 2003Santana: Special Edition EPSelf
- 2003SantanaGuitar / Vocals
- 2002Ultimate Albums
- 2001Star AcademySelf
- 2001The Best of Musikladen: Vol. OneSelf
- 2001John Lee Hooker - That's My Story
- 2001All Access: Front Row. Backstage. Live!Self
- 2000Latin Grammy AwardsSelf
- 2000Arista Records' 25th Anniversary CelebrationSelf
- 2000Santana - Live in Tokyo Supernatural Tourhimself
- 2000Ricky Martin: One Night OnlySelf
- 2000Santana: Supernatural LiveSelf
- 1997Blue Note - A Story of Modern JazzSelf
- 1995Santana - Sacred FireHimself
- 1994Woodstock DiarySelf
- 1993Late Show with David LettermanSelf - Musical Guest
- 1992The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- 1992ECHO-VerleihungSelf
- 1991Santana - Rock in Riohimself
- 1989Santana - Live Watsonville, CA.himself
- 1988Carlos Santana and Wayne Shorter – Live at the Montreux Jazz FestivalHimself
- 1988A Reggae SessionSelf
- 1987La BambaOriginal Music Composer
- 1987Santana: East Berlin 1987Himself
- 1985Live AidSelf
- 1982Heart & Santana - Concert for the AmericasHimself
- 1981Wetten, dass..?Self
- 1979CBS News Sunday MorningSelf
- 1977Santana Live at Hammersmith Odeon, December 15th, 1976guitar, percussion, backing vocals
- 1976The Midnight Special Legendary Performances: More 1976Self
- 1975Saturday Night LiveSelf - Musical Guest
- 1974Rockpalast
- 1974American Music AwardsSelf - Musical Guest
- 1974Santana
- 1971Stamping GroundSelf - Santana
- 1971Soul to SoulSelf
- 1970Santana - Live at Tanglewood 1970guitar, vocals
- 1970WoodstockSelf
- 1970San Francisco Rock: A Night at the Family Dog
- 1969Got No Shoes, Got No Blues: the Texas International Pop Festival
- 1963Viña del Mar International Song FestivalSelf - Musical Guest
- 1959The GrammysSelf
- 1953The OscarsSelf
- —Jeff Beck, Carlos Santana & Steve Lukather Live In Japan
- —Tramaine Hawkins Live
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