ARTIST · LATIN / ROCK

Santana

Sing sustain that tastes like incense—timbales and organ riding one infinite crescendo.

Latin rock
Blues rock

Updated 27 October 2026

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Biography

Abraxas turned FM rock toward Afro-Latin groove without diluting improvisational nerve.

Supernatural-era collaborations proved crossover pop could honour rhythmic spine.

Woodstock mythos still follows the band’s early volcanic performances.

High-bitrate streams expose conga ghosts, Leslie guitar swirl, and transient-rich percussion.

Carlos Santana was born in Autlán, Mexico, and moved to San Francisco as a teenager. The Santana Blues Band was formed in 1966, and its performance at Woodstock in 1969 made it famous. Abraxas (1970) included Black Magic Woman and Oye Como Va, blending Latin percussion with rock guitar.

Santana III (1971) and Caravanserai (1972) took jazz fusion further. Supernatural (1999), with Smooth, Maria Maria, and a host of guests, won nine Grammy Awards in 2000. Santana IV (2016) reunited the early lineup.

Santana: recent news, 2020–2026

2021 Blessings and Miracles, an album with guests including Chris Stapleton and Rick Ross, was released in October.

Interesting facts about Santana

01 American Latin-rock band formed in San Francisco in 1966 around guitarist Carlos Santana.
02 Supernatural (1999) included Smooth featuring Rob Thomas as a chart-topping hit.
03 Multiple Grammy Awards including Album of the Year for Supernatural (2000).
04 Played at Woodstock in 1969.
05 Supernatural won nine Grammy Awards in 2000.