Santana's Supernatural Energy
BY JUAN RODRÍGUEZ FLORES

At 55, Carlos Santana is at the pinnacle of his artistic and creative career. Born in the small village of Autlán, in the Mexican state of Jalisco, the whole world now recognizes him as one of the best guitarists in the history of rock and roll.

Throughout a career marked by success and popularity, Carlos Santana has shown that there are no time limits on growth. He still has the power to attract an audience, as indicated by the sale of 10 million copies of his last album, Supernatural, 31 years after his introduction at the legendary Woodstock festival.

"I have always said that age is a relative concept," explained Santana in an interview, "because in your spiritual life, being young or old is not very important. Being an adult and growing old depends a lot on your attitude towards life. The most important thing," insists the guitarist "is to understand that the basic things in life-such as love, charity, God, the spirit of sacrifice, tenderness, and faith-are eternal and that we carry them in our hearts. Perhaps because I have never lost confidence in myself, I have not stopped growing." And he adds, "There are people who mistakenly think that the prime of life and intelligence are determined by age. I do not believe that. Right now, at the beginning of a new century, I feel that I have begun one of the best times of my life."

Winner of every possible award in the music industry, from the greatest and most prestigious to the smallest, Santana has come a long way since the day that he arrived with his family in Tijuana at the end of 1955.

“Being an adult and growing old depends a lot on your attitude to life”

The son of a man who earned his living as a mariachi, Santana began his career playing the guitar in restaurants and bars on Avenida Revolución in the border city. "They were difficult years, but at the same time they were very important for me," said Santana, "and I have unforgettable memories. We were a very humble family, but we shared a great deal of love. Thanks to my father, I discovered music. He also taught me not to fear the passage of time. My father was always young because he was a very spiritual person. He had a great respect for God and what I remember most about him is the sparkle in his eyes. He had a face filled with light and I believe that he was always looking towards the future."

In 1961 Carlos Santana made the most important decision of his life-he left Tijuana for San Francisco. There he formed the group which made him famous in the Bay Area. Towards the end of 1969, producer Clive Davis offered him his first recording contract with Columbia Records. From that moment on, everything changed for him. "I have never lost sight of who I am, nor of my roots," he said. "Nor have I forgotten that I come from a very simple and humble family. Thanks to music, I found my destiny in life. I am more than 50 years old and I have never stopped learning new things about music, my guitar, and life in general. The reunion that I had last year with Clive Davis, who produced the first record of my career, proved that he and I still have a lot of energy and we can continue producing successful rock recordings," he emphasized.

Santana added that it amuses him to think that an album like Supernatural, which countless millions of young people all over the world have enjoyed, was made by two individuals whose combined ages are more than 115 years. "This proves, once again, how limited society's view is of what human beings can do in youth, middle, and old age," he concluded.

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