Carlos Santana

This article is about the guitarist. For other people named Carlos Santana, see Carlos Santana (disambiguation).
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Santana and the second or maternal family name is Barragán.

Carlos Santana
Santana performing in 2011
Background information
Birth nameCarlos Humberto Santana Barragán[1]
Born (1947-07-20) July 20, 1947 (age 77)
Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico
OriginSan Francisco, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
Instruments
  • Guitar
  • vocals
Years active1965–present
Labels
Spouses
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(m. 1973; div. 2007)​
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(m. 2010)​
Websitesantana.com

Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán[1] (Spanish: [ˈkaɾlos umˈbeɾto sanˈtana βaraˈɣan] ⓘ; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist, best known as a founding member of the rock band Santana. Born and raised in Mexico where he developed his musical background, he rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States with Santana, which pioneered a fusion of rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured his melodic, blues-based lines set against Latin American and African rhythms played on percussion instruments not generally heard in rock, such as timbales and congas. He experienced a resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s.

In 2015, Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana at No. 20 on their list of the 100 greatest guitarists.[3] In 2023, Rolling Stone named him the 11th greatest guitarist of all time.[4] He has won 10 Grammy Awards and three Latin Grammy Awards,[5] and was inducted along with his namesake band into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.[6]

  1. ^ a b Ovalle, Juan Martín (March 29, 2019). "Un verano con el legendario Carlos Santana". Fort Worth Star-Telegram (in Spanish).
  2. ^ "RCA's Peter Edge, Tom Corson on the Shuttering of Jive, J and Arista". Billboard. October 7, 2011. Retrieved December 31, 2011.
  3. ^ "100 Greatest Guitarists". Rolling Stone. December 18, 2015. Archived from the original on July 30, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
  4. ^ "The 250 Greatest Guitarists of All Time". Rolling Stone. October 13, 2023. Retrieved October 14, 2023.
  5. ^ "Santana received 10 Grammy Awards and 3 Latin Grammy Awards". AllMusic. 1999. Retrieved October 20, 2010.
  6. ^ "Santana". Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 15, 2019.