Happy Birthday Carlos Santana 07/20/1947

[TimmyB]

from www.billboard.com on July 20.

1947 - Carlos Santana is born in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico. He forms the group Santana in San Francisco in 1966. The group's biggest hits are the top 10 songs "Evil Ways" and "Black Magic Woman" and the No. 1 "Smooth" with matchbox twenty's Rob Thomas.

I've seen Santana twice. Once at a great gig in 1995 at Kingswood. It was a double bill with Jeff Beck and Keb' Mo' opened. That night it was all classic Santana and it was a great show, even though it sucked that Carlos and Beck didn't perform together.

A few years later I saw Santana again at the Molson Amphitheatre right after "Supernatural" had come out, and though there are a few good songs on that album, Carlos and company were just playing the songs I didn't like. I really do not like matchbox twenty and the Rob Thomas song sucked with Santana. The show wasn't even as close to as good as 1995.

That being said Carlos is still one of the all-time great guitarists and would be excited to see him again at a festival like bonnaroo.