Carlos santana biography book

About the Book

As eclectic and paradoxical as its subject, this is the first and only book about Carlos Santana that reveals the full sweep of his musical odyssey.
Carlos Santana: A Biography explores the life and music of this extraordinary guitarist, ranging from his professional beginnings--his first regular gig was at a Tijuana strip club--and early success in San Francisco to the definitive songs and albums of the 1970s, the commercial resurgence with 1999's Supernatural, his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and his current work with producer Bill Laswell.

Unlike other biographies, this book offers a comprehensive look at Santana's transitions through a variety of musical styles beyond rock, including blues, salsa, jazz, and world music. It also portrays Santana as very much a child of the eclectic musical culture of the 1960s, as well as showing the profound influence of the New Age movement on Santana's life and music.

• Offers an annotated discography of the band, Santana, in all its iterations
• Includes photos of Santana in concert over the years

Book Synopsis

As eclectic and paradoxical as its subject, this is the first and only book about Carlos Santana that reveals the full sweep of his musical odyssey.

Carlos Santana: A Biographyexplores the life and music of this extraordinary guitarist, ranging from his professional beginnings--his first regular gig was at a Tijuana strip club--and early success in San Francisco to the definitive songs and albums of the 1970s, the commercial resurgence with 1999's Supernatural, his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and his current work with producer Bill Laswell. Unlike other biographies, this book offers a comprehensive look at Santana's transitions through a variety of musical styles beyond rock, including blues, salsa, jazz, and world music. It also portrays Santana as very much a child of the eclectic musical culture of the 1960s, as well as showing the profound influence of the New Age movement on Santana's life and music.

Review Quotes

"Though the Santana biography may be targeted at students, don't feel like it is exclusive to them. Weinstein's offering is a good primer for anyone interested in the guitarist's life." --Boise Weekly

"This biography of guitarist Carlos Santana is appropriate for high school students and above. The nine chapters describe the artist's early initiation into music through his family in Mexico, his now legendary Woodstock appearance and subsequent work with Columbia Records, his connection to Indian guru Sri Chinmoy, two marriages, his profound response to the deaths of Miles Davis and Stevie Ray Vaughan in the same year, and Santana's four decades (and counting) of musical output and experimentation." --Reference & Research Book News

About the Author

Norman Weinsteinis an independent scholar with widely published books and articles in the areas of popular music, poetry and literary criticism, and architecture.