 The innovative Latin blues-rock band Santana formed in the
summer of 1966 when guitarist Carlos Santana met keyboardist/vocalist Gregg
Rollie at a jam session in San Francisco. The pair brought in two percussionists
and a bassist and formed the Santana Blues Band, which made its debut in 1966 at
the Fillmore Auditorium.
The group became a favorite of influential West Coast
promoter and Fillmore owner Bill Graham and began performing there regularly to
packed houses. The group shortened its name to Santana in time to perform at
Woodstock, where their Latin-influenced jam "Soul Sacrifice" wowed the crowd and
led to a record deal with Columbia.
A hugely successful eponymous debut was released in 1969,
followed by their most widely acclaimed work, 1970's Abraxas, which went to No.
1 on the strength of singles such as "Oye Como Va" and "Black Magic Woman."
1971's Santana III also went to No. 1, where it sat for five weeks. In 1976
Carlos re-formed the band yet again, almost entirely changing the lineup and
pursuing a more rock/R&B sound. Santana continued to tour throughout the late
'70s and early '80s, changing their sound to fit the times: their 1978 album
Inner Secrets was a disco-rock disaster, while the next three albums aimed for a
more pop sound, even experimenting with synthesizers.
By the mid-'80s Santana's lineup had changed yet again.
Adding former Tower of Power keyboardist Chester Thompson, the group hit rock
bottom with Beyond Appearances before rebounding with 1987's Freedom, a second
collaboration with Buddy Miles. Santana continued to tour and record into the
'90s, their lineup constantly changing (except for frontman Carlos Santana) and
the quality of their albums fluctuating wildly.
In 1999, Santana released the blockbuster Supernatural on
Arista Records. The album made an impressive showing at the 42nd Annual Grammy
Awards, winning in the Record Of The Year and Album Of The Year categories as
well as landing the Song Of The Year award for "Smooth," a track featuring
Matchbox 20 frontman Rob Thomas.
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