Spotlight Heroes

A Photographic Retrospective By John Robert Rowlands

Carlos Santana

Long before anyone heard of the concept, "World Music," Carlos Santana
was playing it. At a time when the world of traditional, guitar-based rock 'n
roll was emerging from the "British Invasion" and reaching new levels of
popularity in the English and U.S. markets, Santana infused it with a fresh
energy and profound emotional depth that stirred the hearts and souls of
millions of new fans around the entire globe. Skillfully blending elements of
12-bar blues, fiery rock riffs and sensuous Afro-Cuban rhythms, and
featuring his passionate, instantly recognizable guitar style, Carlos Santana
created a unique, magical sound. It is a sound that remains - like the long,
sustained notes that mark his distinctive guitar solos - as powerful, as
moving and as meaningful as ever, nearly 30 years after Carlos first shared it
with the world. And, it is a sound that earned Carlos and the other original
members of The Santana Band their rightful place among the legends of
contemporary music with their 1998 induction into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of
Fame.

Today, with over 30 million albums sold and performances before an
estimated 20 million people, Rock 'n Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana has
become a global icon. And, through his annual tours, he continues to deliver
his special kind of music to fans all around the world. It is music that defies
all geographic and cultural boundaries, music that transcends language
barriers, music that touches each listener directly in the heart and stirs the
soul. For Carlos Santana, it is a constant celebration of the human spirit and
universal brotherhood shared by all.

Photographs of Carlos Santa by John Robert Rowlands, 1976.