Carlos Santana

Carlos Augusto Santana Alves is a Latin, Jazz-Rock and Blues guitar virtuoso. Born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, México, 20 july 1947 where an avenue is named after him as well as a status of a guitar can be found to honor him. His family first moved to Tijuana in the mid 50's and then to the USA in the early sixties. He has won several Grammys and is named by the Rolling Stone magazine as one of the best guitar players of all time ranking him at 15 in their list of 100 released in 2003. Most of his musical career has been spent with Santana, the band he formed in San Francisco in 1966. His music underwent large changes in 1973 when he was introduced to the spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, by fellow guitarist "Mahavishnu" John McLaughlin. After this he adopted the title "Devadip" which he still uses. In 1998 he formed the Milagro Foundation along with his wife Deborah, which supports disadvantaged children. Other huge influences of Carlos Santana are both Miles Davis (with whom he maintained a big personal connection), and John Coltrane, who unfortunately passed away in 1967.