North American syndicated Rock radio show and website InTheStudio with Redbeard: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Bands celebrates one of the boldest, most successful, enduring and influential American albums, 1970’s Abraxas by Santana.

The original Santana was one of the last bands to emerge from the late ‘60s San Francisco music scene, introduced by a lights-out performance at the 1969 Woodstock Festival documented on film for the world to see. Until then no Artist had successfully infused the sounds of blues, salsa and jazz into rock, but Santana’s second album Abraxas  would embody all of it, spending six consecutive weeks atop the US album charts, selling millions and being lauded as ‘Album of the Year’ by several publications. 

Band leader Carlos Santana’s distinctive guitar sound became instantly recognizable to fans and iconic in modern music to this day. His passion for music, his belief in its power and its magic, transcends both cultural differences and musical categories.  But for Carlos Santana, making music has never been about chart position or record sales. For Carlos, music is almost a spiritual quest, an expression of feelings too profound and intense for words. Playing music, says Carlos, is “like having a ministry”.

Carlos Santana elaborates on that thought with InTheStudio host Redbeard.

“I think about planting certain sounds, certain cries, not whining, but certain cries, certain things in their hearts (concert goers). When you leave them... they say, ‘Man you guys left me pregnant with the sound. Even when you unplugged the amplifiers and the trucks roll away, it’s still in me.’”  - Carlos Santana

Listen to the program at In The Studio.