Salvador Dalí: Why Carlos Santana compared the sound of the 1960s surrealist art
Carlos Santana has one of the most distinct styles in rock music. The Mexican guitarist was the first to distinctly fuse Latin American jazz with elements of rock ‘n’ roll. He created a funky, dynamic, refreshing sound that was a welcome departure from the ubiquitous, overdone psychedelic genre.
He first burst onto the scene with the fittingly-named troupe Santana after signing with Columbia Records, which gave way to a now-iconic performance at Woodstock in 1969. After that era-defining, last hurrah for the counterculture, the funky sounds of Carlos Santana went worldwide.
Less than a week after their memorable Woodstock set, Santana released their eponymous debut. It kicked off a three-album run that delivered what is ostensibly their masterpiece, Abraxas, the following year, and Santana III in 1971. By this point, they had risen to become one of the world’s most successful bands. Fans from all over the world were dazzled by their unapologetically sunny sounds.
Throughout the rest of the 1970s, Santana built on this early success. They ventured into more experimental realms, and in doing so, they became the favourite tipple of many stoners, speed-freaks and acid warriors who were looking for a way out of the stilted mire that the decade gradually succumbed to in the world of rock. However, by the turn of the 1980s, Santana and the band started to experience a creative and commercial decline, as many artists of their generation did. This was partly thanks to burning out after years of constant work and the rise of punk. Things wouldn’t last forever, though. By the arrival of the new millennium and one Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction later, Sanatana earned newfound kudos, which is still healthy today.
Fear not: not one person has forgotten Carlos Santana’s 1999 international hit ‘Smooth’, which featured the growling Matchbox Twenty frontman Rob Thomas. Whilst it might be everpresent in meme culture, and different criticisms can be pointed at it, ironically, it had a significant hand in the resurgence of Carlos Sanatana. After all, how could anyone resist that riff, the sensual brass, and the luscious rhythm?
Jokes aside, Carlos Santana is an icon of his generation, with his thoughts on the 1960s more enlightened than most. This is only natural for a figure who can claim to have rubbed shoulders with many of the era’s greats, from The Beatles to Jimi Hendrix.
When looking back on the music of that momentous decade, Santana offered a concise account, which might be the most fitting out there. He drew a parallel between the sound of the 1960s and the colourful surrealism of visual artist Salvador Dalí. Ultimately, he opined that the “youth of today” must follow his generation’s path to enlightenment.
Santana said: “The ’60s were a leap in human consciousness. Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., Che Guevara, Mother Teresa, they led a revolution of conscience. The Beatles, the Doors, Jimi Hendrix created revolution and evolution themes. The music was like Dalí, with many colours and revolutionary ways. The youth of today must go there to find themselves.”
