Carlos Santana’s favourite spiritual books
There was always something magical about Carlos Santana. Perhaps his chemically enlightened performance at Woodstock in 1969 cemented his image as some kind of rock and roll mystic, or maybe the origins of his sonic spirituality lie elsewhere. However, one thing is clear; if there was one artist with whom we would like to sit in a stone circle, light some candles and try to find another astral plane, it would be the mercurial guitarist.
It would seem we’re not the only people to think so, too. The artist has continually been connected to the more spiritual side of life, and it would seem there is a reason for it, too; Santana is himself a very spiritual man. On his own website, he has shared eight books that are essential reading for anybody looking to connect with the more figurative side of their soul. Labelled simply as “what’s on Carlos’ bookshelf”, the titles on show offer up an almost indefinable vision of the rocker.
When it comes to the nebulous, poorly-defined term fusion, nobody has given the indistinct genre more muscle and distinctive power than Carlos Santana. Beginning with his eponymous pioneering Latin rock outfit, Santana has blazed a trail so unique and singular that anyone attempting to play furious Dorian scales over Afro-Cuban percussion basically has to pay him restitution.
Even after the hippie-powered heyday of Santana in the late 1960s and early ’70s, the guitarist never stopped expanding the musical horizons of himself and those around him. Whether it was pairing up with jazz greats like John McLaughlin and Alice Coltrane or channelling his work through the meditative guidance of Sri Chinmoy, Santana always seemed to be pushing past the constraining barriers of rock and roll.
It would make sense then that to achieve such enlightened playing, Sanatan would need a library of books that focus on mental strength, soulful nourishment and the pursuit of inner peace. The reading list is stocked with self-help manuals and guides to attaining a new sense of self. Whether it is The Body of Light by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki or The Fifth Agreement from Don Miguel Ruiz, the message is always the same: work on your inner self to create a better outer world.
While, sadly, Santana offers little reasoning for why these books are so important to him, with a mere flick of the pages, it becomes perfectly clear. These are books designed to nurture the soul and provide pathways to grow and mature. With such a bountiful bookshelf bustling with intent, it becomes easy to see how these books have helped Santana pursue his own unique creative process. Santana is rock’s spiritual guide, and these books have helped him become it.
Carlos Santana’s favourite books:
- The Fifth Agreement by Don Miguel Ruiz
- End Your Story, Begin Your Life by Jim Dreaver
- The Book of Knowledge: The Keys of Enoch by JJ Hurtak
- The Body of Light by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki
- A Course in Miracles by Foundation for Inner Peace
- A Mini Course for Life by Gerald Jampolsky and Diane Cirincione
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- Nothing in This Book Is True, But It’s Exactly How Things Are by Bob Frissell
