Is Santana a Psychedelic Rock Band?

For many, the music of Santana is synonymous with the psychedelic rock of the late 1960s and early 1970s. But is Santana actually a psychedelic rock band?

Introduction

Psychedelic rock, also sometimes called acid rock, is a type of rock music that emerged in the 1960s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by distorted guitars, mind-altering lyrics, and trippy sound effects. The genre is often associated with the use of hallucinogenic drugs such as LSD.

Santana is a Latin rock band formed in San Francisco in 1966. The band became popular during the late 1960s and early 1970s with their blend of Latin-infused rock, blues, and jazz. Santana’s sound was influenced by many different styles, including Afro-Cuban rhythms, flamenco guitar, and blues-rock. Some people consider Santana to be a psychedelic rock band because of their experimental sound and use of mind-altering lyrics.

What is Psychedelic Rock?

Psychedelic rock, also referred to as psychedelia, is a diverse style of rock music that emerged in the mid-1960s. Psychedelic rock is characterized by the use of electric guitars, bass guitars, drums, keyboards, and vocals. The style often incorporates elements of other genres, such as Indian music and folk music. Psychedelic rock generally focuses on creating an altered state of consciousness, which is achieved through the use of drugs like LSD and mescaline.

Santana’s Music

Santana is a rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1967 by Mexican-American guitarist Carlos Santana. The band first came to public attention with their performance of “Soul Sacrifice” at the Woodstock Music and Art Festival in 1969. This exposure helped propel their debut album, also named Santana, into a hit, followed in the next two years by Abraxas and Santana III.

Santana’s music combines elements of Latin rock, Afro-Cuban rhythms, blues-rock, and jazz fusion. Carlos Santana has been the core of the band throughout its history; his brothers lead singer/percussionist Jorge Santana and bassist David Brown were original members who left the group before its first commercial success; drummer Michael Carabello and conga player/percussionist Coke Escovedo also joined soon after to complete the classic lineup for three albums until 1973. Keyboardist/guitarist Gregg Rolie was the primary vocalist during this period.

The band underwent numerous lineup changes throughout the 1970s and 1980s; though never achieving commercial success as potent as that of their first three albums, they maintained a large cult following. These lineup changes included former Weather Report bassist Tommy Douglas (who appears on ‘Amigos’), Neal Schon (who would go on to co-found Journey), journeyman Journey keyboardist/guitarist Chester Thompson (who is best known for his work with Frank Zappa), singer/songwriter Alex Ligertwood (who sang lead on several hits including 1979’s “Stone Flower” album) , longtime percussion collaborators Armando Peraza & Raul Rekow (’74–’84), as well as singer Graham Lear (’79–’80). Newer members such as Jeff Cressman (’87–present) , Benny Rietveld (’91–present) , Karl Perazzo (’91–present), Stanley Clarke (’07) & Chester D. Thompson have made significant contributions since these classic musicians have helped keep Santana’s music fresh & relevant over half a century later.

Santana has sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them one of the world’s best-selling groups of all time. In 2013, Rolling Stone magazine listed Santana at number 20 on their list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time”.

Santana’s Influence

Santana’s sound is a mix of Latin-infused rock, blues, jazz, and African rhythms. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1969, featured the hit single “Evil Ways” and established the band as a force to be reckoned with. While the band’s early work was steeped in Latin and African sounds, they later began to experiment with psychedelic rock on albums like Abraxas (1970) and Santana III (1971).

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Carlos Santana’s band Santana became one of the most popular touring bands in the world. The group’s mixture of Latin-infused rock, blues, jazz, and African rhythms was unlike anything else being played at the time, and their live performances were legendary. Over the years, Santana has continued to evolve musically, experiment with different genres and lineups, and remain a hugely popular live act. But despite all of these changes, one thing has remained constant: Carlos Santana’s status as a guitar legend.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Santana is a highly influential psychedelic rock band. Though their sound has evolved over the years, they have remained true to their roots and continue to produce mind-blowing music that transcends genre. If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and check them out!