Santana

Carlos Santana

• Occupation: Guitarist, songwriter, musician
• Instruments: Guitar
• Venue: The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel Casino
• Official Web page: www.santana.com
• Birthday: July 20, 1947, Autlan de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico.
• Birth name: Carlos Augusto Santana Alves
• Performing name: Carlos Santana
• Years performing: Since 1966
• Early life: The son of a vituoso Mariachi violinist, he followed in his father's musical footsteps, learning to play the violin at the age of 5. He began playing his signature instrument - the guitar - at the age of 8. His family moved in 1955 to Tijuana and his guitar skills blossomed as he listened on the radio to American rock 'n' roll musicians such as John Lee Hooker, T. Bone Walker and B.B. King. The family moved in 1961 to San Francisco's Mission District, where his father hoped to to get work as a professional musician and his mother hoped to find work as an artist. In San Francisco, he was influenced by blues, jazz and folk music and the fledgling hippie movement.
• Early career: In 1966, he formed the Santana Blues Band and became part of the San Francisco Bay Area music scene of the late '60s. The band, which became known simply as Santana, played to packed houses on a cross-country tour and performed on Ed Sullivan's TV show.
• Breakthrough: The band's electrifying performance in 1969 at Woodstock got them national exposure and a recording contract. The first album, "Santana," reached No. 4 on U.S. album charts in 1969 and the single, "Evil Ways," made it to No. 9 on the Billboard charts.
• Top Hits: "Black Magic Woman, No. 4 in 1971, "Oye Como Va," No. 13 in 1971; "Smooth," No. 1 in 1999; "Maria Maria," No. 1 in 2000; "The Game of Love," No. 5, 2002 (featuring Michelle Branch).
• Honors: In August 2003, he was named 15th on Rolling Stone magazine's List of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." "Supernatural," recorded in 1999, has sold more than 15 million copies and won nine Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, Record of the Year and Song of the Year.
• Current: "Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits" at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, May 27-June 14; Aug. 26-Sept. 9.
• Tickets: Ticketmaster.com.