Act #12 Santana Saturday, August 16, 1969... 5:15 p.m.

Santana Woodstock Setlist Live

My Take:

From the opening Salvo, "Waiting", the Audience was captivated by Santana's unique blend of Rock and Latin Music.

"Evil Woman" followed and was extremely well received and I saw movement by all...

Their energetic performance, particularly "Soul Sacrifice," drew significant Applause and Cheers from the Crowd (especially the powerful energic Drum Solo by Michael Shrieve), indicating a strong connection with them throughout their Show... a relatively unknown band on the East Coast who was NOT KNOWN!... was NOW!!! I especially liked the Bongos and their ability to play them clearly throughout the Songs... Rock On ♪♪♪

I, personally, felt Santana's set was a highlight of the Festival. The Band's ability to engage the Crowd and create a sense of Unity resonated deeply... it contributed to the overall atmosphere of Peace and Celebration that Woodstock represented.

The Crowd was in a solid moving action throughout... the Noise factor was a 3 (Waiting) to 8 (Soul Sacrifice).

His Take:

"We were going on without having an Album out and a lot of people did not know us from Adam. It was kind of scary going out in front of that much of a crowd. But I felt if Bill Graham believed we could do it, we could do it."

Santana Musical Bio

Carlos Santana is a Mexican-born American musician known for his distinctive blend of rock, jazz, blues, and Afro-Cuban rhythms, creating a unique Latin sound. He was born on July 20, 1947, in Autlán de Navarro, Mexico. Santana began playing the violin at age five but switched to the guitar by age eight. As a teenager, he played in bands in Tijuana, Mexico, where he was influenced by local Norteño Music and Blues guitarists like T-Bone Walker and B.B. King.

In the mid-1960s, Santana's Family moved to San Francisco, where he became immersed in the burgeoning rock scene. In 1966, he formed the Santana Blues Band, which later became known simply as Santana. The band gained prominence after a career-defining performance at the Woodstock Festival in 1969, which introduced their Latin-infused rock sound to a global audience.

Santana's early Albums, such as "Santana" (1969), "Abraxas" (1970), and "Santana III" (1971), were critically acclaimed and commercially successful, featuring hits like "Evil Ways," "Black Magic Woman," and "Oye Como Va". The band underwent various Lineup changes and explored different Musical directions, including Jazz Fusion in the early 1970s.

Carlos Santana achieved a major comeback in 1999 with the album "Supernatural," which featured collaborations with artists like Rob Thomas and Eric Clapton. The album won 8 Grammy Awards and solidified Santana's place in Music history. Over his career, Santana has released numerous Albums and received several accolades, including induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1998.