Carlos Santana: When it comes to being 'Supernatural'

Guitarist Carlos Santana is one of the most recognized Latin soloists.

Photo:

Jorge Padeiro / EFE

PHOTO:

Jorge Padeiro / EFE

They celebrate 20 years of one of his most successful and famous albums in the history of modern music.

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June 14, 2019, 10:21 PMDAniel CasasJune 14, 2019, 10:21 PM

Twenty years ago, on June 15, 1999, Carlos Santana released Supernatural, the eighteenth studio album of his career and which, without imagining it, became his most successful and to date one of the best-selling albums in the history of music, with more than 30 million copies in the world, 11.8 of them in the United States. And when it reached the top of the album sales charts in that country, it had been 28 years since his last number one, Santana III, in 1971.

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Suddenly, in just a few months, Santana, with 30 years of artistic career, went from being a revered dinosaur of rock to a popular figure that competed on a par with Britney Spears, N'Sync, Destiny's Child or Celine Dion. Supernatural includes its only number ones on the singles charts in the United States, especially Smooth, a collaboration with Rob Thomas, then singer of the band Matchbox Twenty, who was in that position for 12 consecutive weeks and who in 2018, according to Billboard magazine, It is the second most successful song of all time.

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But the history of Supernatural, although unheard of, began in 1968 with the president of Columbia Records, Clive Davis, who had been in office for a couple of years with the slogan of championing rock. Not in vain, in those days the names of Moby Grape, Janis Joplin, Blood Sweat And Tears and Chicago Transit Authority (later Chicago), among others of that current, were added to the Columbia catalog. Bill Graham, the most famous concert impresario , invited Davis to his famous Fillmore West theater to see a new band called Santana, noted for their ability to blend rock and blues with the African polyrhythms of Latin music. In 1969 Santana signed a 20-year contract with Columbia, and his first three albums, Santana, Abraxas and Santana III, between 1969 and 1971, made him one of the most famous names in rock and one of the best guitarists in the world. Since then , his career wandered between that fame and a series of albums that were never a paragon of surprises or innovations. Much less of songs recognized in the world of hits , with the exception of Winning and Hold On, positions 17 and 15 on the charts, between 1981 and 1982, respectively. In 1990 the contract between Santana and Columbia expired and the musician published a couple of studio albums and one more in concert with the Polydor label, but his career was still faltering, despite being in great demand in concert. In 1998, Clive Davis reappeared in Santana's life, and like three decades ago, he now signed him to the label he owned, Arista Records, with the clear intention of putting him on the pedestal he deserved.

Between the two of them they put together this, one of the most brilliant albums that contemporary music has produced.

He convinced him to make an album that, without losing his style, would include a current sound, with solid, commercial songs capable of conquering new audiences. To do this, they worked with producers such as Wyclef Jean, KC Porter, Matt Serletic, the famous Dust Brothers and the British Stephen Harris, among others. And they carefully studied a list of artists who could collaborate with him. In a fascinating musical universe, the presence of Rob Thomas, Dave Matthews, Everlast, Lauryn Hill, Cee Lo Green, Eagle Eye Cherry, Eric Clapton and the duet The Product G&B , a novel sponsored by Wyclef Jean, resulted in a collection of songs that still shine for their freshness and emotion . Without detracting from the genius of the other songs on the album, the path was opened by the aforementioned Smooth, which later won three Grammy Awards. Later, the delicate rhythm & blues of Maria Maria with The Product G&B, which also won a Grammy, and another number one, now for 10 weeks. There was the very personal and pseudo-acoustic Put Your Lights On, by the former rapper Everlast (with one more Grammy). The sophisticated Love Of My Life with the great Dave Matthews, and that incredible pop rock interaction with Maná, for the fabulous Corazón espinado, which would become a success in the Latin markets.

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Supernatural received 8 Grammy Awards, tying Michael Jackson's Thriller, and demonstrated at the time not only the relevance of Carlos Santana as a musician, but also the ability of Clive Davis as an entrepreneur and visionary of the music business. Between the two of them they put together this, one of the most brilliant albums that contemporary music has produced.

DANIEL CASASJournalist and music critic@danielcasasc

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