Between his initial engagement at the Hard Rock Hotel and his long-running residency at the House of Blues—which resumes August 25—Carlos Santana has been a spirited Las Vegas headliner for about a decade now. He has connected with the local community in ways he couldn’t envision, maintained a home here and joyfully served as a steward raising awareness for worthwhile causes; his upcoming series of concerts will raise money for the Milagro Foundation and the House of Blues Music Forward Foundation.
Speaking from his home in Hawaii, Santana starts our conversation by thanking me for talking to him: “We need each other. We both need to spread the good news. We’re not survivors, getting by and getting through. By God’s grace, we’re able to withstand this thing that happened and come out stronger, clearer and with more certainty and confidence that now what we have to share with people is a lot sweeter and a lot more juicy because we’ve been replenishing.”
What does it mean to you to be part of the return of live entertainment in Las Vegas? It’s a blessing and a golden opportunity. I have never looked at [music] as a job or an opportunity or even as a profession. For my wife [drummer Cindy Blackman Santana] and I, it always has been a way of life. My father did it, and his father, and his father and now my son does it. And like water and air, we are an ingredient that people gotta have. It gives them hope and courage, more unity and harmony, and more believing that we can coexist as spiritual adults, and have fun like kids.
I’m sure you never expected to have a residency show running this long in Las Vegas. No. My first time playing in Las Vegas was with the Grateful Dead [March 29, 1969, at the Ice Palace]. We opened for them a lot, and at that time, hippies weren’t allowed on the Strip in Las Vegas or in Lake Tahoe, so we grew up almost like adversaries with Las Vegas until the situation presented itself to be at the Hard Rock first, for a year and a half, then the House of Blues. That’s when I realized the things I was afraid of in Las Vegas or on Broadway, that you would become like a hamster going around and around, I thought, no, dissolve that fear. I look at it like this: People say, “Santana, we came all the way from Paris or from Sydney. Would you take a photograph with us?” They came from Australia, 12 of them, paying money at the airport and the airline and the hotel and the tickets. So, yeah, I’ll take a picture. I’ll take two pictures with you! I’ve learned to be infinitely more grateful to be in Las Vegas.
Plus, I have become really involved with the community, with Three Square [Food Bank] and a few other organizations that give back. There are so many people in Las Vegas that don’t get their credit, people I call weapons of mass compassion. They wake up every day just to serve or heal or bring comfort. It’s really commendable.
How different will your show be when you’re back onstage this summer? A new intro, a new middle and a new ending. Rick Rubin and I did 49 songs together in 10 days three or four years ago, and we used some of them on [2019 album] Africa Speaks. We’ve got [more] of them coming out on this new album, Blessings and Miracles. We’ve got Steve Winwood singing “A Whiter Shade of Pale.” We have Kirk Hammett playing guitar on a song called “America for Sale.” We have Rob Thomas singing on a single coming out soon called “Move,” and we have this incredible singer Ally Brooke, who sings a song that’s kind of an anti-suicide anthem. There are 14 songs, very vibrant, and for being 73 years old, this stuff is kicking some serious booty with energy.
Next year you’re touring with Earth, Wind and Fire, which seems like a natural fit. What’s your relationship with their music? Have you toured with them before? We toured with them in 1975 in Europe and they were so incredible. I love their music and their spirit. There are these three words that are really important that are constantly hovering around in my circumference—ingredients, nutrients and components. Earth, Wind and Fire and Santana, we have the ingredients, nutrients and components to elevate people beyond, into a place that’s like a spiritual revival. One thing that never gets old—what the original hippies believe in—we want to change the world. We still believe in changing the consciousness of this planet. Some people become complacent, arrogant or cynical, but that’s not us. That will never be us. We still feel with enthusiasm, and we believe purity and innocence are things you don’t misplace or lose, ever. That’s what happens when you see Earth, Wind and Fire and Santana. We’re gonna make you dance. We’re gonna make you laugh and cry and dance at the same time. I guarantee it.
SANTANA Resumes August 25, House of Blues, 702-632-7600, houseofblues.com/lasvegas.
Click HERE to subscribe for free to the Weekly Fix, the digital edition of Las Vegas Weekly! Stay up to date with the latest on Las Vegas concerts, shows, restaurants, bars and more, sent directly to your inbox!
