Tito's first successes came in Mambo, where his hit "Abaniquito" became one of the first cross-over hits. He then moved to cha-cha-cha in the late fifties, and later to Afro-Cuban music in 1960. In this year, he recorded Pachanga Con Puente, with the hit "Caramelos", and in 1962 he recorded El Rey Bravo which yielded what is, in my opinio (the only one that matters), simply the greatest song ever of Latin-Jazz and quite possibly any form of music anywhere, Oye Como Va. He continued to record and perform throughout the seventies and eighties, inspiring an army of followers. Having already recorded over 100 albums and won four Grammys, he recieved his fifth just months before his unfortunate death on June the first, 2000.
Carlos Santana was born and raised in Mexico, and introduced to the traditional music of his culture at the early age of five. He moved to Tijuana in 1955 where he developed a taste for the guitar, inspired by such greats as John L. Hooker and B.B. King. His interest moved from traditional music to rock 'n' roll, and he performed in a number of bands on the "Tijuana Strip", renowned for its clubs. 1961, he moved to San Fransisco to join the bustling music scene of the Bay area, and within five years, he and his Santana Blues Band was performing at the historic Fillmore West. On August 16th, 1969, he performed at Woodstock, where he would become known throughout the music industry. In that same year, he released Santana, his debut album, which featured "Evil Ways". In 1970, he released Abraxas, which featured "Black Magic Woman" and, of course, "Oye Como Va". He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and has sold up to date eight gold and eight platinum albums. For more information, visit his site at http://www.santana.com .
That's it for my look at Latin Rock. As usual, any comments or questions are welcome via e-mail or the discussion pages. Until next time, rock on! (Me ritmo!)
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