|
The world according to Santana
The famously outspoken and spiritual guitarist shares some of his philosophies:
By Times staff
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 21, 2002
 |
A good time to tour
Carlos Santana has sung of unity and harmony before, but this time there's a difference. |
ON TERRITORY: I don't believe in flags. I pay my taxes here and I live here, but I honor no flag. I believe in the heart of mankind. I honor the feet of God and the heart of mankind.
We can't be seduced by flags and money and religion. All that stuff is a sign and design to separate humanity from each other.
ON EDUCATION: We must instill in schools not religion or politics, but passion for compassion. There are no schools to teach you how to be a good parent, or a better son. They teach you ABC and 1-2-3 and history.
History is really His Story, not my story, because history is really the Caucasian white man's story. From Europe. The only history of America includes very little Malcolm X or Martin Luther King or American Indians.
ON WOMEN: "Accuracy" in history is not accurate. The new history for this planet -- women must have center stage. All over the world. Instead of being someone's property, women have to step out and say -- sisters, mothers, daughters, wives -- say, "We unite and we're not going to give you what you think you need from us until you give us what we need."
ON RELIGION: I feel that the altar of God is everywhere. I went to Jerusalem, and I've been to Rome. I didn't find God any less or more than I find God in the back of a New York cab.
I think what's sacred about Buddha, Krishna, Allah, Rama, Jesus Christ is how I work with you. How I work with my daughter and my musicians. How I work with people every day in the streets.
Beauty, excellence, elegance, grace and dignity -- that's what's sacred.
ON MUSIC: I just went to see Mr. Placido Domingo for the first time. This year I am going to get into more Italian operas. They had their own way of expressing the blues.
I'm learning. I'm still very open to discovering God's voice in many, many things.
ON BRINGING LATIN MUSIC TO THE WORLD: Before me, there was Tito Puente and so many others. But we took it to a different level.
I feel honored when I go to Rome or Africa and I'm not considered a tourist. Like the Champs Elysees -- a circle in Paris where all the streets are connected -- that's like Santana: we're connected to the Italians, the French, the Africans, the Spanish and Japanese and Navajos. People don't consider us an outsider. They say, "Oh, you're part of the family."
ON HAVING FANS OF ALL AGES: With Supernatural we reached immense amounts of people: parents, grandparents, teenagers, little children. I mean children. I was hanging around with my daughter and 'N Sync and Britney Spears at one event. We all had a mutual admiration for each other.
Back to Weekend
© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
|
