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First Listen

Review: santana, 'santana iv'.

Felix Contreras

Note: NPR's First Listen audio comes down after the album is released. However, you can still listen with the Spotify playlist at the bottom of the page.

Santana's Santana IV Courtesy of the artists hide caption

Being in a band feels a lot like being in a relationship: Making music with another person borders on spiritual, and is one of the most intimate experiences you can share with another individual. That's precisely why the long-awaited reunion of mid-'70s-era Santana works so well on record: These musicians' chemistry is palpable, and it flows through Santana IV , their new album together.

Led by Carlos Santana , this band made history: No one had ever so successfully integrated complex Afro-Cuban rhythms with rock or jazz. Each of the band's first three albums were million-sellers, reflecting the popularity of the musicians' collective vision.

Some four decades later, they've reassembled for new music written in the spirit of their first blasts of percussion and fuzz tone. Santana IV captures that magic, while still updating it slightly. Drummer Michael Shrieve and conguero Michael Carabello lay a familiar rhythmic foundation that allows guitarists Carlos Santana and Neal Schon to inspire one another in solos that are as melodic as they are rhythmic. Gregg Rolie's vocals and keyboard work provide a visceral reminder of those first three albums. (Current Santana members Karl Perazzo on timbales and Benny Rietveld on bass replace original members who either couldn't participate or have passed away.)

In fact, if it sounds more familiar today than it did 40 years ago, that's to be expected — especially from the performers who invented this sound. To this day, no one does it better.

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SANTANA IV Reunites Legendary Band Lineup

First Single “Anywhere You Want To Go” to be released February 5, 2016

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — April 15, 2016 marks the release date of Santana IV, the wildly anticipated studio album that reunites the revered early ’70s lineup of guitar icon Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, lead vocals), Neal Schon (guitar, vocals), Michael Carabello (percussion) and Michael Shrieve (drums). The album signifies the first time in 45 years – since 1971’s multi-platinum classic Santana III – that the quintet has recorded together.

Santana IV features 16 all-new tracks written and produced by the band that burst with the same unparalleled energy and superlative musicianship that made Santana a pioneering force in world music and a household name across the globe. Joining the core Santana IV band in the studio are current Santana members Karl Perazzo (percussion) and Benny Rietveld (bass), with the legendary vocalist Ronald Isley guesting on two cuts.

The origins for the reunion go back several years, when Schon suggested that he and Carlos Santana record together. Santana liked the idea but went one better, proposing that they recruit Rolie, Shrieve and Carabello for what would be called Santana IV. After initial writing sessions and rehearsals took place in 2013, the group recorded throughout 2014 and 2015, amassing 16 spellbinding tracks that combined all their signature elements – Afro-Latin rhythms, soaring vocals, electrifying blues-psychedelic guitar solos, and irrepressibly jubilant percussion work – with widescreen hooks and melodies that will lodge themselves in the thicket of listeners’ senses and stay there.

“It was magical,” Santana says. “We didn’t have to try to force the vibe – it was immense. From there, we then needed to come up with a balance of songs and jams that people would immediately identify as Santana.”

The band’s signature sound arrives forcefully on the album opener “Yambu,” a righteously gritty and soulful stomper teeming with swirling B3 organ hooks and walloping guitar crunch.

The first single, “Anywhere You Want to Go,” is destined to storm the pantheon of Santana classics. Written by Gregg Rolie, it’s a sexy, body-shaking winner and an unmistakable tip of the hat to the inescapable cha-cha/Latin jazz charms of “Oye Como Va.”

Ronald Isley (The Isley Brothers) is a special guest on two tracks. His vocals highlight the feverishly impassioned Latin-rock workout “Love Makes the World Go Round” and the hard-edged and funky “Freedom in Your Mind.” Guitar fans expecting fireworks from Santana and Schon will cherish Santana IV from front to back. “All Aboard” is a no-holds-barred guitar jam of the highest order, as is the slinky, soulful metal cruncher “Caminando,” which explodes with tectonic axe force. And on the unabashedly British blues-tinged “Shake It,” the two go toe to toe on not one but two extended solo runs that will have lovers of unhinged fretboard work rejoicing.

“Carlos and I feel more connected than ever,” says Schon. “We get super-aggressive when we play, but also melodic and poetic. We have an incredible dialog with each other on our guitars.”

Santana’s recurring themes of love and tolerance are common threads throughout Santana IV, most dramatically on the epic tone poem album closer “Forgiveness,” a languid and breathtakingly gorgeous atmospheric groover.

Music fans familiar with the “roaring lion” artwork on Santana’s 1969 debut album will instantly greet Heather Griffin-Vine’s graphic for Santana IV as a gloriously realized update of that iconic image. “I really think the music goes along with the cover, and vice versa,” says Santana. “It all fits together beautifully.”

Few bands can pick up a musical dialog after 45 years apart, but on Santana IV each band member reaches a new level of virtuosity and communal intuition on a collection of songs that easily stands side-by-side with the group’s treasured early work.

“When you can go back and break new ground with joy and determination – and  some whoop-ass energy – it gets you going,” says Santana. “I think we achieved something very rare. This music was screaming to come out of us. It wasn’t about nostalgia. It was about passion.”

Santana IV will be released on April 15, 2016, on Santana IV Records and is distributed by Thirty Tigers/RED Distribution. It will be available for pre-order on Amazon. For the CD click here, and for the LP click here. The album will be CD, Double 180 Gram Vinyl with Download Card and Digital configurations.

As a special offer for fans attending select shows on Santana’s upcoming Luminosity tour, a CD copy of SANTANA IV is included with every pair of tickets.  This offer will be redeemed via a promo code at MusicRedemptions.com.

Management: – Scott Boorey   Media Contact: [email protected]

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Watch Santana Begin ‘Santana IV’ Tour With Las Vegas Warm-Up Gig

Santana fans don't have much longer to wait before they can hear the band's original lineup reunite on the new Santana IV LP — and they don't have to wait at all to see the group take the stage.

The new-old Santana, featuring guitarist Carlos Santana alongside keyboardist/vocalist Gregg Rolie , guitarist Neal Schon , percussionist Michael Carabello and drummer Michael Shrieve, played the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas on March 21, and you can watch a portion of the show via the fan-shot footage above. The band's performance was filmed for television and home video release, but the band has a few other things to get out of the way first.

The first order of business is Santana's upcoming tour, which is scheduled to begin in earnest on April 13 — two days before the release of the new album — and continue throughout the year. The band is booked to perform a handful of co-headlining dates with Journey , as well as an all-star homecoming concert with the Doobie Brothers and the Steve Miller Band in San Francisco on Sept. 4. For a complete list of shows and detailed ticketing information, visit the official Santana site .

The first single from Santana IV , "Anywhere You Want to Go," went to radio in early February . You can sample the song now  and check out the set list from the band's warm-up gig below.

Santana Set List, March 21, 2016 (House of Blues Las Vegas) "Soul Sacrifice" "Evil Ways" "Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen" "Oye Como Va" "Love Makes the World Go 'Round" "Freedom in Your Mind" "Toussaint L'Ouverture"

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August 17, 2023

CARLOS: THE SANTANA JOURNEY GLOBAL PREMIERE

On September 23, 24 & 27, be among the first to see the new movie CARLOS, including an exclusive introduction featuring director Rudy Valdez and Carlos Santana.

At the age of 5, in his native Mexico, he learned to play the violin. At 8, he developed a lifelong love for the guitar. At 14, he honed those guitar virtuoso skills and his performance style working as a street musician, starting his own band long after, while still a teenager. And at 22 — just before his first album was released to acclaim — Carlos Santana became one of the major discoveries of Woodstock, anchoring the famous festival’s second afternoon on August 16, 1969.

A music industry legend for 50 years and a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, Santana continues to be one of the music world’s premiere artists, blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with a rock n’ roll spirituality and a sense of connection to music’s primal connection to our deepest emotions.

The electric documentary CARLOS utilizes new interviews with Santana and his family alongside extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage — including home video recordings Santana himself made; concert footage; and behind- the-scenes moments — as two-time Emmy-winning director Rudy Valdez creates an intimate, rich documentary about a man whose sound casts a spell on fans who love — as one of Santana’s famous titles says— “how his rhythm goes.”

General theatrical release begins September 29.

For more information, click here .

April 21, 2023

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February 28, 2023

Santana Announces 1001 Rainbows Tour Summer 2023 Dates

The Tour Will Celebrate His Career-Spanning Hits From Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos … Read More

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About the Album

April 15 marks the release date of Santana IV, the wildly anticipated studio album that reunites the revered early ‘70s lineup of guitar icon Carlos Santana (guitar, vocals), Gregg Rolie (keyboards, lead vocals), Neal Schon (guitar, vocals), Michael Carabello (percussion) and Michael Shrieve (drums). The album signifies the first time in 45 years – since 1971’s multi-platinum classic Santana III – that the quintet has recorded together.

Santana IV features 16 all-new tracks written and produced by the band that burst with the same unparalleled energy and superlative musicianship that made Santana a pioneering force in world music and a household name across the globe. Joining the core Santana IV band in the studio are current Santana members Karl Perazzo (percussion) and Benny Rietveld (bass), with the legendary vocalist Ronald Isley guesting on two cuts.

The origins for the reunion go back several years, when Schon suggested that he and Carlos Santana record together. Santana liked the idea but went one better, proposing that they recruit Rolie, Shrieve and Carabello for what would be called Santana IV. After initial writing sessions and rehearsals took place in 2013, the group recorded throughout 2014 and 2015, amassing 16 spellbinding tracks that combined all their signature elements – Afro-Latin rhythms, soaring vocals, electrifying blues-psychedelic guitar solos, and irrepressibly jubilant percussion work – with widescreen hooks and melodies that will lodge themselves in the thicket of listeners’ senses and stay there.

The first single, “Anywhere You Want to Go,” is destined to storm the pantheon of Santana classics. Written by Gregg Rolie, it’s a sexy, body-shaking winner and an unmistakable tip of the hat to the inescapable cha-cha/Latin jazz charms of “Oye Como Va.”

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Santana IV (Album Trailer)

Carlos santana adds his personal touch to the nfloncbs theme, santana headlines, carlos santana “doing well” after collapsing on stage.

Carlos Santana posted on social media Wednesday saying he is “good just taking it easy” after the legendary guitarist collapsed on stage Tuesday night. According to a statement on his official website, the cause of the incident was heat exhaustion and dehydration. Video of the 74-year-old fainting during his show in Michigan quickly surfaced on … Continue reading Carlos Santana “Doing Well” After Collapsing on Stage →

Santana Announces 2020 Summer Tour with Earth, Wind & Fire

Santana will head out on a 32-date tour this summer along with Earth, Wind & Fire. The Miraculous Supernatural 2020 tour will kick off June 19th in Chula Vista, CA and wrap up August 29th in Tampa, FL. In addition to dates across the U.S, the tour will make stops in 2 Canadian cities. See … Continue reading Santana Announces 2020 Summer Tour with Earth, Wind & Fire →

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Yearly Archives: 2024

April 22, 2024, just announced – albuquerque, nm – isleta amphitheater.

New show just added to the Tour Calendar for Albuquerque, NM. Fan Club Presale: Tues, April 23 at 10am – Thurs, April 25 at 10pm MTPublic On Sale: Fri, April 26 at 10am MT 

February 29, 2024

Carlos, rob thomas playing carnegie hall in honor of clive davis.

The New York Pops orchestra will honor legendary record executive Clive Davis at its 41st Birthday Gala in April, and many of the artists who’ve worked with Davis over the years will gather to perform at the event at New York’s Carnegie … Read More

February 13, 2024

Santana to join fool in love festival 8/31 at hollywood park grounds.

Visit https://www.foolinlove.com/ for more info. Register now for Presale that starts Friday, February 16th at 10 AM PT.

Santana And Counting Crows Announce Oneness Tour 2024  

Tickets Available Starting Wednesday, February 14 with Citi Presale General On Sale Begins February 16 at Santana.com & CountingCrows.com GRAMMY-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist Carlos Santana alongside GRAMMY and Academy Award-nominated rock band Counting Crows have announced … Read More

February 6, 2024

Santana announces fall 2024 residency at house of blues las vegas at mandalay bay.

Tickets for new dates go on sale Friday, Feb. 9 at 10 a.m. PT As he wraps up another successful run at House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino this past weekend, Carlos Santana is excited to announce additional performances of An Intimate Evening with Santana: … Read More

January 12, 2024

Santana releases new single “let the guitar play” featuring darryl “dmc” mcdaniels.

Out now on Candid Records Today, legendary guitarist Carlos Santana released “Let The Guitar Play,” a reimagination of his 2021 song “Song for Cindy.” Teaming up with producer’s Lino Nicolosi, Nicolosi Team, and Narada Michael Walden (Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey), … Read More

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