Carlos Augusto Alves Santana s Influence On American Rock...

1. Introduction Carlos Augusto Alves Santana was born in 1947 in Autlan de Navorro, Mexico to Josefina Barragan de Santana and Jose Santana. Growing up he was influenced by American Rock and Roll artist and the music of his culture. Carlos is a self-taught guitar virtuoso and has played with many famous artist over the last forty-seven years and has been the major influence for the Latin Rock genre. He has won numerous awards for his music and philanthropy. 2. Career Beginnings Jose Santana was a professional mariachi violinist and insisted Carlos learn to play the violin at the age of five, but Carlos did not like the feel, smell, or sound of the violin (Heath). Jose moved the family to Tijuana in 1955 and there Carlos picked-up the guitar and began to play at the age of eight where. He would play Mexican folk songs in the streets charging fifty cents and work with his father’s band in the sleazy part of town. When he was fourteen he secured a job playing in strip clubs on Revolution Street in Tijuana and there he learned to play American rock and roll and blues music such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, and Little Richard (Biography). In the early 60’s Carlos and his family moved to San Francisco and there he was able to see performers such as B.B. King perform live. Carlos was influenced by many musicians. Not only did he idolized Muddy Waters and B. B. King, but he loved the styles of John Coltrane, Bob Marley, Ritchie Valens and Steve Ray Vaughn. Living in San Francisco in