Carlos Santana recalls the ultimate musical experience of his life — a live performance by Jimi Hendrix that left him speechless, both because of the legendary guitarist's talent and the... psychedelic states of the era.
Speaking on the podcast "In Service Of", the 77-year-old guitarist revealed that the greatest concert he has ever seen was at the Northern California Folk-Rock Festival in 1969, where he participated with his band, Santana, alongside names like Jefferson Airplane, Chuck Berry and of course, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
"It was beyond the supernatural, beyond description," he said characteristically. "The way he 'painted' his guitar that day was simply galactic. I had never heard him play better before – even though I saw him many times after that. But that day something extremely magical happened."
Santana admits that the LSD he took may have influenced his experience, but as he emphasizes: "It wasn't just the psychedelia. Hendrix took us to the edge of the universe and brought us back with a single breath. We looked at him and said, 'Who is this guy?'"
Growing up in San Francisco, Santana was a regular at the legendary Fillmore, which he calls his “alma mater.” There, he soaked up everything — from Cream and The Who to Chuck Berry and Howlin' Wolf. “I was like a sponge,” he says.
Today, Santana is also known to younger generations for songs like "Smooth" with Rob Thomas, but he himself believes that his music serves something greater: "I came into this world to remind people that they are worthy, that God loves them and honors them. Every soul is number one in the heart of God."
His message is summed up in one sentence: "God made the world round so that we all had a place on the stage. He made the circle so big so that no one would be left out."
Santana releases his new book, "Carlos Santana: Love, Devotion, Surrender," a visual journey through previously unpublished photographs and personal stories, on May 27. In March, he also released his new compilation album, "Sentient," featuring previously unreleased tracks from his archive.
