When you think of the Mount Rushmore of guitar players, a few names have to be included. The first name that comes to mind might be Jim Hendrix or Eric Clapton, but you won’t get too far before placing the great Carlos Santana amongst legendary six-string slayers.
For over fifty-years and over 100 million records, Carlos Santana has been a global icon of guitar enthusiasts and music lovers alike. Santana is a pioneer, playing professionally since 1964, and releasing 35 albums along his long journey to musical glory. Now, Santana has something new for his worldwide fan base to grin about.
Santana’s upcoming album, Shape Shifter, will be his 36th album, and the first off of his very own, brand new label, Starfaith Records. The album comes complete with 13-tracks, showing the mastery and brilliance of Carlos Santana’s instrumentals, along with the full Santana band, including his son Salvador Santana (piano). Shape Shifter is set for release on May 15th, and the album is fueled by Santana’s instantly recognizable virtuoso lead guitar and the Santana Band’s world-class musicianship.
Shape Shifter is a collection of mostly original compositions that Carlos Santana has been stashing away for such an instrumental project, which has been long awaited by die-hard fans. Like every album with the Santana name attached, he conceived the album’s sequence as thoughtfully as its track selection. Santana has long been making music that breaks through all cultural and language barriers, and Shape Shifter will follow suit!
Santana has dedicated this particular album to Native American Indians, acknowledging Australia’s 2008 apology to the Aborigines, and President Obama’s signing of the 2009 Native American Apology Resolution. Santana stated, “I encourage any and all countries (that have not as yet done so) to acknowledge the first people of their land, and make this a collective global effort.”
With that in mind, and Santana’s previous musical catalog, Shape Shifter will continue to break down barriers and walls with the power of music and the movement of dance.
Article By: Kris Siuta