The last time Carlos Santana played Pine Knob Music Theatre, things didn’t go exactly as planned.
The legendary guitarist was performing at the Clarkston, Michigan, amphitheater last July when, nine songs into his set, he collapsed on stage. His concert was abruptly halted as he was rushed to the emergency room at McLaren Clarkston, where he was treated for exhaustion and dehydration.
He was released later that night, and both Santana and his wife, Cindy, posted messages on social media thanking fans for their support. After shelving several concerts and taking time to recuperate, he was back on stage two and a half weeks later, and the 10-time Grammy winner has been running on all cylinders ever since.
Looking back, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist says the Pine Knob incident was just a blip on his radar.
“I don’t think about that at all. That’s nowhere in my world,” says Santana, on the phone recently from his home in Las Vegas. “To me it just happened, just like anything else. When you’re walking, sometimes you fall down and you get up and you never even remember falling down.”
We talked to the 75-year-old rocker, whose signature guitar style has influenced decades of players, about the Pine Knob incident, performing for live audiences, his relationship with Detroit and the meaning of life. Note: questions and responses have been edited for clarity.
Q. You’re performing at Pine Knob almost a year to the date after last year’s on-stage incident. What do you remember about that night?
A. Last year I had food poisoning in Chicago, and my stomach was really pissed off and didn’t want to hold down anything, including water. So I basically was depleted, and because it was so hot, and with the lights — I’m not making excuses — I just ran out of batteries. Like a battery, I ran out of energy. I didn’t collapse: Someone told me, “just sit down for a little bit, because you’re running out of energy,” and I said, “oh, OK.” There was no pain or anything like that. I remember Earth, Wind and Fire played incredible, and we were playing incredible until I couldn’t do it anymore. One thing about Santana, no matter what condition I’m in, I’m going to bring the energy, and that’s why I passed out: I put out so much energy that I passed out. But now I’m fine. I’m drinking a lot of water, and I’m totally healthy.
Q. What did that night teach you about life, about touring and about your health?
A. It taught me to be more appreciative. Like for example, this year we’ve lost Jeff Beck, Burt Bacharach and a lot of great musicians. I’m still here. I can still eat tacos and I can still play guitar, so I’m grateful I’m here. I have a lot more drive and a lot more enthusiasm, because I have a deep appreciation for life.
Q. You’re 75 now. How are you feeling? Do you feel as sharp as ever?
A. I have more clarity and more sense of purpose, and I have less fear and less worry than I ever had. I have a lot of certainty and assurance and that’s very, very important, because that’s what gives you confidence. And there’s nothing more sensuous than confidence.
Q. What do you truly love about playing live? Do you do it for yourself, or do you do it for the audience? What do you get from the experience of being on stage and playing live?
A. I love the feeling that from heaven, through me, and to the audience is an energy that makes people celebrate their spiritual energy. And also they get very, very horny — in a good way. They become sexually aroused. Especially the women, they start moving a certain way: they’re like flowers when they meet the sun and water. It’s a natural, normal thing, but Santana really brings that, more than any band. It’s important to bless the gift of being sexually aroused.
Q. Absolutely. What is the happiest you’ve ever been on stage, and what is it that made that moment so magical?
A. It happens a lot, but one of them was playing in New Jersey, we played with Amnesty International (at 1986’s A Conspiracy of Hope concerts), and I got to sit in with Miles Davis, Rubén Blades and the Neville Brothers, all in one day. I was happier than a two-headed cat at a fish market. When you’re invited to play with Miles Davis on stage? I mean come on, man. That’s like being with Einstein, Picasso, Da Vinci. I’m talking about a genius, genius, genius genius. It’s something I will cherish and treasure the rest of my life, all my life, all my incarnations.
Q. You’ve been going out and playing summer tours forever. How do you prepare for a summer tour?
A. I prepare myself by grabbing my guitar and going over finger muscle memory. I take my fingers for a walk with Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray, and then all the women: Tina Turner, Etta James, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Aretha. I play really close to them. When they sing, I don’t get in their way. I am there to compliment whoever gets in front of me, and that’s why Santana is able to coexist with so many artists: I listen, and as soon as they finish, I am there to compliment what they said, to a whole other level.
I go inside my heart, I close my eyes and I play with whoever at that moment. I love playing my guitar with Marvin Gaye and Michael Jackson. With Marvin, “Trouble Man” is one of my favorites, or “What’s Going On,” or “I Want You.” I’ll play anything by Bob Dylan or Bob Marley. I hang around with both Bobs, in stereo. One time I learned Aretha’s album “Lady Soul,” the whole album: the bass parts, the drum parts, the guitar parts, her parts. I learned everything about that album, and now when I listen to it, it’s very normal and natural for me to just get in it and know where and when to compliment it. I’m always learning how to articulate new melodies, new rhythms, new sensations and emotions. Everything from food to sex, it should never be the same. If it’s the same, you’re doing something wrong. It should always be new and fresh.
Q. You’ve been living in Las Vegas for the last decade or so. How do you like living in Las Vegas?
A. There’s a lot of people here like me. There’s a lot of people who I call Weapons of Mass Compassion: people who wake up in the morning to be of service, to call people, to educate people. There’s one side of Las Vegas that’s kind of like a Disneyland for grown-ups. And then there’s the other side of Las Vegas, around Las Vegas, with these Weapons of Mass Compassion people, and those are people I’ve been around my whole life, even when I was in San Francisco. People who wake up to be of service to humanity, in way way or another.
Q. Weirdly, we’ve come to a point in technology where artificial intelligence is being used to make music, and in some instances people are saying hey, this might not be that bad. How do you feel about AI-generated music?
A. I’m on the other side of that. I don’t go out and make love to a robot. I don’t hang out with people who have artificial intelligence, virtual reality and alternative truths. All that to me is bulls—. There’s no alternative truth, you’re either telling the truth or you’re lying. I’m 75 years old, and what I’ve learned is to be true to your spirit. Anyone can create, but does it make you feel better as a human being when you hear the music? If you just want to be entertained, go see a circus. You’ll see a bear riding a motorcycle or something, and the clowns, and all that, which is beautiful. I’m not saying it’s bad. But if you want to be moved and uplifted and transformed, go see real musicians and real music.
Q. What has your relationship with Detroit been like over the years?
A. I’ve been coming to Detroit since 1888 or whatever, and the connection between Santana and Detroit is vast. Because I learned from the epicenter of Detroit, which is Motown, Aretha, Kenny Burrell, Paul Chambers, and a lot of great jazz musicians. To me, Detroit is home to some of the greatest musicians of all-time. Some people might get upset at this, but that’s tough: Motown had more No. 1s than the Beatles and the Rolling Stones combined. Look it up. And I think that we, as Americans, should value that. Sometimes Americans are way too much into worshipping our brothers from England. And look, I love the Beatles and I love the Rolling Stones; however, you can keep Queen Elizabeth. I’d rather have Aretha, she’s my queen.
Q. Carlos, it’s been great chatting with you. What have you found is the meaning of it all? Why are we here?
A. It’s all about pursuing happiness. It’s all about pursuing how to elevate, transform and illuminate humanity’s consciousness. Everything else is gibberish and a waste of time.
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