Carlos Santana

Best known for the group that bears his name, Carlos Santana has been reinventing and reshaping the landscape of the known universe’s musical culture for almost four decades. A constantly evolving and visionary artist with no regards for genre boundaries, Carlos’ fluid sound long ago laid claim to the concept of “world music” before the term ever hit the pop culture radar.

As profound as his artistic legacy is Santana’s history of humanitarian and social activism. In 1998, following decades of support for many charities, he and his wife, author Deborah Santana, launched the Milagro Foundation, which has granted over $1.8 million to organizations supporting underserved children in the areas of health, education and the arts. Santana is also deeply involved in fighting the AIDS pandemic through a partnership with Artists for A New South Africa.

Born in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico (where there’s a street and square in his name) to the son of a virtuoso Mariachi violinist, Carlos took up violin at age five. When his family later moved to Tijuana, Santana began his lifelong relationship with the instrument that would make him a musical icon–-the guitar.