Influences
Bob Marley, Thelonius Monk, McCoy Tyner, Jimi Hendrix, Billy Cobham, John Coltrane and Miles Davis. I cant leave out the Minneapolis-bred group Atmosphere as a force thats sparked ideas for words and music.
Music is a burst of choices. Not only what note to play when and with what instrument, but whether to play a note at all. Salvador Santana, the 26-year-old keyboardist, vocalist, composer, and songwriter with strong Bay Area roots, knows what it means to navigate the infinite options of music. His 2008 innovative debut with the Salvador Santana Band--simply called SSB--pursued the scope of his ability. But for Santana, it wasn't enough. He has no choice but to push himself further.
He's fast at work, up and down the West Coast, recording a follow-up album that has him dropping the Band portion of SSB's moniker, placing the focus solely on Salvador Santana. Of course, he's not doing it alone. Collaboration has always been the centerpiece of his creations, and his yet untitled record is being built around the inspirations of two legends: Beastie Boy studio wizard Money Mark and Bay Area MC/producer Del the Funky Homosapien.
"With all the people I've ever collaborated with or just working by myself, I have never produced so many ideas into songs as I have during these Money Mark sessions. That guy is just a machine."
While Del is helping Santana hone his writing skills, Money Mark is opening up a way of recording that was previously unknown. He has turned Santana's ADD, something he heard was a handicap his entire life, into a tool for genius.
"ADD isn't a deficiency, it's actually just another way of learning. The way most schools want you to learn, doesn't apply to me. And kicking it with Money Mark, him being older than me and kind of mentoring me, he's showing me that it's cool to be all over the place. It's cool to sit there and work on a song, then out of nowhere, interrupt everything and work on another idea. To just go with it."
The disparate sounds of SSB were born out of live performances remade in the studio, with the exception of "Summer's Day," a catchy California anthem produced by Jurassic 5's DJ Nu-Mark. The song stood out among many stand outs, melding hip-hop and Beach Boys breeze, on an album that seamlessly moved through rock, funk, R&B and traditional Latin rhythms. Nu-Mark's production and Santana's keyboards are the foundation of "Summer's Day," eschewing the live instruments found on the rest of SSB, and it's the spark that drives the new record.
"With the last record, even though you get a variety of music, I feel like it was limited. And I don't want anything to sound limited on this new record, I want each song to be its own thing. And it's already turning out like that."
Santana is pushed by a need to step out of his comfort zone in a quest for new ideas. He jokingly says that he wants to combine polka and trance for a whole new genre of music, but as the saying goes, there's truth in every joke. "Even if there's a jazz song next to a reggae song, because there's something reoccurring, a through-line across the whole record, people will be able to feel why those songs are linked together."
Easy going and humble, Santana exudes the Bay Area vibe. He began playing the drums at age three--sitting on his father's lap, controlling the snare and tom, as his father worked the hi-hat and kick drum--but his true love was discovered when he began taking piano lessons when he was six. Later, he studied at San Francisco's heralded School of the Arts before attending Cal Arts in Valencia, CA. His education, passion and lineage has turned Santana into a monster on the keys, leading him to say that he's "a musician first, a vocalist second and a performer second-and-a-half."
Music truly thrives in his veins. His maternal grandfather was blues pioneer Saunders King and his paternal grandfather was the internationally celebrated violinist and mariachi bandleader Jose Santana. And, of course, his father is 10X Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana...who's also a frequent collaborator (Salvador got a Grammy for co-composing "El Farol" from 1999's smash album Supernatural).
But with his upcoming project, Salvador Santana will truly become a brand of his own.
"With the last record I was very passive and insecure, only because I wasn't listening to my gut, allowing my second opinions to get to me. Knowing what I know now, I could have played that part better. I don't ever want to have that feeling ever again."
In addition to his musical desires, Santana has worldly efforts on his mind. After a trip to South Africa and inspiring work with Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), something triggered inside of Santana to make sure his music wasn't only about personal glory. Once the record is released and he begins touring the project, Salvador will be posting various non-profit organizations on his website that will receive a percentage of the profits. "I want to use music in a positive way, and give back to people in need. There can never be enough people who do that." And there can never be enough musicians pushing their art to the brink.
VIDA LATINA PRESENTS THE GRAND OPENING OF FASHION KISS FRIDAYS NOV. 13TH, 2009 @ EROS LOUNGE (178TH SOUTHERN BLVD. BX, NY) COME EXPERIENCE THE HOTTEST AMBIENCE WHERE STYLE AND CLASS IS ALL THAT MATTERS LADIES FREE TIL 12AM ON GUESTLIST STRICK DRESS CODE::ARRIVE EARLY
FOR RESERVATIONS, B-DAYS & GUESTLIST CALL::646-919-8314 ATTENTION:: NEW VIDEO HALLOWEEN WEEKEND @ EROS LOUNGE #1 FRIDAY NIGHT ROCKING UPTOWN CHECK IT OUT!!
DOMINGO 15 DE NOVIEMBRE EVENTO EXCLUSIVO DESDE MEXICO LLEGA LEPROSY EN EXCLUSIVA DAMAS GRATIS HASTA LAS 10 PM EN QUEENS PALACE ESTE DOMINGO 3711 57 ST WOODSIDE QUEENS TREN 7 PARADA 61 ST SE RIFARAN 5 BOLETOS PARA EL EVENTO DEL HARAGAN Y LA BANDA BOSTICK EL ANIVERSARIO DE SONIDO CALUDA EN QUEENS PALACE EL DIA 20 DE NOVIEMBRE MUSICA SONIDERA Y MAS DAMAS GRATIS HASTA LAS 10 PM LOS ESPERAMOS
We are very excited about playing at such an awesome jazz club. We have some great sets lined up for you, so don't miss it. Friday and Saturday November 20th and 21st, 5:00-8:30p at Andy's Jazz Club in Chicago
Aaron Koppel -Guitar, Matt Nelson; (Lupe Fiasco, Matthew Santos) -Keyboard, Graham Czach; (Chicago Afrobeat Project) -bass, Robert Tucker (Matthew Santos) -drums
VIDA LATINA PRESENTS THE MOST ANTICIPATED ARTIST IN NEW YORK PERFORMING LIVE BLACK POINT FRIDAY NOV, 6TH 2009 W/ HIS SUMMER HIT "WATAGATAPITUSBERRY" LADIES FREE TIL 12AM ON GUESTLIST ONLY @ EROS LOUNGE (178TH SOUTHERN BLVD.) DOORS OPEN AT 10PM ARRIVE EARLY STRICK DRESS CODE SEXY & TRENDY IS A MUST --WARNING--SOLD OUT EVENT
FOR MORE INFO, B-DAYS & GUESTLIST CALL: 646-919-8314
!!!SALUDOS!!!MI MAS GRAN DESEO PARA TI SIEMPRE SON LOS MEJORESSERE MUY FELIZ EL DIA,QUE TODOS LOS SERES HUMANOS APRENDAMOS A RESPETARNOS Y A ENTENDER QUE TODOS VIVIMOS EN EL MISMO PLANETA...POR TANTO TODOS SOMOS HERMANOS TERRENALES PRODUCTO DE LA MISMA CREACION!!!REGALEMOSNOS UNOS A LOS OTROS MENSAJES DE PAZ,Y ESTA PERMANECERA SIEMPRE EN NUESTRAS VIDAS!!!QUE LA PAZ SEA CONTIGO!!!
Que tal Salvador nomas pase para saludarte y tambien para decirte que la rola Keyboard city te quedo a toda madre por aca nos vemos en Dallas ahora que inicies tu nueva gira saludos y cuidate ..
!!!!!LES DESEO A TODOS UN
MARAVILLOSO FIN DE SEMANA!!!CREO QUE TODOS LO MERECEMOS!!!!I WISH YOU
ALL A WANDERFULL WEKEEND!!!I THINK WE ALL DESERVE !!!GOD BLESS!!!
Tuned in for the first time in a while and like the new website. The new samples are really phatt! Really like them. Saw SSB in Stockholm a few years ago and really enjoyed the performance. Would love to see you here again. Bless