Carlos Santana Returns to Stage Following Heart Procedure
by Best Classic Bands Staff
Carlos Santana (Photo ©Jay Blakesberg; used with permission)
Carlos Santana returned to the concert stage Wednesday night (January 26, 2022) following what was initially described as an “unscheduled heart procedure” two months’ earlier. The groundbreaking guitarist who expanded rock music with Latin, jazz and Afro-Cuban styles with such songs as “Evil Ways,” “Soul Sacrifice,” “Oye Como Va” and “Black Magic Woman,” resumed his residency at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. On Dec. 1, the star released a video to acknowledge rumors that had been appearing on social media in the previous few days to announce that he had cancelled all of his December 2021 dates The 74-year-old’s band had been scheduled to resume their residency at the House of Blues that night.
The band’s most recent concert had been on Nov. 14 at the same venue.
On Nov. 27, Santana’s wife, Cynthia, took him to the hospital. “It was 2:30 in the morning,” he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal in an interview that appeared on Jan. 25. “And I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. So I said to Cindy, ‘I think we need to go to a hospital, something doesn’t feel right.’ I hardly finished saying it, and we were in the car on the way to the hospital.”
It turns out that he had severely blocked arteries. “Sure enough, we caught it just in time. I think it was 94 percent blockage in one artery.” Two others were partially blocked.
Choosing his words carefully in the Dec. 1 video message, Santana said, “I had this thing happening in my chest. When we went there, we found out that we needed to take care of it. So, I am. I’m going to be taking time out for a little bit to make sure that I replenish and I rest, and catch up with my health so that when I play for you, I play like I’m used to. Thank you for your caring.”
His most recent album, Blessings and Miracles, was released on Oct. 15, and featured a collaboration with Steve Winwood, as well as a reunion with Rob Thomas who sang on the 1999 Santana smash, “Smooth.”
Related: Our Album Rewind of 1970’s Abraxas
Santana’s Supernatural album is his most successful commercially. The 1999 release included the hit “Smooth” (with vocals by Rob Thomas), which spent 12 weeks on top of the U.S. pop singles chart. The follow-up, “Maria Maria,” also reached #1, the band’s only two chart-toppers of their lengthy career. Their success made Supernatural a runaway smash with worldwide sales of a reported 30 million copies, earning eight Grammy Awards in the process, including the prestigious Album of the Year.
Santana, House of Blues, Las Vegas, Nev., January 26, 2022 Setlist
Soul Sacrifice
Jingo-go-lo-ba
Evil Ways
Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen
Oye Como Va
Sambi pa ti
She’s Not There/Marbles
Game of Love
Joy
Move
Yaleo
Corazon Espinado
Maria Maria
Foo Foo
Are You Ready People
Trouble Man/Smooth
Love, Peace & Happiness
Besides the extended House of Blues residency which is scheduled to continue on and off through May, Santana has a 2022 tour with Earth, Wind & Fire that was originally planned for 2020 prior to the pandemic. Tickets are available here and here.
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Watch Santana perform their cover of the Zombies’ “She’s Not There” and more, at the House of Blues in November 2021
Related: Our interview with Carlos Santana
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