Santana was born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico. His father was a mariachi violinist, and Carlos learned to play the violin at age five and the guitar at age eight. Young Carlos was heavily influenced by Ritchie Valens at a time when there were very few Latinos in American rock and pop music. The family moved from Autlán de Navarro to Tijuana, the border city between Mexico and California, and then San Francisco. Carlos stayed in Tijuana but joined his family in San Francisco later and graduated from James Lick Middle School and Mission High School there. He graduated from Mission High in 1965. Javier Bátiz, a famous guitarist from Tijuana Mexico, is said to have been Carlos's guitar teacher who taught him to play a different style of guitar soloing.After learning Batiz's techniques, Santana would make them his own as well.
Santana Tickets for London are on sale at
Sold Out Ticket Market.
Visit Ticket Market for latest
Santana O2 Arena Tickets.