Carlos

This covers the life and career of Carlos Santana through archive footage and talking (not really interview) mainly by Carlos as well as his current wife and sisters.

Almost the first half of this film (38 out of 88 minutes) goes by until the first Santana album is released. I found that section incredibly interesting as it gets into the how and why he got to that point. The next section is interesting but it doesn't really get into the how and why of the progression of the band, musicians or his music. Then it gets a bit boring with too much emphasis on his spirituality. Plus he sometimes speaks in Spanish but there are no subtitles for it so I had no idea at all what he was saying there.

This was an excellent documentary until it wasn't.

Feeling of inner peace. I looked at the people leaving the theatre - everyone was smiling. A smile, a ray of light, a feeling of warmth. Peace Carlos Santana has achieved and I was unaware what it must have cost him - it came as a shock. How does one overcome most tragic circumstances and rise? What a soul and what an example, his talent the wave on which he rides. He's not what he does, he says; and yet the music is what got him through, that unique blend between Latin and the Blues, which he had from the get-go. Blues, the Healer. My only complaint is that the film didn't feature his stellar collaboration with John Lee Hooker.

Greetings again from the darkness. Although I was too young to attend Woodstock in 1969, I vividly recall the first time I saw the 1970 concert film, as I was stunned by the energetic performances, the dedicated attendees, and the mass of people making the best of rain, drugs, and music. By this time, I was attuned to Hendrix, The Who, Joplin, and most of the others, but the band that shook me was Santana. Familiar with only one song, "Evil Ways", off their debut album, I was mesmerized by the pure force of their live "Soul Sacrifice" performance - the relentless drumming of Michael Shrieve (20 years old) and the blazing guitar work from band leader Carlos Santana (a 22-year-old).

With this documentary, Rudy Valdez (THE SENTENCE, 2018), delivers so much more than the typical musician biography. Sure, we get the basic background information, but thanks to chats with Carlos Santana himself, we learn more about the man and how his being is meshed with the music. Born in Mexico, Carlos' dad played in a mariachi band and taught him to play the violin. The unusual route to rock and roll stardom began when Carlos switched to guitar and the family moved to San Francisco. His blending of Latin Jazz and Blues with rock and roll delivered a sound we had not previously heard. Carlos' began playing regular gigs at the Fillmore West, and things kicked into gear once promoter/producer Bill Graham got involved.

Carlos formed a band and Graham instituted 'festival training' culminating in the live performance at Woodstock. Carlos tells an incredible story about Jerry Garcia (of The Grateful Dead) handing him some drugs, and the next thing Carlos knew, the band was called on stage in the midst of his acid trip. If you've seen the movie, the facial expressions will make complete sense once Carlos recalls what he was seeing with that trusty guitar in his hands. It's one of the best rock stories you'll hear. A week after Woodstock, Santana's debut album was released by Clive Davis at Columbia Records.

The family background is interesting enough, but the real value here is in the self-reflection from Carlos. Apparently, the interview was conducted over a period of time, so we see variations and moods from the man with magic music. Carlos even discusses his time as a disciple of spiritual guru Sri Chinmoy ... including haircut, white suits, and self-discovery. Carlos confesses how once "Smooth", recorded in 1999 with Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, became a monster hit, he finally felt validated.

Not many musicians get to have a professional career that spans more than fifty years ... or have a wife who is a skilled drummer ... or have a 'slithering snake' story with a spot in rock lore. But Carlos Santana, now 76 years old, has all of that, and has recently been battling a public relations nightmare after a statement he made regarding the trans community. As for the documentary, the interviews and archival footage and photos provide a nice look at the man behind the music.

Opening in select theaters on September 23, 2023 and going wide on September 29.

Legendary people are few and far between but Carlos Santana is more than worthy of the title! I have been into this guy's music since I was a young kid; through my DJ' years to where I am today.

Although I did find this documentary to have some interesting moments I, have to admit that I think it was a bit scrappy. It jumped about a lot and a lot of the used previously unseen footage was fairly dull and only of interest , most likely, to the superfans. He has a good outlook on what he wants to do but came over to me as finding it hard to know who he is; maybe that is why in some of his younger days footage he comes across as a total dick! I don't think I would ever watch it again as it just wasn't of a very high standard.

Yesterday I had the privilege to watch the premiere of "Carlos", together with some of my closest friends. It was a wonderful experience as the documentary is overall very well made.

In terms of technical aspects, the production is excellent. The sound and editing are very well done and the well-picked archive materials were mixed in naturally, adding very intuitively to the overall story. There were many detailed facts that were highly accurate; something that adds to the integrity of the rest of the material.

The best part of the production is the scope setting and how consistently the director stayed within this scope. This is not a movie about the Santana Band and its history, it's not even as much about Carlos as a musician, although being a musician is a main driver of his identity. The main theme as about a man overcoming his insecurities through life through a belief in himself, fed by various father figures. That's a universal theme and was subtly blended with other themes including immigration, sexual harassment, financial hardship, divorce, addictions, loss of loved ones, challenges in trusted relationships and modern-day pressure of society. I'm convinced every viewer should be able to relate to at least a few of these elements; so you don't need to be a Santana fan to be able to appreciate this movie a lot. Despite some of these heavier themes, the general atmosphere of the movie is actually light and full with humor and subtleties.

Carlos had a battered childhood; something the movie treated delicately (and thankfully didn't over-index on). His story depicted in "Carlos" is about his journey through life, battling his insecurities and his process of making peace with his inner secrets. Some key support figures in this journey have been his father, his guru Sri Chinmoy and his two mentors in the music business (Bill Graham and Clive Davis). Personally, I believe Armando Peraza should have been recognized as the fifth "father-figure" but was sadly missing. In either event, the film concentrated on this scope and there was not much or even nothing about his former band members, other friends, his musical inspirations, his mother or brother, or relationship with his fans. One could criticize that narrow scope, but I believe it was very supportive of a strong film as the consistency of the theme allowed for a well-flowing narrative and it provided sufficient depth at the same time. Another point of criticism could be that we don't hear many external critical points of view, although that is compensated by some honest self-reflections Carlos shares.

For his many music fans, this it should also be a very pleasing watching experience as the film provides a lot of revealing background that offers context to his rich music legacy. Moreover, the film contains some fantastic archive materials, including the first ever recorded music by Carlos, which is a gem for true fans as that material has never been accessible before. There were a few great clips of Carlos playing shirtless at home, almost as a physically metaphor of being stripped from everything else and just presenting him as the man he truly is.

To conclude, this movie is an absolute pleasure to watch as it was made with a very specific intention and a lot of integrity. It was a great walk through a music icon's life and it was very comforting to see that Carlos is doing so well. Bless him.