Carlos Santana

August 1, 2018
A vibrantly illustrated biography of the groundbreaking musician.Carlos Santana is born in Jalisco, Mexico, in 1947. His young life is spent watching his musician father and playing alongside him but never being satisfied. His father is a mariachi player who travels often, but Carlos is more inspired by the blues music he's hearing from north of the border. When his father leaves to work in the United States, Carlos is free to set his violin down and pick up an electric guitar. As he grows as a musician, he develops a sound that marries traditional Mexican music with American jazz and blues. Sweeping, colorful illustrations by the artist who designed one of Santana's album covers convey mood well and recall Mexican murals. The pictures invite a wide age range of readers, but the text, written in present and future tense, is awkward and reads like an encyclopedia entry rather than a narrative. Points of interest, from struggling to make ends meet to tourists being cruel, are lost rather than elaborated upon.A product ultimately unworthy of the celebrated subject it covers. (glossary, author's note, bibliography) (Picture book/biography. 6-10)

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October 1, 2018

Gr 1-4-Born in Jalisco, Mexico, Carlos Santana grew up worshipping his father, a mariachi musician who taught his son to play the violin and encouraged him to follow in his footsteps. However, the future icon grew to resent the music that took his father away from the family for months at a time. After a family move to Tijuana, young Santana heard rhythm and blues on the radio and it became a siren song to him, a call to play the electric guitar and fuse this music with the traditions that he learned as a child. While the text tells a fairly straightforward and detailed account of Santana's life, it is the artwork (created by the same artist who did cover art for Santana's Shaman album) that is full of vivid, flowing colors that shine as it captures the soul of Santana and his work. The triumphs of the guitarist's musical life, including his first big breakthrough at Woodstock, are relegated to the author's note, cutting the story off just when he reaches a pinnacle. VERDICT A worthy addition to most biography collections that is perfect for sharing, especially paired with samples of his music.-Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA

Copyright 2018 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 1, 2018
Grades 2-5 *Starred Review* This wonderful picture-book biography is an example of how words and illustrations can come together to create an immersive experience that will captivate readers and bring them to a greater understanding of an artist?in this case, Carlos Santana. The lyrical text, written in present tense, helps audiences participate in Carlos' musical journey as he grows from a 6-year-old violinist to a 10-year-old street musician playing for tourists on the streets of Tijuana to a young teen performing with Papa's mariachi band, playing traditional tunes in smoky cantinas. Carlos longs to play the music that has captured his imagination?�magical American blues from Muddy Waters and B. B. King?but his father will have none of it. When Carlos turns 15, something miraculous happens: Papa relents and sends Carlos a used electric guitar, launching a career filled with songs famous for their fusion of rock, blues, jazz, and traditional Latin elements. The swirling illustrations mimic the ebb and flow of grown-up Carlos' band, Santana, evoking its signature sound. The page-filling paintings employ muted colors and design elements that reflect traditional Mexican folk art. This book is a pleasure to read aloud, and the pictures transmit an infectious joy. A fitting tribute to a ground-breaking musician. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)