Carlos Santana Wants To Play Baghdad ( "I Want To Be Like Jimmy Carter")

VH1/AP | 10-28-02 | my favorite headache

[My Favorite Headache]

Carlos Santana Wants To Play Baghdad

'We should do concerts over there and show them that we can coexist,' he says.

By Jon Wiederhorn

Carlos Santana
Photo: Arista

In an era of suicide bombers and beltway snipers, Carlos Santana hopes to make a difference, converting all the rage into positive, flowing energy.

"There's a lot of sickness in this planet, especially with people shooting one another for no reason," Santana said. "There's anger, fear and molestation. There's so much sickness [that] I want to remind listeners that ... everyone has goodness in them. And to me it's important to heal as much as possible families, cities or nations or the planet from the satanic, demonic forces that are out there that just like to destroy humanity."

Santana's quest for universal spiritual cleansing inspired him to call his new album Shaman. His multiplatinum Supernatural (2000) was a call to recognize and seek strength from higher, ethereal forces, and Shaman is a plea to use those powers to benefit mankind.

"The Shaman is a spiritual healer, and we all have that quality within ourselves," he said. "The music [on Shaman] wasn't about Carlos' shaman. Everyone has divine qualities to be able to heal and transform anyone. Once you believe, the rest will follow."

Like Supernatural, Shaman features a diverse list of guests, including Michelle Branch (see "Santana Says Angels Recommended Michelle Branch For Song"), Seal, Macy Gray, Musiq, Dido and opera legend Placido Domingo (see "Musiq, More Added To Final Santana Track List").

One of the most unusual pairings is with "P.O.D." on the song "America," which may be a future single. The song was written by K.C. Porter, but when it was sent to P.O.D., the bandmembers radically reinterpreted it.

"When they heard it they said, 'Well, we'll do our own version,' " Santana explained. "So their version was totally different. I enjoy Rage Against the Machine, I enjoy Metallica, so therefore I enjoy the energy P.O.D. brings to the table. I love the song. I especially love the energy, and I felt we needed that kind of energy."

Another track, "Why Don't You & I," features Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, who wrote the tune. Between the writing and recording stages, however, the track went through the opposite process as P.O.D.'s tune. When Santana was handed the track, he wasn't sure he liked it.

"When I first heard it, it was a little far away from things I like to do. So we brought it to [producer and arranger] Lester Mendez, and he [deserves] the Most Valuable Player award. He put in a context that was more Santana-like. He brought it closer to our camp, and I love that kind of energy [it now has]."

Santana probably won't tour the globe with all his guests, but one place he'd love to play is Baghdad. It's all part of his plan to unify the planet.

"I look forward to going there to play a concert if they invite me, because I feel musicians should not get involved with politics but should get involved with bringing healing and harmony," he said. "I know in my heart that politics and religion are corrupt, and that's the problem. Their problems and our problems are the same. Everyone has the same problems, but what we like to do with the music is to solve problems and bring unity and harmony."

And just how can duets with Michelle Branch and P.O.D. transform the globe? Carlos was just waiting for someone to ask.

"We play this music to remind listeners all the over the world that the constellation, the planet, the whole vibe is in you and there's another way to get solutions in this planet other than more violence. We should do concerts over there and show them that we can coexist. I want to be like President Carter. He got the Nobel Peace prize."

[alethia]

I think that Carlos has imbibed on too much wacky weed (amongst other mind altering substances)over the past 30 years.

[lds23]

By the same token, he should have played Sun City during apartheid, no?

[My Favorite Headache]

If his words were genuine and not scripted by the powers that be in the industry...sure!

[wimpycat]

There's only one way I can convey what I think of Carlos Santana...

[RightWhale]

If Carlos Santana can bring peace on earth through the power of his guitar, then let him go to Baghdad. He'll probably want to do it sooner rather than later unless he intends to entertain mostly GIs.

[mostlyundecided]

What would be a good sign to bring to his next concert? Hmmm...got til next summer to think up a good one!

...are there any women in his stage show? What will they wear...TIE-DYE Burkas?!

Maybe they should bring VH1 along and have a bunch of guys just released from the Iraqi prisons play as the warm up band!

[RightWhale]

Sure he is plain vanilla these days. It's like everybody was born with one song of their own and he got to play his. It's still a pretty good song.

[Realm Weekly]

With his drug habits... more like Frosted Flakes.

Maybe Carlos wants to convey his spirituality in an islamic country, where they practice one of his many faiths.

What is he now anyways? A Catholic-Hindu-Wiccan-Buddhist-Muslim?

And if he wants to be like Jimmy Carter, wouldn't Carlos have to be a pathetic excuse for a nation leader, a very liberal Baptist preacher, a trying-too-hard humanitarian (in an attempt to make up for his previous malaise), a pawn in the socialist's U.N.'s game of cat and mouse with Bush, and an uncommonly embarrassing export from my dear Dixieland?

Oh yeah, and Alex Lifeson can play circles around that spaced out old man anyday.

[wimpycat]

Don't get me wrong. Carlos Santana is a first-rate guitarist; very jazzy, bluesy and latino all rolled into one. He's a first-rate musician, as well as a first-rate flake. He just needs to remember that he's an entertainer, not some Peacenik Pied Piper.

[cavtrooper21]

This is you brain on pot....

[FreeReign]

Alex Lifeson plays circles around Carlos

Carlos doesn't play in circles -- he's the best.

He's also a real wacko!

[My Favorite Headache]

Pick up a Rush album...let's say Vapor Trails or Moving Pictures or Permanent Waves. I will put that up against Carlos anyday!

[driftless]

While Santana was one of my favorite groups in the sixties, you have to remember they did take a lot drugs during those times. I imagine Carlos is probably operating with only a fraction of the gray matter he once had.

[VOA]

Alex Lifeson plays circles around Carlos. Anyway, point is I listen to Rush for this
very reason. They play their music and shut their mouths when it comes to this crap.

I'm with you. Carlos and Co. have produced some decent rock music...but give me
Rush for loud AND melodic.

And if possible...ship Carlos and Jimmy Carter to Baghdad as soon as possible.
Apparently this would make them both happy.

[A_perfect_lady]

Fascinating. And what does Brittany Spears say? That's probably why the UN hasn't voted yet. They're waiting to hear.

[ffrancone]

IT'S 7 DAYS UNTIL THE ELECTION.

WILL IT STILL BE HER SENATE?

GOOD INTENTIONS DON'T WIN ELECTIONS.
ACTION DOES. ACT TODAY.

TakeBackCongress.org

A resource for conservatives who want a Republican majority in the Senate

[bushfamfan]

He hardly ever writes any of "Santana's" songs anyway. All he does is play guitar and now he's going to bringing in stars of today to keep him in the mix. He has no real talent. He's overblown and he's ludicrous. Has anyone heard the song "America" that was discussed in the article? I can just imagine how it lashes into this country with its anti-Americanism.

[lonevoice]

And just how can duets with Michelle Branch and P.O.D. transform the globe?..."We play this music to remind listeners all the over the world that the constellation, the planet, the whole vibe is in you"...

Uh huh. That oughta do it.

[Hildy]

Excuse me, Carlos, but did it ever cross your mind that they WOULDN'T PERMIT YOU to play in Iraq?