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Carlos Santana

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The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light Paperback – November 3, 2015

by Carlos Santana (Author), Ashley Kahn

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The intimate and long-awaited autobiography of a legend.

In 1967 in San Francisco, just a few weeks after the Summer of Love, a young Mexican guitarist took the stage at the Fillmore Auditorium and played a blistering solo that announced the arrival of a prodigious musical talent. Two years later -- after he played a historic set at Woodstock -- the world came to know the name Carlos Santana, his sensual and instantly recognizable guitar sound, and the legendary band that blended electric blues, psychedelic rock, Latin rhythms, and modern jazz, and that still bears his name.

Carlos Santana's unforgettable memoir offers a page-turning tale of musical self-determination and inner self-discovery, with personal stories filled with colorful detail and life-affirming lessons. The Universal Tone traces his journey from his earliest days playing the strip bars in Tijuana while barely in his teens and brings to light the establishment of his signature guitar sound; his roles as husband, father, recording legend, and rock guitar star; his indebtedness to musical and spiritual influences -- from John Coltrane and John Lee Hooker to Miles Davis and Harry Belafonte; and his deep, lifelong dedication to a spiritual path that he developed from his Catholic upbringing, Eastern philosophies, and other mystical sources. It includes his recording some of the most popular and influential rock albums of all time, up to and beyond the 1999 sensation Supernatural, which garnered nine Grammy Awards and stands as arguably the most amazing career comeback in popular music history.

It's a profoundly inspiring tale of divine inspiration and musical fearlessness that does not balk at finding the humor in the world of high-flying fame, or at speaking plainly of Santana's personal revelations and the infinite possibility he sees in each person he meets. "Love is the light that is inside of all of us, everyone," he writes. "I salute the light that you are and that is inside your heart."

Print length

544 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Back Bay Books
Publication date

November 3, 2015
Dimensions

6 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches
ISBN-10

0316244902
ISBN-13

978-0316244909
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Editorial Reviews

Review

NPR's Best Book of the Year
American Book Award Winner

"One of the most articulate rock memoirs ever."―Chris Willman, San Francisco Chronicle

"With its deep insight into the Mexican musician who usually lets his music speak for itself, this book is a Carlos Santana fan's dream.... And his message seems to be as profound as the universe itself."―Felix Contreras, co-host of NPR's Alt.Latino, "NPR's Best Books of 2014"

"In this frank and impassioned memoir, iconic, influential musician Santana, 67, known for fusing rock and Latin rhythms, weaves together the rhythmic, domestic and spiritual dimensions of his career. Generously reflective and well-balanced.... Charismatic and soulful.... An appreciative and unpretentious chronicle, this is required reading for Santana fans and devotees of classic rock legends."―Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

"The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame guitarist's book is perhaps the most musically generous of the fall's memoirs. Santana doesn't pull punches...."―Brian Mansfield, USA Today

"Santana [writes] with the same searing intensity and blatant honesty displayed throughout his 45-year career in music.... The Universal Tone is a book examining a lifelong quest for knowledge and some sense of divinity... Santana deals with both in the same unflinchingly honest and dignified tone."―Jeff Miers, The Buffalo News

An "excellent new autobiography."―Jim Farber, New York Daily News

"A candid and stunning story.... Deeply honest and frank."―Robin Leach, Las Vegas Sun

"From Tijuana, Mexico to Woodstock and beyond, legendary guitarist Santana spins a freewheeling ballad of his remarkable life."―O, The Oprah Magazine

"The Universal Tone doesn't follow the usual well-trodden path of other rock star tell-alls... Santana sidesteps salaciousness for spirituality while taking readers through the touchstone moments of his remarkable life and career."

"A compelling and uplifting journey through his life and career."―Joe Bosso, Music Radar

"Entertaining and enlightening.... Santana's journey from obscurity and abject poverty to affluence and superstardom is expressed eloquently via an informal conversational style that captures the cadences of his speaking voice."―Charles Waring, MOJO Magazine

"Compelling."―Henry L. Carrigan Jr., BookPage

"Universal Tone is every bit as tantalizing, succulent, and satisfying as the cactus fruit, roasted peanuts, and carne asada the author savored as a boy. And the sense memories peppering its pages are as frequent and visceral as the notes comprising his best guitar solos. Carlos doesn't merely tell us about his past; he lets us hear, smell, and taste it, too."―Peter Roche, Cleveland Music Examiner

"Fun and funky, The Universal Tone traces the arc of a singular life-yielding life lessons and inspiration to any reader.... Deeply honest and frank and richly detailed with his vivid memories, Santana's authentic voice shines through on every page."―WTSP 10 News

About the Author

Carlos Santana was born in Mexico and is one of the most important rock musicians of our time. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Back Bay Books; Reprint edition (November 3, 2015)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 544 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0316244902
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316244909
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.9 x 9.2 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #155,612 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #401 in Rock Band Biographies
- #1,419 in Actor & Entertainer Biographies
- #5,028 in Memoirs (Books)

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UnimPeachable

Santana hands us more beauty in words besdies his notes on guitar

Reviewed in the United States on May 17, 2019

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I thought Santana wrote an eloquent memoir on growing up in Tinjuana and emigrating to SF and fitting in to young SF HS with some issues due to race etc. but mostluy the times her writes about are interesting and he writes about how he manages to arrive at his sound which is incredible, spiritual, tronsformative and ulimately life changing when you truly hear this man play you hear a genius of the highest caliber-fee mem reach this level of play and I consider CARLOS, JERRY GARCIA, BOB DYLAN, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, JOHN COLTRANE, perhaps many others such as Bheethoven and other great copmpopsers but of contemporary musicians the guitarists that played with John McLaughlin including Paco De Lucia, and Al Di Meola, who I saw Carlos plau with in 1975 ub rhe NYC Palladium when I was 15 and Gato Barbieri who necer reached the level of play these players did.....they are avatars...gurus....they are our musical and spiritual teachers, (and healers ) and the level that Santana plays at is truly angelic and beyond words to me-- and this books simply bears out that my views on him are felt by him too-that is he reveres his playing and does so with intention to play and invoke divine action with his guitar not simpl;y play music his intention is to move your soul profoundl---its so great to hear Carlos wordsa about his playing and others as it confirms that his "far out" talk is not talk at all but is truth...he is a spiritual man and his aim is to play music to move the spirit straight up no casual dancing or mood hits here moslty--he is serious about his art as a heart attack! LOL I mean its very important from his end as he sees that his playing is at a level that approaches clearly invoking the divine through music.

THe Universal Tone is Carlos Santanas's Stratocaster wailing one pure and pericing sustained note that is most likely aligned to 432 MHZ A THAT IS THE HEART CHAKRA TONE I BELEVE HE often plays on his albums and concerts as as centerinng for ending tone-the univeresal tone-- be it from jINGO, or EUROPA, or even from Smooth---is the note that creates the universe--the first primordial tone that gives life to everything and Santana can tap into that and let your hear it if you loisten clsoely as he is s ature Shaman! See im if you can as if you miss him youve missed a chance to se a master at play! Read his book after you see him a couple times first.

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Amazon Customer

I love Santana's work

Reviewed in the United States on September 22, 2015

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I am a song writer and musician. I love Santana's work. I have attended MANY of his live performances. I was interested to learn more from his own words. Once I popped this cd into my car I was off and running down the road! I listened for 5 hours straight. When I arrived to my destination I hated to turn off the car, having to turn off my listening. I arrived from here to there in a blink!

People who are interested in the music industry, or admire Santana's work, or simply enjoys the history of Rock n Roll will love this! What a fabulous writer Carlos is! What a journey he takes us on! Brilliantly laid out to the point I could not stop listening! Very well read. I am tempted to listen to this again! Very very good story! Thanks to all who put this text into oral format. What a wonderful and very interesting work of art! Just great! One of my favorite music autobiographies to date! Thank you!

2 people found this helpful

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Tiglath

Rock Candy That Leaves Your Wanting More

Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2014

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Carlos Santana's autobiography, The Universal Tone, is a great read for his fans. It comes through as honest and thorough despite the air brushings and embellishments such accounts have. Santana tells you at the outset what the book gives and does not give, so that you know. Santana is one of my all-time favorite guitarists. I enjoyed the read and how it prompted my desire to write this long review. His parents had the same names as mine, and both of us left our countries of origin to work as busboys in the country that would ultimately bring success and realization, and great fame in Santana's case. For being a top rock star, and much as he surely partook in the pleasures of the job, he is only modestly hedonistic. A family man at heart, with parents who drummed into him habits of integrity, self-reliance, and hard work. Santana's best luck, apart from innate musical talent, is having the gift of a vocational calling. That which lets a young man recognize his life's passion and propels him over, around, and through any obstacles in his way of attaining his life's purpose. In Santana's case: playing the blues. A vocation makes it easy to set everything else aside and just live 24x7 with your guitar as partner, year in and year out until you can talk through it as fluently as speaking your native language. Less lucky folks have to content themselves with finding suitable occupations at different stages in life. I have been playing guitar for decades, and much as I love playing, I never had the vocational flame that makes all the difference. Santana's luck extended to having a musician father who introduced him to the art early in life and taught him the ropes.

If you are a guitar player, you are not going to find much about guitars in this book, or music for that matter. The Universal Tone refers to the sound of his guitar obliquely only, it refers rather to some connection between his music and the "invisible realm" and the mind's enlightenment. That's my beef with the book, so let us deal with it. Santana is at pains to emphasize his spirituality and his quest to connect with an invisible realm. He's been at it for decades, since before Caravanserai. And while so much introspection has made him a good and careful thinker, as it is obvious when he speaks off-the-cuff, his philosophy is more mud than crystal. He uses the Catholic vocabulary and spiritual words to say things for which we have perfectly good and plain terms. He calls `angels' the benefactors that caused a turning point in his life. There is light versus darkness everywhere, sacred instants and holy things that connect us to the deity, yet he is not fully in with Christianity, because a heaven that bars gay people and damns followers of other gods is a heaven he does not want to go to. Sorry, friend, you don't get to reject the major tenets of a religion and still belong to the club. The Bangladeshi guru Sri Chinmoy nudged Santana's mind east, but meditation seems to be the only habit remaining from that time. When Santana talks his cosmic talk, one must not lose sight that this guy is a multi-millionaire who has not learned yet that the richest man is he who wants the least. He recently became a Nevada resident to avoid paying California high taxes on his well-paid Las Vegas House of Blues steady gig. That after the colossal windfall Supernatural brought him, probably enough for him and everyone in his family to retire a few times over. The album sold 30 million copies. Add the singles and the sales revival of the previous 16 Santana albums - and you have a very pretty penny.

I like to separate the man from the artist, lest one ends up inevitable detracting from the other. Give me Clint Eastwood's films, not his politics, Santana's music, not his philosophy. Yet the book is full of the latter and wanting for the former. In the end all his philosophizing yields the same as all the centuries of human mysticism, that is, zero bits of useful information. Yes, I get it, he learned meditation and mental gymnastics that allow him to reach mental states unfamiliar to most people, which some drugs can also induce. But at least with LSD one can say that one "saw," "heard," and "felt" wondrous things because one dropped acid, and that is the end of it. But with mysticism, spirituality, the invisible realm, the universal tone or whatever you want to call it, people tend to interpret the states they coax their minds into as paranormal experiences and connections with the divine, which they are free to do, but never in fact demonstrate that they actually experienced anything that came from outside their heads and beyond their human senses. I have no doubt meditation is beneficial and a good way to balance the stress from the storms of life, but let us not overstate its significance, and above all let us not define the meaning of the mental states we can attain by focusing the mind, or fasting for that matter, because there is just no way to know. Asking the fundamental questions of existence repeatedly may cause the human mind eventually, though not in a lifetime, to evolve to higher levels of comprehension, and we should keep at it, but the sensations we feel while pushing the mind's envelop must not be confused with the answers to those questions.

So much for the man. Santana, the artist, I am totally jealous and envious green of. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I was born in the wrong continent to be part of the Haight-Ashbury crowd, and although I joined the hippies as soon as I became aware of them, I was never in the eye of that hurricane. Santana's account of San Francisco in the late Sixties is captivating. I loved that part. I remember the feeling. Rock music was really a universal tone. I met people from all over the world who at hearing say, a Doors, Hendrix, or Santana song, looked at each other with such deep sense of solidarity that did not matter we did not speak each other's language. It felt it was never going to end, and it's all "classic rock" now, but the world is the better for it, I firmly believe. Then again, if I had been in Frisco in the Sixties, I would probably have been sent to Vietnam and die face down in the mud, so one never knows. I don't know where Santana's inspiration comes from, it's probably just one of the many beautiful things people are able to do in counterpoint to the many horrible things we also can do, and Santana is a unique beautiful artist we are fortunate (blessed?) to have in our lifetime. I am not the fawning fan type, but I would love to meet this kindred spirit before I die. I've seen him in concert countless times in Spain, Germany, England, Holland, and the U.S., and made my night every time.

I wish he would add an appendix to the second edition, just for guitar players. Tell us about your Yamaha SG, your love of the Dorian scale, what you learnt, guitar-wise, from B.B. Buddy, Albert, John Lee, or music-wise from Miles, and the many others you were so lucky to play with. Expand on the little you wrote on amps and axes, the evolution of your rig, your approach to song writing, band leading; get a bit technical we can take it.

Stop Press: good news, Santana is thinking or reuniting the surviving members of the original Santana band (albums I, II, and III) to make Santana IV - Voilà, a hope to feeling better from somebody we can depend on. Vamos ya!

22 people found this helpful

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Michael Newman

Good read!

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024

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The book is great, hard to put down.

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Hanna Sullinger

Tantas enseñanzas de diferentes dimensiones

Reviewed in Mexico on December 1, 2022

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Soy Cantante y por supuesto leer biografías de otros músicos es no solo importante sino entretenido y esta no es la excepción. Santana es un legendario músico que te lleva a través de un mundo de vivencias musicales y una visión espiritual que pagina a página te deja enseñanzas para la vida.

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seany

Well written and very detailed text

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 7, 2020

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My guess is that most of this autobiography was written by listed co-writer, Ashley Kahn, working from interview transcripts, rather than typed up by the man himself. But overall it's a very good yarn. A word of caution though – it's a long book with a lot of detail. Personally, I found this attention to detail really interesting, but I imagine that that is not going to be to everyone's taste. On the other hand, there's some fascinating information here about the Santana family eking out a living in a poor part of Mexico and then making their way to San Francisco's Mission District in search of a better life. It's here that a young Carlos, already a reasonably accomplished guitarist, meets some talented middle-class American kids, namely Michael Shrieve and Gregg Rolie. Together with David Brown, Mike Carabello and the exceptionally talented Jose 'Chepito' Areas they form one of the most important bands of the late 1960s and early 70s . It's clear that what made the early band's music so innovative and dynamic was the musical conversation between percussion, organ and guitar. Indeed at this point in time, as Carlos himself admits in the book, there was no leader, just people playing their part in the Santana band. That all falls apart when the band falls apart after the third album, partly because of drug issues and partly also because of differences between members in terms of what musical direction they want to take. And it's at this point that Carlos Santana assumes leadership of the Santana band with, in my opinion, very mixed results. Instead of the tight music of the early period, the music starts to visit places where it has no business going. But it goes there in large part because of Carlos' fixation on jazz musicians such as John Coltrane and the aggressive and narcissistic Miles Davis (who makes several cameo appearances in the book ). Later on, Clive Davis convinces Santana that playing pop with other artists is the way to go – hey presto, the Supernatural album appears. There are also some great stories in the book about the legendary promoter Bill Graham, the band's great champion and the man who got them on to the stage at Woodstock. Without Graham's initial help who knows what would have happened to them. Towards the end of the book Santana documents the painful breakup of his marriage to Deborah King and his subsequent partnership with drummer Cindy Blackman. And he talks about his three children in glowing terms. A final point: Carlos Santana is often mistaken for a New Ager because he claims to speak, from time to time, with the Virgin Mary and his guardian angel, who goes by the name of Metatron. There is something to that, of course. But while reading The Universal Tone I thought this interest in deities and angels has not so much been prompted by New Age-ism but more accurately reflects the Mexican Roman Catholic folk tradition he grew up with.

6 people found this helpful

1 coeur en hiver

Viva Santana

Reviewed in France on August 22, 2017

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c'est autobiographie est passionnante, et va bien au-delà de ce que j’espérais. la vie de Carlos est fascinante. je la recommande chaudement.

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Levi H

Compelling

Reviewed in Australia on November 10, 2020

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This is probably the most intriguing, interesting and compelling musician's bio I've read. Carlos' insights into music itself, while unorthodox, is worthy of digestion and the story and characters involved are all wonderfully flawed and real. Very little negativity is shared about personalities and it is clear that Santana has a genuine adoration for Miles Davis and John and Alice Coltrane. His time following a guru sounds almost like a trope from the outside, but from his perspective it is fascinating. This book changed my own perspective on art and music, and as a musician I can only say that this was very much worth the purchase price.

MM

Worthwhile read... even for non fans.

Reviewed in Canada on June 12, 2015

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I was not sure what to expect. I have always enjoyed the music but I have never been a ravenous Santana phile! This is a great story. Fairly unvarnished for an autobiography. It is long but well put together. I have found the pre fame stories of childhood in mexico fascinating.

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