by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who is Carlos Santana? This can potentially be an easy question depending on when you grew up, and what era of music you like. Most millennials and zoomers would probably struggle with this question. But those of an older generation, or those younger folks who love classic rock, know who Santana is. He is one of the greatest guitarists to ever grace a stage. Whether it was tearing it down at Woodstock, or capturing the culture zeitgeist in 1999 with his album Supernatural, Santana redefined the global appeal of Latin influenced music. Thanks to Sony Classics and director Rudy Valdez, we are treated to a brand new look into the man courtesy of the documentary Carlos.
Back to my question… who is Carlos Santana? One of the greatest strengths of Carlos is that it captures the spirit and identity of the legendary musician. The film offers plenty of interviews with Santana, and it specifically centers on him telling us his story. It does a great job of fleshing out Santana’s perspectives on his work through his descriptions of his own process, and through some poignant anecdotes. The importance of spirit and faith in his life permeates everything. We do not get much about his wives or child, but we do understand how they fit into his life based on his philosophies. His stories about his parents and his own experiences with racism are the ones where we see deep below the surface of who the man, Santana, is.
We learn who the man is, but what about the music that created the legend around the name? For a film that is under 90 minutes, the film prioritizes presenting his music in action and helping the audience understand where it all comes from. It presents the roots of his unique sound well. A combination of anecdotes and historical fleshes out his combination of Latin music, psychedelic rock, and blues. We get an understanding of the Latin roots through the perspective and story of Santana’s father, which is one of the important moments of heart in the film. We also get to hear about Santana attending the Fillmore for the first time, and how that opened the world of so many great acts like The Grateful Dead to this young man. We even see the ebbs of flows of his career, including his huge moment in 1999 with the release of his historic album Supernatural.
We hear plenty about his music, but do we feel the music? For such a short film, Valdez does a great job of delivering key musical moments that shaped Santana’s career, and beats that allow the audience to truly know his process. There are some surprising home video moments that are so intimate and impactful with Santana just playing around and practicing. These are the rawest moments of the film, and they are impressive additions. But the few moments and montages that show his music capture just how iconic his tracks are. Woodstock. “Smooth.” “Black Magic Woman.” These pieces or performances are used to great effect to capture the spirit of the art and artist. You can feel the music in your bones, and it is quite an experience.
Will you know the man and the musician by the time the credits roll on Carlos? This is its greatest feat. It captures the man and his unique connection to spirituality. His music gets the spotlight that it truly deserves. This trimmed and streamlined biopic documentary might not dive into it all, but it does capture the spirit, and that is the most important thing.
Rating: Loved It
Carlos is currently playing in theaters
You can read more from Shane Conto, and follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd