MUSIC SPECIAL...Music cuts across geographies and generations

Music cuts across geographies and generations 

Winning 10 Grammy Awards and international acclaim over four decades, Mexican-born rock guitarist Carlos Augusto Alves Santana is one of the most popular musicians of recent times. Santana’s illustrious career, featuring vibrant inventiveness, has been an inspiration to artists and fans around the world. On his maiden visit to India to perform in Bangalore and Delhi this weekend, Santana spoke with Amin Ali about his method of making music, some advice he’d give young musicians, why Indian music is like exercise.

You’ve had a richly diverse journey – what made you grow into a global sensation?
Well, throughout my career, i realised that it is important to stay focussed. Focus is the key word. Einstein and Sri Aurobindo were geniuses who were able to accomplish a lot because of this focus. From Leonardo da Vinci to Picasso – focus is the key to success. It is a light inside you.
The sound I myself have is symbiotic. It cuts across geographies and generations.
 How do you approach music?
    I see it as the purity of innocence, the complexity of simplicity. There has to be a virgin energy to it which makes everything fresh. I stay a virgin through it all, be it a performance or composing music.
 Do commercial demands sometimes shape what you create as a musician?
    I create music for people and i create music for me. I don’t have any fear, either to impress or to show off. I feel from my heart and i make people feel good. It’s very natural to me.
Is that how you approach live performances as well?
    I go into a trance. A live performance is like meditation. It’s very important that my band has focus. I am like a ringleader there who balances and shapes the emotions, both on stage and of the people listening to my music. There has to be genuine honesty in what i do and i’m even more focussed and energetic on stage.
    You know, my parents taught me to be consistent and, most importantly, to put my heart into my performance. I still see my parents guiding me.
 What is your take on the contemporary music scene?
    It is important to approach the present with love and care. Even though i am 65 years of age, it is not impossible to create music with Lady Gaga or Adele or any contemporary artist as long as it’s the right song. I am open to collaborations – but i have only one piece of advice for new musicians. They need to come in with an open heart and an open mind. They should not have fear. I never try and have an agenda. That’s what i suggest to other musicians as well. Just come in and have a fresh perspective.
What is your view on Indian music?
    I think Indian music is very profound. It also has humour. I really like the ragas or meditation music. Indian music is like exercising – you have to surrender your mind to its peacefulness.
    TOI121026