Santana – Abraxas

Description

Santana’s 1970 follow-up to their Woodstock-propelled smash ’69 debut found leader Carlos Santana further expanding his San Francisco group’s already broad musical boundaries. To wit: two hit singles that emanated from opposite ends of the spectrum–“Black Magic Woman”, originally written and recorded by English blues-rock guitarist Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac, and New York Latin percussionist/dance music king Tito Puente’s infectious “Oye Como Va”. Tying blues, rock, and salsa together in one pan-cultural package, Abraxas also featured such standout tracks as “Gypsy Queen”, “Singing Winds”, and “Crying Beasts”. The latter two underscored the growing Eastern sensibilities of guitarist Santana.