Independent Perspective News

In an interview carried out in San Francisco, his home city, the successful musician talks about Metatron, his mysterious heavenly counselor, his album Shaman and his belief that artists can change the world. "Otherwise, you'd better become a plumber."

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If the Santana weren't in this VIP area behind the stage, they could pass for just another family of Mexican immigrants going picnic. Nobody showers them with praise for having launched an album that will be among the best-sellers in history.

Supernatural, released in 1999, sold 25 million copies around the world, a success that was big enough to change an artist's life. "I'm still the same person who crossed the border and worked washing glasses", says the guitar player, 55, in his dressing room. "I still take out the garbage at home."

There's nothing supernatural in that. But, just like everybody else, Santana has been through marital trouble. He says he perceives five dimensions of human life, but that, for a while, he could show only one to his family: rage.

He met his wife Deborah in 1972, during a concert in San Francisco. Since then, she's been her loyal partner and guide. But in the years previous to the release of Supernatural, when the artist's career stuck and he seemed destined to be a relic from the psychedelic 60's , Santana's mood became unbearable. Deborah gave him an ultimatum: "Either get some help or leave."

Santana saw a therapist and decided he needed to face the trauma of child abuse, which he revealed in February in an interview for the Rolling Stone magazine and again this month in the TV show 60 Minutes II. "I love my wife and daughters. That's why I thought I had to find the courage to come out to the arena and confront the bull."

This public confession was something Santana would have preferred not to go through. But the angel insisted that he should.

In interviews, Santana has often mentioned the heavenly visitor who guided his career's rebirth. At nights, Santana lights a candle expecting to hear the message from a white-bearded angel called Metatron.

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To Santana, both albums have a spiritual mission: "The first message was to stop the slaughters in schools, which have evidently stopped", he says. "That was the first message for Supernatural, and last time that there were shots it was at Santana Highschool in San Diego."

Santana finds the coincidence "fascinating" and he adds that coincidence is one of the forms in which spirits manifest.

They also put messages through directly. In the peak of the Supernatural phenomenon, Santana heard an angel say: "We've granted you a huge experience and now we want you to talk about the child abuse you suffered."

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Weird as it may sound, Santana has always claimed that artists have the Power to change the world. "Otherwise, you'd better become a plumber."

But hasn't he started taking himself too seriously? In his new album's title he seems to place himself as a great shaman, as the world's healer.

"My wife warned me they would say so", he explains. "But I'm not saying I'm Superman, Batman or Buddha. What I say is that we all have powers we don't use."

"With Shaman, we can invite people to see the big picture", he says. "When you see the big picture, you think, 'God bless human kind', not, 'God bless the United States".

From the stage, he asks President Bush to soften his heart and "see that the highest goal in life is compassion and goodness".

As a child, Carlos was special to his mother and today she's still cares to watch her son so that he doesn't step out the way she taught him: be humble and fear money.

"I don't like vain and selfish people", she tells him. "I want you to keep your feet on the ground." That's why Santana has no employees to take out his garbage.

Behind the stage, Santana calls his daughter Angélica to give him a kiss. She comes in and says, "You're my biggest fan", as if she was the real star.

Santana laughs. He likes being put back into his place.