Carlos Santana did more than just talk about the power of music to affect social change, he put his money where his mouth was. Carlos and his wife Deborah were big supporters of Communities In Schools in Marin County, California, and paid for a music teacher at San Pedro Elementary School in San Rafael for many years. I did a Blindfold Test with Carlos for Downbeat, and a cover story for BAM magazine, and here he talks about his motivation for playing music, the power of music, and his disregard for flags and borders.

1. Carlos Santana and consciousness revolution. “Samba Pa Ti” from Lotus, CBS (1974)
2. Carlos Santana and getting rid of the guns. “Samba Pa Ti” from Lotus, CBS (1974)
3. Carlos Santana declares himself a Planetary Citizen. “Samba Pa Ti” from Lotus, CBS (1974)