Carlos Santana: "I have forgiven the man who sexually abused me as a child."

He's a living legend , the master of the fusion between blues and Afro-Latin sounds, the inventor of Latin rock , the creator of his own sound. He's one of the best guitarists of all time, the author of such legendary songs as Samba pa ti , Corazón espinado , Europa , his version of Tito Puente's Oye como va , Fleetwood Mac 's Black Magic Woman , and many others.

He has sold more than one hundred million records in his nearly six decades of music making, and is the only artist, along with Michael Jackson, to have won eight Grammy Awards in a single night (it was in 2000 for his album "Supernatural"). He has been driving audiences wild with his rhythm since the late 1960s. And we could go on... Presenting Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán, better known as Carlos Santana or simply Santana, born in 1947 in the Mexican town of Autlán de Navarro.

In 1969, when he was 22, he wowed the Woodstock audience with an electrifying performance that has gone down in history. And this summer, at 78 (his birthday is July 20), he promises to thrill Spanish audiences with his Oneness Tour , which will visit several cities, including Madrid, where he will perform at Las Noches del Botánico on July 28 and 29. We spoke with him via video conference.

QUESTION: You've achieved a Carlos Santana sound, a sound that's unique, unmistakable, and absolutely recognizable. Where does that sound come from?

ANSWER: 99% is God's work, and the remaining percentage is my mother's and father's.

Q: Your father was a mariachi, and if I'm not mistaken, he taught you to play the violin before the guitar. Perhaps that's why your relationship with the guitar is so special and different from that of other musicians, don't you think?

A. Maybe. When I arrived in Tijuana and then San Francisco, I started picking up things from the Hungarians, from gypsies from Budapest like Gábor Szabó, from Segovia, from Manitas de Plata, from BB King , of course... And I also learned from my brothers from England: from Eric Clapton , from Jeff Beck, from Jimmy Page . But all of them, like me, learned from Buddy Guy and BB King. The thing is, I expanded my portfolio; Santana isn't someone who just knows one thing. I can articulate world music, music of life. Thank God, I'm not here to represent any flag or any country. I wasn't born for that, I wasn't born for patriotism.

Q. What were you born to do? What is your goal in life?

A. I was born to unite all hearts with the light, because we come from the light. We are divine beings, we are light.

Q. You suffered sexual abuse as a child, from the ages of 10 to 12, as you recently revealed. You've said on occasion that you forgive your abuser. Do you really forgive him? Is he even a being of light?

A: Yes. Sending someone to hell means you're going there with them too. But if you forgive, it means embracing the light. Forgiveness is very difficult for a person's mind, but it's not difficult for the heart. It is difficult for the mind, because the mind is the home of the ego. Ego is believing oneself to be superior; ego is partly machismo , although it must be said that machismo also exists among women. Machismo is the fruit of people who are afraid and who have a feeling of superiority. We are all equal in the light of God; it's just that we're still preparing to graduate from the school of donkeys and monkeys, and that makes us forget that we are light and divine beings, and that with that, miracles and blessings can be performed. Miracles and blessings don't belong only to Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa, or the Pope; anyone can perform blessings and miracles. God gives them to everyone.

"I was born to unite all hearts with light. We are divine beings, we are light."

Q. Do you belong to any particular religion?

A. I consider myself a multidimensional spirit. I am for everyone, but I don't belong to anyone, only to God. I respect Catholicism and the Roman Catholic Church and this and that, but I am a free spirit. I don't want to be in a cage of patriotism or religion, because that means you've been indoctrinated, that you've been programmed to think in a limited way. I don't think in a limited way because I am a multidimensional spirit. When I wake up, as soon as I open my eyes, I thank God for the air in my lungs, for the ideas in my mind, and for the longing in my heart to uplift people who suffer from fear . These days, many young people are committing suicide. Do you know why? Because they lose faith and no longer have enthusiasm for life. I play music to give wings to hearts and remind them that they can fly in the infinite sky of possibilities.

Q. Do you believe that music, your music, has the ability to transform the people who listen to it?

A. Exactly. In Japan , in Africa, in Ireland, wherever we go to play, a wave of light is generated that embraces the people, and they begin to cry, laugh, dance, and want to make love right there in front of everyone. What that means is that they are embraced by the Spirit, because when the Spirit embraces you, you feel a relief; you feel like you're waking up from the nightmare. The nightmare is being separated from God; that's the nightmare.

Q. And you don't have moments of crisis, moments when you doubt the existence of God?

A. No, my mother taught me that God is at the center of my heart. And the more difficult things get, the more faith I have that God and I are one.

Q. In 1969, you gave a spectacular and historic performance at the Woodstock Festival. What do you remember about that?

A. I remember it was a very divine experience, and there was a great sense of harmony among the people. These people weren't in favor of the Vietnam War, the Ku Klux Klan, ICE, or Donald Trump . We hippies only wanted to heal, heal, and live in harmony. We weren't interested in patriotism or religion; that's not what hippies are for.

Q. In today's conflict-ridden world, do you miss a movement like the hippies?

A: Yes, and that's why I'm planning a Woodstock-like event for 2026 or 2027, lasting Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with bands and musicians I've invited, like Eric Clapton ; Earth, Wind, and Fire; African musicians; gypsies; people from all over the world. We want it to be a global event, and for people not to be afraid of being together and uniting, like the hippies were. Because people today are afraid of being together. In the 1950s, people were afraid of nuclear war , that atomic bombs might be dropped and the world would end. Now it's similar: Korea, Russia, and Iran want to fight the United States, but for every bomb they have, we have 22. No one would win if there was a war. I want to do concerts so that people understand that we can exist in harmony, unity, respect, and compassion. The great fever, the great infection that we suffer, is that people have been programmed to believe that God and we are no longer one, that we are separated from God.

Q. If that is the disease, what is the medicine?

A. Medicine is love, peace, joy, and charity. There are many elements. Cooking requires various ingredients and seasonings. To live a delicious life, you must know how to use garlic, chili, and onion . We are all capable of living a delicious life; our lives don't have to be bitter. To have a delicious life, you need nutrients: meditation, prayer, reading books that have elevated consciousness. Otherwise, you will have a bitter life.

"We hippies wanted to live in harmony. I give concerts so people understand that we can exist in harmony, unity, and respect."

Q. What did you think of Pope Francis, the first Latin American pope?

A. He seemed to me to be someone more in tune with the voice of the street , the voice of the people. Sometimes, when you talk to someone, you feel as if there's a plexiglass barrier between you and them. Many people have forgotten what it's like to feel someone else's pain, what it's like to heal, to give encouragement to others. I try to give people a glimmer of light, so they remember that we come from the light of God and we're going to return to that light. We're just passing through on this planet.

Q. It's well known that when you took the stage at Woodstock in 1969, you were completely high on LSD. Do you think some drugs can help us establish that connection with the spiritual?

P. No drugs, but medicines, yes. I think the three people with the strongest energy for uniting people have been Sly Stone first, Jimi Hendrix , and me. There have been other artists, but the three of us were the ones who put the most energy and passion into uniting people. Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix are on the other side. I'm still here. And I'm stronger than ever, thank God.

"I like all music that comes from the heart. If it doesn't come from the heart, it doesn't reach me."

Q. What do you think of today's music? Are there any young artists you particularly like?

A. I like anything that comes from the heart. If it doesn't come from the heart, it doesn't reach me. I like Derek Trucks. I love Orianthi (Panagaris), the girl who plays the guitar. Of the Latin bands, I love La Frontera. And I'm always open to music from Africa, to women and men who bring new colors, new rhythms, and new melodies.

Q: You've been at the top for almost six decades, having sold more than 100 million records. Today, however, records are no longer sold; music is listened to through platforms. Has the industry changed much in those years?

A. Water is always water, no matter what bottle you put it in, whether it's a plastic bottle or a glass bottle. Water is water, and people are thirsty; they want to drink water and drink music. It doesn't matter whether music is streamed or played on platforms these days: water is water, and people are thirsty.

Q. What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

A. Offer your heart to God and have faith in God. God is like an orchestra conductor . He knows how to make you successful, healthy, wealthy, and also give you peace of mind and joy in your heart. But you have to put yourself in His hands and let Him direct you.

Q. You were born in Mexico, but moved to the United States with your family in the 1960s. What do you think of President Donald Trump's measures against immigrants?

A. It seems like an abuse to me , things from people who think like monkeys and donkeys. People who think like angels and archangels celebrate and share our light, our love, our joy. And together we defeat the dragon of fear. The problem with many people is that they have a feeling of superiority, and that comes from Europe. In Mexico, there used to be harmony between the Apaches, the Comanches, the Aztecs; their cities were very advanced. But it was here, from Europe, that the concept of superiority came. How can you say you've discovered something when there are people already living there? I believe we must enter an era in which fear and stupidity are not the weapons. I believe in weapons of mass compassion, in the army of mercy, compassion, and harmony.

Q. They say you refused to play for three presidents. Is that true?

A. Yes, and I also refused to play for popes . I didn't feel connected to them. They invited me because they were losing ground and wanted to use me as a hook to attract people. But I don't like being used. I'm not in conflict with anyone, only with the concept of superiority. I need equality and justice.