MUMBAI, MARCH 28: Carlos Santana is in Tokyo. And there's the chance of a lifetime out there. To either meet the legend in flesh and blood. Or possess his guitar for a lifetime. There's a caveat though. The opportunity's open only to the winners of Channel V's Carlos Santana Contest.For the pagans, Carlos Santana was playing world music when the concept was still alien. The Yannis of the world may well go take a hike.His music was, and still remains, all about passion. Music played from the gut. Which is precisely why 30 years after Santana exploded onto the scene, people still give their right hands to hear him perform live.The story is that of a five-year-old boy in Autlan, Mexico and his father Jose, a mariachi violinist. The kid was quick on the uptake andthe ``traditional'' music his father taught permeated his understanding. But that was till the time Santana outgrew traditional forms and wanted to play the way ``they did on radio''. Essentially, to experiment with forms that the music he had grown up with couldn't accomodate. He had outgrown his father's lessons.Sometime in 1955, the family moved to Tijuana and Santana, now eight, was on the guitar. Trying desperately to emulate B B King, T-Bone Walker and John Lee Hooker. The kid was growing and his music was evolving.In 1961, Santana moved to San Fransisco playing at local clubs. Over the next five years, evolution was rapid and in 1966, Santana exploded on the scene with the debut performance of Santana Blues Band. When Woodstock happened in 1969, a world starved for heroes and icons found one. Carlos Santana had arrived.What followed over the years has been incredible - 40 million albums sold and performances before over 20 million people. It includes a double-platinum debut album, Santana, the quadruple platinum Abraxas and the first ever joint US-Soviet rock concert in history.That was good enough reason to be inducted into the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame in 1998. Nine grammy awards on February 23, 2000, for his album Supernatural was the most fitting tribute to the most distinctive guitarist the world has ever seen.It also means something else. That fifty years down the line, there'll be more pretenders to the throne trying their awful best to create world music. Few will be remembered. Fewer will be emulated. A handful like Carlos Santana will live forever.Perhaps, because music ought to have a philosophy. Like Santana's. ``The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace.'' And Santana, genuinely believed that his music was about all of that.How many pretenders can say that without flinching?>
