Santana – “Batuka” Live
Dominating The Stage With A Blistering Instrumental
Carlos Santana’s fans were subjected to an unforgettable three-hour concert during the Montreux Festival in 2011. He performed a total of 23 tracks which were composed of his greatest hits, some classic songs and even his popular cover versions such as Tito Puente’s “Oye Como Va,” John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme,” Willie Bobo’s “Evil Ways” and Fleetwood Mac’s “Black Magic Woman.
This particular instrumental seamlessly transitions into “No One To Depend On” which was the last track in the first disc of the DVD record.
In the 2004 book Voices Of Latin Rock: The People And Events That Created This Sound, for which Carlos Santana wrote a Foreword, “Batuka” is described as “Neal Schon’s debut proper. A Sly-influenced conga pattern by Carabello, supported by Areas’s cowbells and Shrieve’s crisp hi-hat, underscores a wild guitar solo that cuts and parries against the onslaught of Carlos’s, Rolie’s and Brown’s rhythmic thrusts. Schon’s playing echoes Hendrix and leads the vanguard from the later chainsaw-playing of Pete Cosey and Reggie Lucas in Miles Davis’s band”.
It wasn’t a slow instrumental, instead, it was explosive — showcasing his amazing guitar solos and riffs. Santana tears up the song with impressive shredding. Once more, he has proven how much of a versatile and iconic guitarist he is!
