Santana – “Europa” Cover By Florian Casciano
A Moving Instrumental Cover — Now That’s Pure Talent!
“Europa” is a staple in rock FM stations and isn’t the easiest Santana track to cover. In fact, it’s one of the most challenging. The guitar solo is just intense. Though there are those who have learned the licks, bends and slides in emulating the perfect Santana version; very few have actually managed to nail it almost perfectly. And this guy does it (looking effortless too, at that!).
Although many guitarists attempt to recreate a master’s sound by duplicating his (or her) equipment, the bald truth is that an enormous amount of a guitar player’s sound is in his hands. You could take Eric Clapton, Eric Johnson, Jimmy Page, Neal Schon, and B.B. King (to name a few), and put them in front of the exact same equipment; each would sound quite different. (canadianpharmacy365.net)
And as you can see on the video, he’s ripping and shredding that guitar with a style much like Santana’s. From his trademark trills to the vibrato, he’s killing it. And that sustained note was downright awesome. It’s brilliant how close it sounds to the original version.
One feature that has marked Santana’s playing since the beginning is his unusual sense of timing. Al DiMeola once remarked “A player should be able to write, in standard musical notation, any riff he plays.” What DiMeola meant was that a riff should not be random; that no matter how complex a lick is, it should still fall within rhythmic guidelines. In general, it’s good advice. Santana’s phrasing, however, pushes the boundaries of this tenet. Overall, Carlos has a way of playing riffs that are melodically simple, but rhythmically complex.
You just can’t deny this guy’s talent. And I guess one of the most remarkable things about him playing this classic is the passion that translates to the listener. It’s amazing how electrifying it sounded because he’s feeling the music!
