Hard rock, Latin rock, classic oldies and spiritual affirmations made for a full evening Thursday as Carlos Santana and a new version of his namesake band played for 2-1/2 hours in the Blaisdell Arena. The set list included songs from the first three Santana albums; music from the most recent album, “Corazon”; and songs from “Santana IV,” the reunion album by five of the early band members that will be released in April.
Santana plays the Maui Arts & Cultural Center today.
It was the first time Honolulu experienced in concert any of the songs from “Corazon,” let alone songs from “Santana IV.” It was also the Hawaii debut of vocalist Ray Greene as a member of Santana; Greene left Tower of Power to join Santana in February.
Also new — and a commanding presence throughout the show — was Cindy Blackman Santana, Carlos Santana’s wife, on drums.
Anyone familiar with the history of the band enjoyed the interplay between Carlos Santana and his musical director, expatriate local boy Benny Reitveld on five-string bass. Reitveld was a fan of the group long before he became part of it, and that fact made their work together especially noteworthy.
Reitveld was given space to stretch out on a six-minute solo that included instrumental references to “Hi‘ilawe” and “Imagine,” and which earned him applause for the easily recognized melodies. (Speaking backstage after the show, Reitveld said he doesn’t usually play “Hi‘ilawe,” and that Santana likes each show to be different in some way from the previous one.)
Blackman Santana’s six-minute drum solo also deserved the applause she received for it.
There were some interesting musical choices elsewhere. Greene was the primary voice on a driving, hard-rock reworking of “Higher Ground.” Carlos was joined by guitarist Tommy Anthony on a dual-guitars arrangement of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Each member of the group got some solo time during the evening.
Santana did not do much talking. The one time he spoke at length, it was about the importance of “one love” and the musical legacy of John Lennon, Marvin Gaye and Bob Dylan as represented in “Imagine,” “What’s Going On” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” He recalled Herbie Hancock telling him recently, “I have never felt or seen so much fear on the planet,” and cited the call of Bob Marley to “emancipate yourself from mental slavery.”
“You are a beam of light,” he told the crowd. “When you can embrace, own and claim that you are a beam of light, you break the cycle of being a victim in your family. Our parents and their parents and their parents, they were victims of this concept of guilt, shame, judgment, condemnment (and) fear. … You are magnificent, and you can create miracles and blessings.
“Like lint, discard guilt, shame, judgment, condemnment and all that. That’s ‘Godzilla,’ that’s not God. God is love. God is love. God is love.
“I believe in you. Believe in yourself.”
Among those hearing Santana’s message were Kalapana keyboardist and recording studio engineer Gaylord Holomalia, Pearl Jam keyboardist Boom Gaspar, guitarist Zanuck Kapala Lindsey, 94.7 KUMU morning guy Devon Nekoba, record producer Brandon Apeles and high-profile attorney David Hayakawa. Around them were people who looked old enough to remember the release of the first Santana album in 1969 and to have seen him at Woodstock or in Diamond Head Crater, as well as others who obviously had not even been born until the 1970s were over. A small group of young women in the center section down front stood up and danced nonstop, heedless of those seated behind them, until the band played “Samba Pa Ti” more than 30 minutes into the show. However, most of the crowd was dancing with them by the time Santana closed the evening with “Black Magic Woman/Gypsy Queen,” “Oye Como Va” and “Smooth.”
The band’s performance was enhanced by the work of an excellent video camera crew. There were closeups of Santana’s fingers as he played, overhead views of Blackman Santana on drums, countless other sharply focused shots, and vintage performance clips going back to Woodstock. All of it added to an excellent concert.
SANTANA
>> When: 7:30 p.m. today
>> Where: Maui Arts & Cultural Center
>> Cost: $65-$149
>> Info: 242-SHOW (242-7469) or mauiarts.org
>> Note: Lawn seating opens at 4 p.m., amphitheatre seating opens at 5:30 p.m.
