Guitarist Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán was born and raised in Mexico where he developed guitar skills and musical background.
Carlos rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s in the United States with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of rock and roll and Latin jazz style.
According to published reports, the top guitarists of all time list usual suspects like Jimi Hendrix, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Mark Knopfler. Without intent to take anything away from these extraordinarily gifted musicians, his “guitar hero” label is often thrown disproportionately in favor of guitarists who rose to worldwide fame in pop music in the late 20th century as the late Jerome John Garcia who was known as the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with The Grateful Dead. One guitarist who inspired Santana to move away from traditional blues licks was Grateful Dead guitarist Jerry Garcia.
https://americansongwriter.com/5-songs-you-didnt-know-jerry-garcia-wrot…
During the late 1960s, Santana frequently spoke of his fondness for countless guitarists, including Ritchie Valens, B. B. King, Gábor Szabó, Mike Bloomfield, and, of course, Jimi Hendrix. But over the course of his career, he encountered hundreds of musicians he adored, even if they were not typically classed among the elite virtuosos. One of Santana’s particular favourites was his Woodstock neighbour and lead Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=aZbg5k4j9ww
With a new documentary about his life, "Carlos," opening in theaters, guitar legend Carlos Santana talks with correspondent Lee Cowan about his art; his spirituality; making music with drummer Cindy Blackman, his wife of 13 years; and why he's not interested in becoming "a ghost on a jukebox."
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/carlos-santana-on-music-and-spirituality/