This week marks exactly 55 years since a festival took place in Rotterdam’s Kralingse Bos, still considered the Dutch answer to the American Woodstock Festival.
In addition to Jefferson Airplane, Dr. John, The Byrds, T. Rex, and countless other acts from the Netherlands and abroad played there for a weekend, bands that would later rapidly achieve almost iconic status.
There was Pink Floyd, and also a young, talented Mexican-American musician with a large, self-titled band around him, who was already regularly heard on Hilversum 3. It was a time when the use of soft drugs was on the verge of being tolerated.
On Tuesday evening, 77-year-old CARLOS SANTANA played to a nearly sold-out, completely smoke-free ZiggoDome.
While The Cult takes a long time to arrive at the nearby AFAS Live, only to fail to live up to expectations with a short performance, a Latin American party kicks off in the much larger Dome, where the intro of “Aurora Borealis” by jazz musician Sabu Martinez is played, dominated by rousing Afro-Cuban rhythms.
The tension mounts, and the seats with limited visibility suddenly offer a perfect view of the entrance of the many musicians taking the stage. Carlos Santana receives a well-deserved warm welcome as he takes his place.
He’s experiencing significant physical discomfort and will therefore perform mostly seated. The swinging “Soul Sacrifice” is a perfect opener to get fans out of their uncomfortable seats.
It all sounds so relaxed, yet it’s still incredibly tight. The impetuous drumming of her wife, Cindy Blackman-Santana, seems to set the pace should the percussionists threaten to go off the rails. While many great musicians nowadays frequently use artificial techniques, tonight we see a remarkably organic whole, played in a traditional, artisanal way.
The well-known “Jingo” is clearly well-written, and if you look closely, you’ll see satisfied looks on stage and especially all around you in the audience. When “Evil Ways” kicks in, the sound seems perfectly tuned.
This trio, taken from their debut album “Santana,” has laid a solid foundation. The guitar master’s performances are easy to follow on the large screen behind the stage, and his speed is clearly impeccable.
The band continues without hesitation with “Black Magic Woman / Gypsy Queen,” while the albums that marked the band’s breakthrough are displayed on the screen.
When “Oye Como Va” follows, it seems the audience is being treated to a set in complete chronological order, and you almost wonder how many more tricks they have left to pull off the evening.
“Maria, Maria” takes a big leap forward in time, and it turns out there’s a significant portion of the audience that slightly lowers the average age. It originates from a period when Carlos Santana’s career had reached a dead end.
The decision was made to combine his still-unique guitar sound with a contemporary sound, using well-known names from the pop music scene of the time. Their comeback in 2002 was quickly realized, and the following year, a venue like Ahoy in Rotterdam was easily filled again.
Then, the band quickly picks up again with “Hope You’re Feeling Better,” from the early days when the album “Abraxas,” thanks in part to the hit “Samba Pa Ti,” reached number one on the US Billboard 100. That smash hit still captures the imagination of fans worldwide, 55 years later.
The guitarist, with minimal accompaniment for a while, personally delivers the first highlight of the evening with sublime guitar playing.
The sound is familiar, but while this swinging orchestra was once led by the legendary guitarist and musical director, Carlos Santana now prefers to assert himself in a secondary role.
We see keyboardist David K. Mathews conducting from the sidelines when necessary, but it strongly appears that the division of labor during this tour was thoroughly reviewed and followed. These are certainly no novices at work here.
A key characteristic of the Santana band is that the right person always seems to be in the right place. Mathews has amassed an incredible amount of experience in bands like Tower of Power, Fabulous Thunderbirds, and Roomful of Blues.
He also assisted Etta James for years in both the studio and on stage, and has also lent his services to artists like Willie Dixon, George Benson, and Dr. John. The defining, heavy tones also sound truly fantastic, and for over twenty-five years, they have been emanating from the bass guitar of Benny Rietveld, who is partly responsible for the solid rhythmic foundation.
Rietveld, originally from Utrecht, moved to Hawaii, and through Sheila E., an important Prince protégé, managed to catch the eye of Miles Davis, before eventually ending up in the Santana band.
He regularly subtly intrudes when the opportunity arises to jam. Fusion, rock, and Latin are styles he’s no stranger to.
Another highlight is “She’s Not There,” where many air guitars in the audience seem to be played almost flawlessly. Yet, the well-known, and unfortunately overplayed, hit “Game Of Love” has become an unavoidable fixture in the set.
It’s proving to be good for bar sales, as these kinds of performances with vocals different from those of the original aren’t appreciated by everyone. “There’s no way around having to play those songs,” he once admitted apologetically.
It’s one of the tracks that helped him achieve his comeback. His duet with House of Pain singer Everlast also seems to have a big impact in the audience, as during “Put Your Lights On,” all the cell phones go up in the air to illuminate the room even more.
It’s a beautiful prelude to the spectacular “Toussaint L’Overture,” in which the entire band, in a seemingly liberated jam, showcases what makes the Santana sound so unique.
It’s also here that the guitarist once again demonstrates he hasn’t forgotten his skills. We carefully see his fragile body making delicate dance moves.
During Blackman-Santana’s highly energetic drum solo, we leave the venue to beat the crowds, as “Smooth” will close the set, and that much-heard hit simply has to be played, even if it’s sung by a different voice.
He doesn’t need it, but even Carlos Santana, the once-free spirit who single-handedly pioneered music for decades, isn’t afraid to give his fans what they want.
And so he sends everyone home satisfied, and both band and audience can look back on a thoroughly successful evening.
