Category Archives: USA
Tom Williams
October 3, 2013
Name: Tom Williams
Location: Naperville, Illinois
Santana Fan Since: 1970 — I remember it — I was in a dorm room in college at Miami University and someone put Abraxas on the turntable and that was that — I was forever a fan from that day on.
Why You Love Santana’s Music: Carlos’ music exposes and brings out emotions that otherwise in my life I often don’t have the time or the place to express — it makes me cry — it makes me smile — it makes me forget — it puts me in a place that takes me away from my everyday life and puts me in the best of places. When my mother passed away in 1973, I retreated to my room and cried, smiled and laughed to the memories of my mother as I listened to “Song of the Wind” — I did the same when my father passed away in September of last year. That song will always make me cry, as will “Samba Pa Ti”. Don’t get me wrong — I am a corporate lawyer who loves what I do, and am good at, but Carlos’ music has and always will bring me to a special place at those times when I want — or need — to leave that world and be in a different place.
How Many Times You’ve Seen Carlos Live and Where/When: I only wish I had made a record — more so, kept ticket stubs — of all of the times I have seen Carlos. My guess — 50 to 75 — most memorable: (i) front row (thanks to a local radio station contest) at the International Amphitheater in Chicago with the Mahavishnu John M sometime in the 70’s, (ii) again in the 70’s, at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago when I made my doubting brothers believers, (iii) sometime in the early 90’s, at a Woodstock-like event at a ski resort somewhere in the mountains near Geneva, Switzerland, and (iv) in June, 2009, with my now wife at the Hard Rock in LV. Oh ya, almost forgot the July 1976 event at Chicago Stadium with Carlos and Eric Clapton!! The list is endless for me.
Random Santana-related Fact: email address is posada9@…….. Have Santana-related passwords…
What can I say — I am a grounded man with a mainstream career who has had an unrelenting love of the music of Carlos Santana and will until the day I leave this world (when my instructions will be to play Carlos’ music at my wake!!). Thank you Carlos — I will always be eternally grateful to have had the pleasure and privilege of knowing your music.
Tony Gioutsos
October 2, 2013
Name: Tony Gioutsos
Location: Livonia, Michigan
Santana Fan Since: 1976
Why You Love Santana’s Music: Somehow the songs Carlos writes, loves and performs match my ear. The style of music is irrelevant…every song he is associated with sounds great to me.
How Many Times You’ve Seen Carlos Live and Where/When: 51 times and I will see him at least 3 more this year…obviously mostly in Michigan but also, Germany, Korea, Ohio, Vegas many times, Texas, Maryland, etc.
Random Santana-related Fact: All of my passwords are Santana-related. My wife and I got married in Vegas and of course went to the show right after!!
COMMENTMichele Martin
September 26, 2013
Name: Michele Martin
Location: Santa Monica, California
Santana Fan Since: I have been a fan of Santana’s since the early 60s.
Why You Love Santana’s Music: I love Santana’s music because it touches my heart and moves my body – I am taken away from our earthly world and transported to a beautiful place inside.
How Many Times You’ve Seen Carlos Live and Where/When: I have seen Santana in New York when I lived there, in Southern California more times than I could count, and two times in Las Vegas at the Hard Rock Cafe.
Random Santana-related Fact: I have pictures of Santana in my bedroom – kitchen and living room and stickers on my car – anyone who knows me know I am a HUGE Santana Fan. I think he is one of the best human beings on this planet and I LOVE LOVE LOVE him with all my heart.
COMMENTFran Scott
September 25, 2013
Name: Fran Scott
Location: Toledo, Ohio
Santana Fan Since: Early 1970s
Why You Love Santana’s Music: Because it speaks to my soul…
How Many Times You’ve Seen Carlos Live and Where/When: I’ve seen Carlos nine times, mostly in Detroit MI at Pine Knob and this summer July 11th at the zoo will be #10. Also, hoping to get some friends together to run down to DTE that weekend to “Dance on the Hill!!!” My dream is to fly to Vegas and see him at The House of Blues!
Random Santana-related Fact: So I was told by my pastor at church to make a list of things I want people to say at my memorial and then go out and live that way. My Fran’s “Bucket List” #10 is that folks will say that Fran is a “dedicated and loyal Carlos Santana Fan!!!
COMMENTErnesto Marzan
September 24, 2013
Name: Ernesto Marzan
Location: Robbinsville, New Jersey
Santana Fan Since: 1969
Why You Love Santana’s Music: I love Santana’s music because it’s spiritual but also makes me wanna dance. When I heard the congas in “Waiting” for the first time in 1969 I was 13 years old. I lost my mind. I was a young Latino from El Barrio in NYC and this was the first time I ever heard a conga on American radio. Then came the sound of Carlos’s guitar. I lost my mind even more, bugged my dad to get me a guitar, and I’ve been playing ever since. To this day, Carlos is still the gold standard by which I measure other musicians. The spirituality, passion and fury of Carlos Santana has affected me my entire life. See you in July Carlos!
How Many Times You’ve Seen Carlos Live and Where/When: I’ve seen Santana too many times to count. I’ve seen Santana at The Palladium, The Beacon Theater, Madison Square Garden, The Ritz, Hunter College (Carlos only), Westchester Premiere Theater, Garden State Arts Center (now PNC Arts Center), and I will be seeing him at July 25 at PNC Arts Center.
Random Santana-related Fact: I met Carlos and got his autograph at Macy’s in New York City. It was a promotion for his new cologne.
COMMENTFrank & Susan DiGiacomo
September 22, 2013
Name: Frank & Susan DiGiacomo
Location: We currently reside in Earlysville, Virginia.
Santana Fan Since: The beginning (30+ years)
Why You Love Santana’s Music: His music is incredibly moving and gets to your soul; each concert is a religious experience all of its own. Sometimes the songs make you cry, and others make you smile and feel so happy inside. We look forward to the next shows and are sad when the show we’re attending is over.
How Many Times You’ve Seen Carlos Live and Where/When: Frank: 70+ times; Susan: 30+ times in Toronto and Vancouver, Canada; Dallas and Houston, TX; Charlotte, NC; Columbia, MD; Atlanta, GA; Atlantic City, NJ; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; Gainesville, VA; Virginia Beach, VA; Omaha, NE; Jones Beach, NY; Holmdel, NJ; and Tampa, FL.
Random Santana-related Fact: My husband proposed during a Santana concert in Dallas, TX, as Santana sang… “Give me your heart, make it real, or else forget about it” …and he slipped the ring on my finger. I nearly fainted! The next day we drove to Houston and went to a local department store where Carlos was promoting his fragrance(s); we presented Carlos with a photo I had taken of him and his son during their Toronto show. Frank’s kids were invited to be on stage with Santana at a show in Virginia in 2004.
Jaime Ziadie
September 19, 2013
Name: Jaime Ziadie
Location: Bonita Springs, Florida
Santana Fan Since: 1969 (since Woodstock and purchasing his first album)
Why You Love Santana’s Music: There are literally a thousand reasons, but the short answer is that Santana’s Music has always touched my very soul in a pleasing, and sometimes a healing way!!!
How Many Times You’ve Seen Carlos Live and Where/When: 23 times. In Miami 3 times… my very first Santana concert being 1973; several times in the Ft. Lauderdale/Hollywood, FL area; a few times in the Tampa area, and once or twice in West Palm beach. I don’t really know the exact count for each place (lost track), but I will pretty much make a pilgrimage to whenever & wherever Carlos is playing in Florida. In fact, I just got my tickets for his August 26th concert in Tampa.
Random Santana-related Fact: I’m a professional mobile DJ, and my DJ business is called Z-BOP Unlimited. I’m known as DJ Z-BOP, partly because Z-BOP has always been one of a few of my nicknames (from my last name – Ziadie), long before the 1981 ZBOP album came out. Blew my mind, when I saw a Santana album actually using my nickname (not that it was planned that way). So cliché to say this, but of course I have every single album or CD that Carlos has ever released. And after having the honor of meeting and briefly speaking to him (a whole other interesting story), everything that I always thought about him was confirmed – that he is a kind, gentle, and generous spirit. I sincerely believe that he is God’s gift to this world! I LOVE HIM DEARLY!!!
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