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.