The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light

Although Santana first captivated the world at his Woodstock performance, his intimate relationship with his guitar had long sustained him. Now, for the first time, the elusive guitarist tells his story in prose that is by turns ragged and sparkling. As he does with his music, Santana uses words to paint pictures, describing the streets of his Mexican hometown of Autl%C3%A1n, his earliest gigs at the El Convoy bar in Tijuana, and his move to San Francisco as a teenager, where his career first took off, with the help of, among others, famous rock promoter Bill Graham. Santana also discusses the sexual abuse he suffered as a child, perpetrated by a neighbor, and his parents%E2%80%99 efforts to downplay the incident. He strikes the perfect chord when he traces his ongoing spiritual evolution, attributing his success and the beauty of his music to what he calls the %E2%80%9Cuniversal tone%E2%80%9D: %E2%80%9CThe story behind the stories, the music behind the music.... With it you realize you are not alone; you are connected to everyone.%E2%80%9D For him, it all comes back to the music: %E2%80%9CIt%E2%80%99s the fastest way of getting away from the darkness of ego.... It%E2%80%99s a blessing to be able to play from your soul and to reach many people.%E2%80%9D (Nov.)