Biography

The younger brother of iconic guitarist Carlos Santana, Jorge Santana was also a talented instrumentalist in his own right, whose style blended blues, Latin, jazz, and rock influences. Santana was best known as the leader of the Latin rock band Malo, who scored a Top 20 single in 1972, "Suavecito," from their self-titled debut album, and he would cut four albums with the band from 1972 to 1974. After releasing a pair of solo albums in the late '70s that focused on funk and disco grooves, Santana maintained a low profile before re-emerging in the '90s collaborating with his brother, sitting in with the band Santana on 1993's Sacred Fire: Live in South America, and collaborating with Carlos Santana for 1994's Santana Brothers. Jorge Santana was born in Jalisco, Mexico on June 13, 1951. His family moved to San Francisco in his early teens, by which time he'd begun playing guitar. At 14, he joined a band called the Malibus that would grow to a nine-piece ensemble complete with horn section. While they started out playing blues and rock, a strong Latin influence would inform their sound, and they adopted the name Malo. (The word is Spanish for "bad," and they got the idea when the lead singer's mother told them "Todos ustedes son malos!" ("You're Bad!") Malo signed a record deal with Warner Bros. in 1971, and in 1972, their first album, Malo, was released. The single "Suavecito" rose to number 18 on the singles chart, and Malo were on their way. A second album, Dos, was in stores by the end of the year, and Evolution and Ascension followed in 1973 and 1974. Malo broke up in 1975, and that year, Santana made a guest appearance at a performance by the Latin jazz group the Fania All-Stars at New York's Madison Square Garden, which was recorded for a live LP that arrived by year's end. In 1978, Santana made his debut as a solo artist with a self-titled album for Tomato Records that blended disco, funk, and smooth jazz elements into his music. A second album for the label, 1979's It's All About Love, was his last release for many years as Santana dropped out of performing. His brother Carlos encouraged him to pick up his guitar for a pair of projects, so Jorge joined the band Santana for a tour that was documented on the 1993 album Sacred Fire: Live in South America, and in 1994 Jorge and Carlos collaborated on an album, Santana Brothers. Jorge once again took a break from performing, working as part of part of the business and management team for Carlos and his band. In 2009, Jorge brought out an album of rare and unreleased material, Here I Am, through the Misha Music label, and a seven-track EP of new material, Gracias Madrecita, arrived in 2011. Jorge Santana died on May 14, 2020; he was 68. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi