Mexican guitar hero Carlos Santana’s quest to top himself and find new avenues of six-string expression pay off on his latest album, Corazon.
Always a modernist, Santana has embraced the age of duets and features full on, being an early advocate on Supernatural. Nevertheless, Corazon is a look back to roots and is also an update of Santana’s core sound: percussion, horns and wailing lead guitar.
This time around it’s heavily augmented by Spanish singing Latin performers (Juanes, Gloria Estefan, Pit Bull, Miguel, etc.)
Santana will win some new fans from the Latin music community.
Corazon, despite its guests and feature-laden program, doesn’t boast any meal ticket pop songs. It’s the better for it as the material offers a high-energy glimpse into the workings of Santana and his band as they immerse themselves in sultry Latin rhythms.
The performances are sharp and punchy, with Santana’s guitar at the fore but not overshadowing the songs.
Lester Mendez’s production work is clean and detailed with emphasis on capturing ensemble performances. As such, the energy level is high throughout Corazon.
Standout tracks include Margarita feat. Romeo Santos, and Besos de Lejos with Gloria Estefan (sounds like Brazil ’66).
As for Santana, his performances are fiery and tasteful. Less compression might change textural horizons and push him in different directions but that’s negotiable. His trademark sound is there.
For faithful fans, Corazon is a welcome move away from Santana’s forays into contemporary condo-pop and unnecessary classic rock albums. It’s expressive and cutting, hitting tight Latin arrangements, moody jams, and passionate instrumentals with a gaze that’s focussed south of the border.
– Dean Gordon-Smith is a local musician and freelance writer based in Vernon. He reviews new music releases for The Morning Star every Friday.
