Jorge Santana

Jorge Santana, younger sibling of legendary guitarist Carlos Santana, displayed his own considerable abilities as an instrumentalist, merging blues, Latin, jazz, and rock elements in his approach. Recognition came chiefly through his leadership of the Latin rock outfit Malo, whose 1972 self-titled debut album produced the Top 20 single "Suavecito," after which he recorded four projects with the group between 1972 and 1974. Two solo albums emphasizing funk and disco rhythms appeared in the late 1970s, after which he kept a lower profile until returning in the 1990s to work with his brother, including a guest appearance with the band Santana on 1993's Sacred Fire: Live in South America and the 1994 Santana Brothers collaboration.

Born June 13, 1951, in Jalisco, Mexico, Santana moved with his family to San Francisco during his early teens, by which point he had already started playing guitar. He joined the Malibus at age 14, a group that grew into a nine-piece ensemble with a horn section. Originally focused on blues and rock, the band developed a pronounced Latin influence and adopted the name Malo, drawn from the Spanish word for "bad" after the lead singer's mother remarked "Todos ustedes son malos!" ("You're Bad!"). A 1971 recording contract with Warner Bros. led to the release of Malo in 1972, when "Suavecito" reached number 18 on the singles chart. Dos arrived before the year ended, with Evolution following in 1973 and Ascension in 1974. After the band split in 1975, Santana joined the Latin jazz collective the Fania All-Stars as a guest performer at New York's Madison Square Garden, an event preserved on a live album issued that same year.

His first solo effort, a self-titled 1978 album on Tomato Records, incorporated disco, funk, and smooth jazz elements. The label's 1979 follow-up, It's All About Love, proved his final release for a long stretch as he withdrew from performing. Carlos Santana urged him back to the guitar for two ventures, resulting in Jorge's participation in the Santana tour captured on 1993's Sacred Fire: Live in South America and the joint Santana Brothers album in 1994. He later handled business and management responsibilities for Carlos and his band. In 2009 Here I Am appeared on the Misha Music label as a collection of rare and unreleased material, followed by the seven-track Gracias Madrecita EP in 2011. Jorge Santana died on May 14, 2020, at age 68.