Michael Carabello (born November 18, 1947) is an American musician, best known for playing percussion with Santana during the band's early years. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Michael Carabello
Carabello in 1971
Carabello in 1971
Background information
Born (1947-11-18) November 18, 1947 (age 77)
San Francisco, California, U.S.
GenresRock
OccupationPercussionist
Years active1960s–present
Formerly ofSantana

Early life

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Carabello was born in San Francisco and has Puerto Rican ancestry;[1] he grew up in the city's Mission District.[2] Later on in life, Carabello wanted to commission a mural depicting Carlos Santana, Bill Graham and himself, somewhere in the Mission District.[3]

Santana

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Carabello joined Santana in 1968 shortly before the band signed with Columbia Records,[4] and primarily played congas for the band while occasionally playing piano.[5] He appeared on the albums Santana,[6] Abraxas,[7] and Santana III,[8] all of which were internationally successful, and he is also depicted with the band in the Woodstock film.[9] He co-wrote several songs on those albums, and is the sole writer for the percussion-oriented track "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" on Abraxas.[5]

Carabello left Santana in 1971. In 1998, Carabello was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Santana.[10] He is the only member of the Hall of Fame whose primary instrument is congas. In 2016, Carabello participated in a reunion of the classic-era Santana lineup for the album Santana IV.[11] It was the first time he had recorded with Carlos Santana and some other former bandmates in 45 years.[12]

Later works

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Carabello formed the short-lived jazz band Cobra in 1975, and then settled into a career of teaching and art.[2] He appeared on Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones in 1981.[13]

Discography

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Studio albums

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Album Album details
Santana
Abraxas
  • Released: September 23, 1970
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP, CD, CC
Santana III
  • Released: September 1971
  • Label: Columbia
  • Format: LP, CD
Corazón
  • Released: May 6, 2014
  • Label: RCA/Sony Latin Iberia
  • Format: CD, digital download
Santana IV
  • Released: April 15, 2016
  • Label: Santana IV Records
  • Format: CD, digital download, vinyl

Live albums

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Album Album details
Corazón – Live from Mexico: Live It to Believe It
  • Released: September 9, 2014
  • Label: Sony BMG / Legacy
  • Format: CD DVD-Video, Blu-ray CD
Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas
  • Released: October 21, 2016
  • Label: Eagle Rock
  • Format: CD, LP, DVD-Video, Blu-ray CD

Singles

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Single Year
"Jingo" 1969
"Evil Ways"
"Soul Sacrifice" 1970
"Black Magic Woman"
"Oye Cómo Va" 1971
"Hope You're Feeling Better"
"Everybody's Everything"
"La Flaca" (featuring Juanes) 2014
"Anywhere You Want to Go" 2016

References

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  1. ^ "Michael Carabello". Gon Bops. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "LatinoLA | A&E :: Michael Carabello: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Conguero". LatinoLA. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  3. ^ Guardsman, The (May 12, 2021). "Mission District Mural Celebrates Santana Family". The Guardsman. Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  4. ^ "Santana | Biography & History". AllMusic. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  5. ^ a b "Michael Carabello – Return To The Jungle". Modern Drummer Magazine. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  6. ^ Santana – Santana | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved May 28, 2021
  7. ^ Abraxas – Santana | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved May 28, 2021
  8. ^ Santana III – Santana | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved May 28, 2021
  9. ^ wp360mag. "Michael Carabello Archives". 360 MAGAZINE | ART MUSIC DESIGN FASHION AUTO TRAVEL FOOD HEALTH. Retrieved May 28, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Santana". Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 10, 2014.
  11. ^ Santana IV – Santana | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic, retrieved May 28, 2021
  12. ^ Greene, Andy (May 19, 2016). "Santana on Reuniting Classic Lineup, How to Fight Trump". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  13. ^ McDowell, Jay (February 23, 2024). "The Dirty Story Behind "Start Me Up" by The Rolling Stones". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on February 23, 2024. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
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