Santana

Santana

Carlos Santana returned to the site of the Woodstock festival for the first time since his career-defining debut there in 1969 at the weekend for a nostalgic concert in front of 15,000 fans.

The guitar great was briefly overcome with emotion midway through his set when the weight of the past caught up with him and he told fans, "All of us who were here remember the magic. Only love can conquer hate. This is Woodstock. This is the place where miracles can happen... This is ground zero of peace and love."

Santana hadn't even released an album when they stole the show at Woodstock in 1969, after agreeing to take an early time slot when massive crowds heading to the festival prevented several acts from arriving on time.

Before his show with Steve Winwood on Saturday, Santana toured the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts in New York state, which includes an interactive Woodstock museum and visited the monument where the festival stage once stood.

According to RollingStone, he also watched his band's legendary Woodstock festival performance in a screening room - footage that played behind him on a big screen as he performed later.

As well as playing his own hits, Santana offered a tribute to the 1960s, playing his version of songs by the Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Cream.


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