Carlos Santana has been one of the most well-respected guitarists for over 50 years. Since making his debut with his self-titled band (Santana) in 1965, Carlos has been one of the biggest names in classic rock, with hits spanning decades. Throughout his career, he’s been married twice, and he shares three adult children with his first wife Deborah King, whose father was blues legend Saunders King. The couple split up in 2007, and Carlos married drummer Cindy Blackman in 2010.
Carlos has inspired all of his kids to pursue careers in music. He opened up about pushing his kids to be open to music in a 2014 interview with The Guardian. “They are all involved in music. I told them it was in them and to stop fighting it. But it took them a while to accept that. I said, ‘I’m not going to push you like my father pushed me but the sooner you get to it, the faster you will create diamonds,'” he said. Find out about all of the musical kids here!
Salvador Santana
Carlos’ eldest son Salvador, 39, was born in May 1983. Just like his father, Salvador is an incredibly prolific musician. He’s released albums both under his own name and with his group: The Salvador Santana Band. He’s worked with a wide variety of musicians on his albums, including the likes of Beastie Boys collaborator Money Mark, who produced his 2010 record Keyboard City, per AllMusic. Unlike his dad, Salvador’s instrument of choice is the piano. “I play the piano and I can recite poetry in rhythm to the music, all at the same time,” he told Fox News in a 2007 interview, where he also described how hip hop has had a huge influence on him. He also explained how he re-worked his dad’s classic tune “Evil Ways” for a modern audience. “We worked with that [2007] vibe, and did it to sound like what people listen to today, a little bit of Black Eyed Pease, Gnarls Barkley, those sounds are mixed in,” he said.
Other than music, Salvador is a loving husband and father to a boy of his own! The musician regularly shares photos of his son, and he’s even posted a few photos of him with his dad and his son to celebrate Father’s Day over the years.
Stella Santana
Similar to her big brother, Carlos’ elder daughter Stella, 37, is also a musician. While her dad is a rock icon, her music tends more towards R&B. She released her debut album Selfish in 2016, and she’s dropped a number of singles through the years, including her most recent track “Golden” in 2021. Like Salvador, Stella has also worked with her dad and embraced her musical roots. She collaborated with him on the song “Breathing Underwater” for his 2021 record Blessings and Miracles. In her announcement, she also shouted out Salvador who collaborated on the track “Rumbalero” with their dad. “something really cool happened which is that the song @cityofthesnow @mvca.xo and i did together is on my dad’s new album, which is out now,” she wrote on Instagram.
Stella is also a mother! She’s posted a few photos of her baby on social media, to share her excitement about being a mom. She also regularly uses her platform to advocate for important social issues. For example, she’s made a number of posts showing support for the Black Lives Matter movement.
Angelica Santana
Of all of his kids, Carlos’ youngest daughter Angelica, 32, seems to be the most private. Not much is readily available about Angelica, but as her dad said, music is a part of her. He seemed to reference his daughter on his 2012 instrumental track “Angelica Faith” from the record Shapeshifter.