Reviews

Carlos Santana: Sound of the Heart, Song of the World by Gary Golio, Rudy Gutierrez

nerfherder86's review against another edition

5.0

Gorgeous psychadelic/swirly colorful art illustrates Santana's childhood in Mexico, idolizing his Mariachi-violin-playing father, but resenting having to play the violin himself and not being able to improvise or incorporate other styles of music. When he discovers American blues and R&B music, Santana only wants to write and play that. Author's note, glossary of terms. The illustrator also created Santana's "Shaman" album cover, so an appropriate choice for the book.

sunflowerjess's review against another edition

informative inspiring fast-paced

4.5

I have loved Santana's music since I was a child, listening to him play with my dad, who is a guitarist. This beautiful, vibrant picture book captures the life and energy Santana evokes in his music. I love that this book was illustrated by the artist who creates the "Shaman" CD cover for Santana! It is easy to see how much the artist respects and admires the musician and how much joy he had creating the art for this book. 

backonthealex's review against another edition

4.0

Born in 1947, in a small Mexican village, Carlos Santana was surrounded with music from the very beginning. His father was a mariachi player, traveling around Mexico, gone for months at a time. When home, he taught Carlos how to read music and play the violin. Papa was Carlos' musical hero but once he heard American blues on the radio, Carlos was hooked, much to his father's dismay. American blues played by musicians like Muddy Waters and B.B. King became Carlos' new musical heroes and he longed to play the blues on a electric guitar. It was the first time music really spoke to him and made him feel alive. When his father finally gave in and got a used electric guitar for him, Carlos began to finally play the music that he had always heard inside himself - a wonderful mixture of Mexican music and American blues and jazz. As much as I have always loved the music of Carlos Santana, I didn't really know anything about him. For that reason alone, I found this biography very interesting. And while the text is pretty child-friendly, detailed and straightforward, it is through the wildly colorful illustrations that one feels what was in Carlos Santana's heart all along. The illustrations evoke a strong sense of Mexico and the blues with a mix of 1960s psychedelic, paying homage to the influences of Carlos Santana's particular sound. Back matter is included.

tashrow's review

4.0

Carlos Santana was born into a musical family with a father who was a popular mariachi performer. Carlos started learning to read music at age five and to play the violin at age six. But his father is often gone, playing musical gigs around Mexico. His father sends money home to the family, and eventually Carlos’ mother decides to head to America with the children. Carlos earns money playing music for the tourists, but his heart isn’t in it. It isn’t until he hears American blues music for the first time that he discovers his own kind of music. Carlos tries to play with his father’s band but it does not go well. Eventually, his father realizes that his son needs a new instrument, one that goes with his own blend of Latin and blues.

Golio tells a story of Santana’s childhood, focusing on the impact that music had throughout his early days but also the importance of finding his own musical voice that is entirely unique. The relationship between father and son is a critical one in this picture book biography, resonating throughout Santana’s childhood. Golio tells a complex story and yet keeps it straightforward for a young audience.

The illustrations are done in mixed media of torn paper, acrylics and printed inks. They are layered and deep, the colors swirling on the page. The faces of the various family members and Santana are particularly arresting. The art has a great vibrancy and a feel of freedom around it.

A great pick for libraries looking for quality biographies of musicians. Appropriate for ages 6-9.

debnanceatreaderbuzz's review

5.0

Carlos Santana tells the true story of a young musician struggling to create his own voice amid the pressures of his father's authority as a musician and the hold of his Mexican musical culture. As a child, Santana was born in a musical family who encouraged him to learn the violin and become part of his father's mariachi group. But the music of his father and the music of his culture doesn't satisfy his spirit. Santana longs to fuse elements of Mexican mariachi with the new sounds he is hearing from the larger American culture, the blues. Gradually, Santana finds a way to blend his roots into that of the blues and to create a new sound that electrifies the world.

There are so many things about this story that I love---the struggle the child Santana feels with his father for creative authenticity, the depiction of the Mexican culture where Santana grew up, the blending of culture with novelty to create something surprising and alive. The illustrations are as vivid as Santana's music, and reflect both Santana's Mexican roots along with the interweaving of the vibrant blues of the American 60's. The story is well-told in present tense that acts a feeling of immediacy to the story.