Carlos Augusto Alves Santana (born July 20 1947) is a Grammy Award-winning Mexican Latin rock musician and guitarist. He became famous in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band, Santana, which created a highly successful blend of salsa, rock, blues, and jazz fusion. Their sound featured his melodic, blues based guitar lines set against Latin percussion such as timbales and congas. Santana continued to work in these forms over the following decades, and experienced a sudden resurgence of popularity and critical acclaim in the late 1990s. Rolling Stone also named Santana number 15 on their list of the 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time in 2003.
Carlos Santana is considered one of the best Costa Rican football midfielders during the 1970s and 1980s. He played his entire career for Deportivo Saprissa, and was the team's captain for several seasons. Santana was a very quick, and talented player, with awesome shooting and passing skills.
Santana helped Saprissa win several national titles during the 1970s and 1980s, and was part of the mythical Saprissa team that won 6 national championships in a row during the 70's. He played with Costa Rica's national team as well, and was the captain of the team that beat then 1982 FIFA World Cup champions Italy in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. After his retirement, Santana briefly coached the club, and has worked with both Saprissa's minor league system, as well coaching several Costa Rican U-17 and U-20 national teams.
