Santana – Africa Speaks (2019) | Album Guide, Tracklist, Fun Facts & Trivia
🎧 Overview of Africa Speaks
Santana released Africa Speaks in June 2019, marking one of the most rhythmically intense and stylistically focused modern-era Santana albums.
Produced by Carlos Santana and Rick Rubin, the album was recorded quickly with a live, improvisational approach. It draws heavily from Afrobeat, North African music, Latin percussion, and psychedelic rock, creating a raw, hypnotic sound.
📀 Tracklist
Standard edition:
- Africa Speaks
- Batonga
- Oye Este Mi Canto
- Yo Me Lo Merezco
- Blue Skies
- Paraísos Quemados
- Breaking Down the Door
- Los Invisibles
- Luna Hechicera
- Bembelequé
- Candombe Cumbele
- Blue Python / Oye Este Mi Canto (reprise)
🎤 Album Credits & Lineup
- Carlos Santana – guitar, production
- Cindy Blackman Santana – drums
- Karl Perazzo – percussion
- Benny Rietveld – bass
- Tommy Anthony – guitar, vocals
- Ray Greene – vocals, trombone
- Paoli Mejías – percussion
Production:
- Producer: Rick Rubin
- Label: Concord Records
🧠 Musical Direction & Themes
- Heavy Afrobeat and African rhythmic influence
- Extended jam-based structures
- Minimal pop formatting, maximal groove focus
- Psychedelic, trance-like repetition
- Live-recorded feel with minimal studio polishing
The album is designed as a continuous rhythmic journey rather than a collection of radio songs.
🌟 Fun Facts & Trivia
- The album was recorded in just a few weeks using live takes.
- Santana worked closely with Spanish singer Buika, who appears prominently on vocals.
- Rick Rubin pushed for a raw, unpolished production style.
- Many tracks are built around extended percussion jams.
- The album emphasizes African musical roots in rhythm and structure.
🤯 Did You Know?
- Africa Speaks is often considered one of Santana’s most rhythm-centric modern albums.
- It reflects Carlos Santana’s long-standing interest in global spiritual and musical traditions.
- The recording approach prioritized spontaneity over overdubbing.
- It stands out in Santana’s catalog for its strong Afrobeat identity.
Get Santana's album from Amazon Music Store
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