Music is a burst of choices. Not only what note to play when and with what instrument, but whether to play a note at all. Salvador Santana, the 28-year-old keyboardist, vocalist, composer and songwriter with strong Bay Area roots, knows what it means to navigate the infinite options of music.

His 2008 project with the Salvador Santana Band–simply called SSB–pursued the scope of his ability. But for Santana, it wasn’t enough. He has no choice but to push himself further. Collaboration has always been the centerpiece of his creations and this passion manifested his solo debut Keyboard City (released February 2, 2011 via Various Music/Quannum Projects) around the inspirations of a few legends: Bay Area MC/producer Del the Funky Homosapien (who helped hone in Santana’s writing skills,) Beastie Boy studio wizard Money Mark and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan.

GZA (the legendary founder of the Wu-Tang Clan,) rallied support around the album by featuring himself on remix of the title track “Keyboard City” last fall, which was later remixed by none other than Dan Deacon. This spontaneous meeting of the minds demonstrated Sal’s magnetic ability to connect every kind of artist on any dynamic level. Money Mark inspired Santana in a beautiful way during the creation process.

“With all the people I’ve ever collaborated with or just working by myself, I have never produced such a range of ideas in my songs as I did during the Money Mark sessions. That guy is just a machine,” said Santana. “He has mentored me by showing me that it’s cool to be all over the place. It’s cool to sit there and work on a song, then out of nowhere, interrupt that flow and work on another idea. To just go with it,” Santana elaborates. Santana is pushed by a need to step out of his comfort zone in a quest for new ideas. Easy going and humble, Santana exudes the Bay Area vibe.

Salvador began playing the drums at age three–sitting on his father’s lap, controlling the snare and tom, as his father worked the hi-hat and kick drum–but his true love was discovered when he began taking piano lessons when he was six. Later, he studied at the heralded Ruth Asawa School of the Arts before attending Cal Arts in Valencia, CA. His education, passion and lineage have turned Santana into a monster on the keys.

Music truly thrives in his veins. His maternal grandfather was blues pioneer Saunders King and his paternal grandfather was the internationally celebrated violinist and mariachi bandleader Jose Santana. And, of course, his father is 10X Grammy-winning Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Carlos Santana…who’s also a frequent collaborator (Salvador co-wrote “El Farol” from 1999’s smash album Supernatural.)


But with his current solo project, Salvador Santana has truly become a brand of his own. He has spent the last nine months performing live at both venues and outdoor festivals throughout Northern and Southern California and will continue touring for the remainder of 2012. At these shows, Salvador will be performing songs from his past projects as well as some of his new material including the songs “Mi Tesoro” and “Into The Light” which were co-written and produced by Barret Yeretsian and will be included on an Salvador’s upcoming EP.
“Mi Tesoro” (My Treasure) was inspired by Salvador Santana’s paternal grandmother, Josefina, whose photograph is the cover of the artwork for the single. "Mi Tesoro is what my grandmother would always call me when I'd come over to her house. The memory of that holds a special place in my heart, and I decided to create a song with the feelings that came with it. I had dedicated “El Farol” to my grandfather, and wanted to complete the circle and pay my respects to my grandmother by painting this musical picture of her as an influential figure in my life."

Salvador will release another new song “Into The Light” this June which will be accompanied by a video that was recently shot in Los Angeles.
In addition to his musical desires, Santana has worldly efforts on his mind. After a trip to South Africa and inspiring work with Artists for a New South Africa (ANSA), something triggered inside of Santana to make sure his music wasn’t only about personal glory. Now that the record is out and Salvador has been touring, he has posted various non-profit organizations on his website that will receive a percentage of the profits. “I want to use music in a positive way, and give back to people in need. There can never be enough people who do that.” And there can never be enough musicians pushing their art to the brink.