Santana has was an avenue named after him as well as a statue of a guitar in the city where he was born (born in Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, México) to honour him. The family moved from there to Tijuana In La Calonia Libertad, the city on Mexico's border with California, and then San Francisco, USA. Carlos stayed in Tijuana but joined his family in San Francisco later and graduated from James Lick Middle School and Mission High School there.
Most of his musical career has been spent with Santana, the band he formed in San Francisco in 1967. His music underwent large changes in 1973 when he was introduced to the spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy, by fellow guitarist "Mahavishnu" John McLaughlin. After this he adopted the title "Devadip" which he still uses. In 1998 he formed the Milagro Foundation along with his wife Deborah, which supports disadvantaged children. Later Carlos and Deborah divorced, but the Milagro Foundation is still alive and well.
Other huge influences of Carlos Santana are both Miles Davis (with whom he maintained a big personal connection), and John Coltrane, who unfortunately passed away in 1967.
E Papa Re
Carlos Santana Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The day is just beginning
Let me take you to a
Place you've never been to
Imagine that you're walking
With me in the jungle
The natives they are dancing
E papa re, e papa re
E papa re, e papa re
The music's getting to you
Your knees are feeling shaky
The mind is getting dizzy
The spell is taking over
Suddenly you find yourself
Surrounded by these people
Ain't no use to try and struggle
You know it would be useless
Out of nowhere comes their leader
Commanding all attention
He signals them to set you free
But to keep on singing
E papa re, e papa re
E re papa re, e papa re
E re papa re, e papa re
All around below above
The magic's flowing freely
Everybody's soaked in sweat
Drenched by their own feelings
Incantations cry out loud
The fire keeps on burning
Now you're in a time and space
From where there's no returning
The lyrics of Carlos Santana’s song E Papa Re invite the listener to immerse themselves in a new world, one that is full of ritual, magic, and music. The song begins with the rising of the sun, signaling a new day and a new opportunity to explore a new experience. The listener is then taken on a journey through the jungle, where they are introduced to a group of native people who are dancing and singing to a ritual. As the music becomes more powerful, the listener is overcome by a spell that takes hold of their mind and body. They are surrounded by these people, and although they try to fight it, they know it is useless. Suddenly, the leader of this group signals his people to set the listener free while still singing the incantations. The magic keeps flowing and everyone is soaked in sweat, drenched by their own feelings. The song ends with the realization that the listener has traveled through time and space to a place from which there is no returning.
The lyrics in E Papa Re are a metaphor for music's power, transporting us to a place we've never been before, a place where we can be free to lose ourselves in the rhythm and the beat. The magic of the music will take us away and keep us there until we surrender ourselves to its power.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is slowly rising
It is early in the morning and the sun is just starting to illuminate the day, as if it is waking up.
The day is just beginning
The start of the day signals that there are opportunities for new experiences and endless possibilities.
Let me take you to a place you’ve never been to
The singer wants to guide the listener to a new and exciting place or experience.
Imagine that you’re walking with me in the jungle
Using your imagination, the artist places the listener in a tropical forest where they are walking alongside him.
The natives they are dancing
The indigenous people of this mysterious place are moving along with the music that they perform.
And singing to a ritual
Their singing is tied to a cultural or religious ceremony that the listener may not recognize.
E papa re, e papa re
These are traditional Maori words that are often used in spiritual chants and have no literal translation.
The music’s getting to you
The listener is now being affected by the sounds and energy that is emanating from the surroundings.
Your knees are feeling shaky
The experience is so intense that the listener is physically affected and is essentially overwhelmed with feelings of excitement.
The mind is getting dizzy
The listener’s head is spinning with the sensory overload from the music and the atmosphere.
The spell is taking over
The listener has been entranced by the magic of the moment and is now under its influence.
Suddenly you find yourself surrounded by these people
Before the listener knows it, they are surrounded by the natives who were previously dancing.
Ain’t no use to try and struggle
There is no point in resisting what is happening because it is already too late.
You know it would be useless
The listener understands the futility of trying to break free from the moment.
Out of nowhere comes their leader
A leader figure suddenly appears without any warning.
Commanding all attention
The leader has the power to take control of the situation by demanding everyone’s focus and attention upon him.
He signals them to set you free
The mysterious leader grants the listener permission to leave the group and return to their previous world.
But to keep on singing
Although the listener is allowed to go, they are urged to continue to engage with the natives and the sounds of their music if they so choose.
All around below above
The atmosphere is surreal and seems to be present everywhere - above, beside and beneath the listener.
The magic’s flowing freely
There is an unbridled energy that is present that is difficult to describe but is easy to feel.
Everybody’s soaked in sweat
The intensity of the experience has caused everyone to begin to perspire heavily.
Drenched by their own feelings
Their emotional response to the music and the experience is so profound that it is visible and has physical effects.
Incantations cry out loud
The natives are chanting loudly and are using words that may not be understood by the listener.
The fire keeps on burning
The warmth and energy of the environment is sustained, just like a flame that continues to burn without ever being extinguished.
Now you’re in a time and space from where there’s no returning
The listener has entered a unique experience that they will never forget and can never truly be replicated or experienced again.
Contributed by Alexis H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Fraser Lawson
Zebop is simply brilliant!! I remember introducing friends to this album when I was lot younger. But it is STILL f*cking brilliant all these years on.
Ricky Green
Greatest Latin Zebop !! Fantastic !! I never forget since my young days till now. All the Best Greetings from Malaysia😍😘
Skip Garney III
His very first album Carlos exclusively played a Paul Reed Smith guitar.
Sweet!
Priyal de Zoysa
I think he played a strat on the track Winning.....
Lionel Villahermosa
Excellent beautiful inmortal songs
Mário Sobrinho
Linda Música,alguém tem a tablatura dela?
Michael Pryor
My father saw this album tour live; if only I could have seen all of it in third person
Michael Pryor
My father saw Santana live. Damn I wish I went there with him
halcyon289
Brilliant.
sevadaj
Orestes Vilato, orgullo Cubano!!!!!