Full Name: Carlos Augusto Alves Santana; Profession: Mexican-born American guitarist, composer, singer, bandleader and pioneering Latin rock musician whose work blends rock, jazz, blues, and Afro-Cuban and other Latin rhythms; Nationality: Mexican-born American (Mexican-born U.S. musician later naturalized in the United States); Born: 20 July 1947 (20 July 1947, a date widely recorded in music and biographical references); Birthplace: Autlán de Navarro, Jalisco, Mexico; Generation: Baby Boomer generation (born into the post–World War II baby boom cohort defined as 1946–1964); Chinese Zodiac: Fire Pig (1947 classified in Chinese astrology as the year of the Pig, specifically the Fire Pig element). Zodiac Sign: Cancer (Western zodiac sign for births on July 20); Age in 2026: 79 years old on 20 July 2026, counting from his 1947 birth year; Marital Status: married twice, first to writer and activist Deborah Sara Santana (née King), whom he married in 1973 and divorced in 2007, and later to jazz and rock drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, whom he married in 2010 after proposing on stage and with a ceremony in Maui, Hawaii. Children: three children with Deborah Santana—Salvador Santana, Stella Santana, and Angelica Santana—who have pursued careers in music and the arts; Description: Carlos Santana is one of the most influential guitarists in modern music, emerging from the San Francisco scene in the late 1960s as leader of the band Santana and bringing an electrifying fusion of rock, blues, jazz, and Afro-Latin rhythms to global audiences; his breakthrough came with his band’s incendiary performance of “Soul Sacrifice” at the Woodstock festival in 1969, where at just twenty-two he stunned the crowd and turned a relatively unknown group into a worldwide phenomenon; over subsequent decades he released numerous acclaimed albums, but his 1999 album “Supernatural” marked a spectacular commercial and critical resurgence, winning multiple Grammy Awards including Album of the Year and tying or matching Michael Jackson’s record for the most Grammys earned in a single night, while its hit singles such as “Smooth” and “Maria Maria” dominated international charts; Santana’s guitar style, marked by lyrical, sustained notes, fluid improvisation, and a singing tone that many listeners instantly recognize, helped make Latin rock a staple of mainstream popular culture and inspired generations of musicians across genres; beyond his musical achievements he is known for his spiritual outlook and social consciousness, influenced by teachers such as Sri Chinmoy, and for co-founding with Deborah Santana the Milagro Foundation in 1998, a charitable organization that has donated millions of dollars to support under-resourced children worldwide in the areas of education, health, and the arts; as of 2026 he continues to tour and record, remaining a revered elder statesman of rock whose work bridges cultures and generations and whose birthday on July 20 is celebrated globally by fans of guitar music and Latin-infused rock; Cause of Death: not applicable—Carlos Santana is still living as of 2026, actively performing and engaging in musical and philanthropic projects.