# List of Santana band members

Santana is an American rock band formed in San Francisco in 1966 by Mexican-born guitarist Carlos Santana. The band has undergone various recording and performing line-ups in its history, with Santana being the only consistent member. In 1998, the lineup of Santana, Rolie, Carabello, Shrieve, Brown and Areas was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Santana is one of the best-selling groups of all time with an estimated 100 million albums sold worldwide.

## History

Santana was founded by eponymous guitarist Carlos Santana in late 1966, the band's first line-up included Sergio "Gus" Rodriguez on bass, Danny Haro on drums, and Michael Carabello on percussion. By February 1967, the band were joined by Tom Fraser on guitar and vocals, who also brought in Gregg Rolie on organ and vocals. After losing out on a residency in June 1967, due to members not being committed. Santana and Rolie brought in new musicians.

## Members

Bold denotes members of the classic line-up.

### Current members

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Carlos Santana | 1966–present | lead guitarvocalspercussion | all releases |
| Benny Rietveld | 1990–19921997–present | bass | Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990) Milagro (1992) all releases from Supernatural (1999) onwards, except Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997), The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) and The Woodstock Experience (2009) |
| Karl Perazzo | 1991–present | timbalescongaspercussionvocals | all release from Milagro (1992) onwards, except Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997), The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) and The Woodstock Experience (2009) |
| Andy Vargas | 2000–present | vocalspercussion | all releases from All That I Am (2005) onwards, except The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) and The Woodstock Experience (2009) |
| Tommy Anthony | 2005–present | rhythm guitarvocals | all releases from Guitar Heaven (2010) onwards |
| David K. Matthews | 2011–present | keyboards | all releases from Corazón (2014) onwards |
| Paoli Mejías | 2013–present | congaspercussion | Corazón (2014)Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014) |
| Cindy Blackman Santana | 2015–present | drums | Corazón (2014)Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014)In Search of Mona Lisa (2019)Africa Speaks (2019) |
| Ray Greene | 2016–present | vocalspercussiontrombone | In Search of Mona Lisa (2019)Africa Speaks (2019) |

### Former members

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Gregg Rolie | 1966–19722014–2016 | organpianokeyboardslead vocals | all releases from Santana (1969) to Caravanserai (1972)Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)Shangó (1982)Freedom (1987)Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997)The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007)The Woodstock Experience (2009)Santana IV (2016)Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (2016) |
| Tom Fraser | 1966–1967 | guitars | none |
| Sergio "Gus" Rodriguez | 1966–1967 | bass | none |
| Danny Haro | 1966–1967 | drums | none |
| Michael Carabello | 1966–19671968–19712014–2016 | congaspercussionpossible keyboardsvocals | Santana (1969)Abraxas (1970)Santana III (1971)Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)The Woodstock Experience (2009)Santana IV (2016)Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (2016) |
| David Brown | 1967–19711974–1976 (died 2000) | bass | Santana (1969)Abraxas (1970)Santana III (1971)Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)Borboletta (1974)Amigos (1976)Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997)The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007)The Woodstock Experience (2009) |
| Marcus Malone | 1967–1969 (died 2021) | congaspercussion | Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997)The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) |
| Don Wehr | 1967 | drums | none |
| Rod Harper | 1967 | drums | none |
| Bob Livingston | 1967–1969 | drums | Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997)The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) |
| Johnny Rae | 1969 | drums | none |
| José "Chepito" Areas | 1969–19741976–19771988–1989 | timbalescongaspercussiondrumstrumpet | Santana (1969)Abraxas (1970)Santana III (1971)Caravanserai (1972)Welcome (1973)Lotus (1974)Santana's Greatest Hits (1974)Festivál (1977)Moonflower (1977)The Woodstock Experience (2009) |
| Michael "Mike" Shrieve | 1969–19742014–2016 | drumspercussionoccasional vocals | all releases from Santana to Borboletta (1974)The Woodstock Experience (2009)Santana IV (2016)Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (2016) |
| Neal Schon | 1971–19722014–2016 | lead and rhythm guitarvocals | Santana III (1971)Caravanserai (1972)Santana IV (2016)Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas (2016) |
| Buddy Miles | 1971197219861987 (died 2008) | drums and percussion (1971, 1972)vocals and guitar (1986, 1987) | Freedom (1987) |
| Pete Escovedo | 19711977–1979 | timbalespercussion | Moonflower (1977)Inner Secrets (1978) |
| Coke Escovedo | 1971–1972 (died 1986) | timbalespercussion | Santana III (1971)Santana's Greatest Hits (1974) |
| Rico Reyes | 1971–1972 | percussionvocals | Abraxas (1970)Santana III (1971)Caravanserai (1972) |
| Tom Rutley | 1971–1972 | bassacoustic bass | Caravanserai (1972) |
| James "Mingo" Lewis | 1971–1973 | congaspercussion | Caravanserai (1972) |
| Victor Pantoja | 1971 | congaspercussion | none |
| Armando Peraza | 1972–19761977–1990 (died 2014) | congasbongospercussionvocals | all releases from Caravanserai (1972) to Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990) |
| Tom Coster | 1972–19781983–1984 | keyboardsbacking vocals | all releases from Caravanserai (1972) to Moonflower (1977) |
| Richard Kermode | 1972–1973 (died 1996) | keyboards | Welcome (1973)Lotus (1974) |
| Doug Rauch | 1972–1974 (died 1979) | bassguitar | Caravanserai (1972)Welcome (1973)Lotus (1974) |
| Leon Thomas | 1973 (died 1999) | vocals | Welcome (1973)Lotus (1974) |
| Leon "Ndugu" Chancler | 1974–19761988 (died 2018) | drums | Borboletta (1974)Amigos (1976) |
| Leon Patillo | 1974–19751976 | vocalskeyboardspianopercussion | Borboletta (1974) |
| Jules Broussard | 1974–1975 | saxophone | Welcome (1973)Borboletta (1974) |
| Greg Walker | 1975–19761976–19791983–1985 | vocals | Amigos (1976)Moonflower (1977)Inner Secrets (1978)Beyond Appearances (1985) |
| Raul Rekow | 1976–2013 (died 2015) | congasbongospercussionvocals | all releases from Festivál (1977) to Shape Shifter (2012), except Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997), The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007) and The Woodstock Experience (2009) |
| Gaylord Birch | 19761991 (died 1996) | drumspercussion | Festivál (1977) |
| Graham Lear | 1976–19831985–1987 | drums | Moonflower (1977)Inner Secrets (1978)Marathon (1979)Zebop! (1981)Shangó (1982) |
| Luther Rabb | 1976 (died 2006) | vocals | none |
| Joel Badie | 1976 | vocals | Festivál (1977) |
| Byron Miller | 1976 | bass | none |
| Pablo Tellez | 1976–1977 | bass | Festivál (1977)Moonflower (1977) |
| David Margen | 1977–1982 | bass | Moonflower (1977)Inner Secrets (1978)Marathon (1979)Zebop! (1981)Shangó (1982) |
| Chris Solberg | 1978–1980 | guitarskeyboardsvocals | Inner Secrets (1978)Zebop! (1981) |
| Chris Rhyne | 1978–1979 | keyboards | Inner Secrets (1978) |
| Russell Tubbs | 1978 | flute | none |
| Alex Ligertwood | 1979–19831984–198519871989–19911992–1994 | vocalsrhythm guitar | Marathon (1979)Zebop! (1981)Shangó (1982)Beyond Appearances (1985)Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990)Milagro (1992)Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993) |
| Alan Pasqua | 1979–1980 | keyboardsvocals | Marathon (1979)Zebop! (1981) |
| Orestes Vilató | 1980–1987 | timbalespercussionvocals | Zebop! (1981)Shangó (1982)Beyond Appearances (1985)Freedom (1987)Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990) |
| Richard Baker | 1980–1982 | keyboards | Zebop! (1981)Shangó (1982) |
| Chester D. Thompson | 1983–2009 | keyboardsarrangementsvocals | all releases from Beyond Appearances (1985) to Shape Shifter (2012), except Live at the Fillmore 1968 (1997), The Very Best of Santana – Live in 1968 (2007), The Woodstock Experience (2009) and Guitar Heaven (2010) |
| Keith Jones | 1983–19841989 | bass | none |
| David Sancious | 1984 | keyboardsrhythm guitar | Beyond Appearances (1985) |
| Chester C. Thompson | 1984 | drums | Beyond Appearances (1985) |
| Alphonso Johnson | 19841985–19891992 | bass | Beyond Appearances (1985)Freedom (1987)Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990) |
| Sterling Crew | 1985–1986 | keyboards | Freedom (1987) |
| Walfredo Reyes Jr. | 1989–19911992–1993 | drums | Spirits Dancing in the Flesh (1990)Milagro (1992)Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993) |
| Billy Johnson | 199119942000–2001 | drums | Milagro (1992)Supernatural (1999)Shaman (2002) |
| Tony Lindsay | 19911995–20042007–2015 | vocals | Milagro (1992)Supernatural (1999)Shaman (2002)Shape Shifter (2012)Corazón (2014)Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014) |
| Myron Dove | 1992–19962003–2005 | bassrhythm guitar | Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993) |
| Vorriece Cooper | 1992–1993 | vocals | Sacred Fire: Live in South America (1993) |
| Oran Coltrane | 1992 | saxophone | none |
| Rodney Holmes | 1993–19941997–2000 | drums | none |
| Tommie Bradford | 1994 | drums | none |
| Curtis Salgado | 1995 | vocalsharmonica | none |
| Horacio "El Negro" Hernandez | 1997 | drums | Supernatural (1999) |
| Ricky Wellman | 1997 | drums | none |
| William "Bill" Ortiz | 1999–2016 | trumpet | Milagro (1992)all releases from Supernatural (1999) to Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014) |
| Jeff Cressman | 1999–2016 | trombone | all releases from Supernatural (1999) to Corazón: Live from México - Live It to Believe It (2014) |
| Dennis Chambers | 2002–2013 | drums | All That I Am (2005)Guitar Heaven (2010)Shape Shifter (2012)Corazón (2014) |
| Christopher A. Scott | 2002–2005 | bassvocals | none |
| Freddie Ravel | 2009–2010 | keyboards | Guitar Heaven (2010) |
| José "Pepe" Jimenez | 2013–2015 | drums | none |