Home Music Santana’s Rick Rubin-Produced Album Due In 2019

Santana’s Rick Rubin-Produced Album Due In 2019

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Carlos Santana has a busy 2019 planned. The guitarist told Billboard he will release a new EP in January, will then issue a new album produced by Rick Rubin and will celebrate the 50th anniversary of his legendary appearance at the original Woodstock festival.

Carlos revealed his Santana band recorded 49 songs over the course of 10 days in the studio with Rick Rubin. He expects the full album will be released “between spring and summer.” He’s extremely happy with the results. “They’re killin’, man — you won’t believe the energy in the songs. There were only two or three songs that we did twice — everything else was done in one take, and we were doing, like, five to seven songs a day,” Santana explained. “It feels like a blur. They’re all African music from different musicians I love. I’m not bragging, but I have this spirit with the band that they trust me to say ‘That one’s done, let’s go to the next one…’”

Up first is an EP entitled Mona Lisa on January 25 featuring a three-part suite inspired by the famed painting. Rubin produced the opening track “Do You Remember Me,” while Narada Michael Walden produced “In Search Of Mona Lisa” and the closing “Besame Mucho – Lovers From Another Time.”

Santana is game to honor the 50th anniversary of Woodstock. He’ll play a concert of his own at Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in Bethel, New York – an amphitheater located on the grounds where the original festival was held in 1969. A date has yet to be announced. Carlos is also in if invited to a potential Woodstock 2019 festival co-founder Michael Lang is working on. “We’ve talked to Michael Lang, but we don’t know if he has secured a place,” Santana told Billboard. “If they invite me, I’m in.” The guitarist and his band kick off an extensive world tour in March. Head to Billboard for more from Carlos.