I could listen to Carlos Santana playing “Samba Pa Ti” for hours, and yet for years I didn’t even know what the song was called – I just knew that I loved it!
Actually I could listen to anyone playing it, as long as they played it well.
My main Seventies memory associated with this song, off the 1970 Santana album “Abraxas”, is the Awapuni Tavern in Palmerston North, New Zealand.
We used to go to all kinds of student functions there, but also just to hear whoever was playing. It was quite a way out of town, so you had to make an effort to go there.
Usually it was worth it…
So here it is, “Samba Pa Ti” by Santana, the original:
Here’s a live version of “Samba Pa Ti” in 1988, in Zagreb, Croatia:
And “Samba Pa Ti” live in Carlos Santana’s home country of Mexico:
I particularl enjoy the way the song starts off really slowly and then builds to a crescendo.
Hope you love it too!
Paul