| Birth Date: | 18 November 1947 |
| Birth Place: | San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Genre: | Rock |
| Occupation: | Percussionist |
| Years Active: | 1960s–present |
| Past Member Of: | Santana |
Michael Carabello (born November 18, 1947) is an American musician, best known for playing percussion with Santana during the band's early years. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Carabello was born in San Francisco and has Puerto Rican ancestry;[1] he grew up in the city's Mission District.[2] Later on in life, Carabello wanted to commission a mural depicting Carlos Santana, Bill Graham and himself, somewhere in the Mission District.[3]
Carabello joined Santana in 1968 shortly before the band signed with Columbia Records,[4] and primarily played congas for the band while occasionally playing piano.[5] He appeared on the albums Santana, Abraxas, and Santana III, all of which were internationally successful, and he is also depicted with the band in the Woodstock film.[6] He co-wrote several songs on those albums, and is the sole writer for the percussion-oriented track "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts" on Abraxas.
Carabello left Santana in 1971. In 1998, Carabello was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Santana.[7] He is the only member of the Hall of Fame whose primary instrument is congas. In 2016, Carabello participated in a reunion of the classic-era Santana lineup for the album Santana IV. It was the first time he had recorded with Carlos Santana and some other former bandmates in 45 years.[8]
Carabello formed the short-lived jazz band Cobra in 1975, and then settled into a career of teaching and art. He appeared on Tattoo You by The Rolling Stones in 1981.[9]
See main article: Santana discography.
| Album | Album details | |
|---|---|---|
| Santana | ||
| Abraxas |
| |
| Santana III |
| |
| Corazón |
| |
| Santana IV |
|
| Album | Album details | |
|---|---|---|
| Corazón – Live from Mexico: Live It to Believe It |
| |
| Santana IV: Live at the House of Blues, Las Vegas |
|
| Single | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| "Jingo" | 1969 | |
| "Evil Ways" | ||
| "Soul Sacrifice" | 1970 | |
| "Black Magic Woman" | ||
| "Oye Cómo Va" | 1971 | |
| "Hope You're Feeling Better" | ||
| "Everybody's Everything" | ||
| "La Flaca" (featuring Juanes) | 2014 | |
| "Anywhere You Want to Go" | 2016 |