[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnamP4-M9ko&hl=en&fs=1&]

We can only marvel at the video footage of Santana (originally the Santana Blues Band) at the Woodstock Music Festival. According to legend, Carlos Santana’s band was perhaps the stand-out acts of the festival (they could actually play).

Santana performed on the festival’s second day. In the video the band is performing “Soul Sacrifice,” their second last song. The now legendary personnel were: Michael Shrieve (on drums; at 19 years the youngest performer at Woodstock), Gregg Rolie (vocals and keyboards), David Brown (bass guitar), Mike Carabello (on congas) and Jose Chepito Areas (on percussion).

They had opened the set with a favorite of mine, “Waiting.” I could not find the video for that song, instead here’s a clip of “Waiting” performed live in Ghana two years later: