Maybe it was best that Carlos Santana limited his controversial political opinions and stuck to his patented stage show Tuesday night at Casino del Sol's AVA.
He didn't say much of importance.
The Woodstock-era rock guitarist for the most part avoided engaging in overt political commentary on SB 1070, Arizona's strict immigration law, and instead gave his cheering fans 2 1/2 hours of on-your-feet music, mixing several Santana standards and extended Latin rock jams.
The only words resembling political commentary were references to the black-uniformed security guards the 64-year-old said were not U.S. immigration agents.
"Don't confuse them. They're not the migra," Santana said, then turned to the laughing guards and asked: "You're not the migra, right?"
It was a good 30 minutes into the show when Santana, who is known for his extended monologues like his guitar solos, said to his ethnically diverse audience that he is proud of the American social and spiritual experiment.
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"Glad to be alive to see our first chocolate president," he said admiringly of President Obama.
He said that while some Americans cannot use the words "white" or "black" to describe President Obama, he prefers the terms "deep, rich chocolate." Later in his show, Santana placed Obama in the same category as Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu, the South African political and religious leaders who brought down apartheid in their country.
Santana also paid homage to the U.S. Constitution without context, and in non sequiturs critiqued "the illusion of false patriotism."
The lines sounded more scripted than spontaneous for Santana, who is more comfortable with spirituality and one-love - "We're all children of God" - than bashing Arizona legislators.
"Most of you know me," he declared.
In May, Santana, at a Major League Baseball game in Georgia to honor civil rights, waded into the immigration debate when he said, "The people of Arizona, and the people of Atlanta, Georgia, you should be ashamed of yourselves." Georgia this year passed an immigration law inspired by Arizona's.
The Mexico-born Santana had joined a roll of musicians who have used their stage mic to criticize state laws aimed at undocumented immigrants.
But Santana, arguably the best-known Latino musician in the U.S., did not join Sound Strike, a loose network of musicians who have boycotted Arizona.
Tossing immigration politics aside, Santana gave his audience, some of whom paid $125, the music he's widely known for: early hits "Singing Winds, Crying Beasts/Black Magic Woman," Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va," "Jingo Rock" and his 1999 "Supernatural" comeback megahit.
The Santana band also toyed with covers of tunes by the Beatles, Michael Jackson, Eric Burdon and War, Marvin Gaye and jazz maestro John Coltrane.
Contact Ernesto Portillo Jr. at netopjr@azstarnet.com or at 573-4187.
