Santana is bringing “Power of Peace.”
Carlos Santana is no stranger to the City Beautiful. When the guitar legend teamed his style with Orlando native Rob Thomas for 1999’s “Smooth,” the song spent three months at the top of the Billboard charts and was ranked for a time as the second most successful single ever.
Santana, 70, is heading back to town on the tour behind his latest album, “The Power of Peace,” a collaborative work featuring The Isley Brothers. His concert hits Amway Center on Thursday. (Show starts at 7 p.m. Tickets are $67-$116, available at ticketmaster.com.)
We spoke by phone with the Mexican native and Grammy winner known for such hits as “Black Magic Woman” and “Maria Maria.” We asked about the timing of the new album (released in July), its message and his continued love for the guitar. (Questions and answers have been edited for space and clarity.)
Question: What was the impetus behind creating an album called “The Power of Peace” right now?
Answer: The power of peace is the frequency that allows people to dismiss fear. Everywhere on the planet … there’s just too much fear. Like what happened in Las Vegas and the parade of hurricanes and earthquakes and fires. The opposite of fear is peace.
It’s a constant message. Humans need medicine of hope and courage when there’s so much thick, dark fear everywhere.
Q: Both you and (funk group) The Isley Brothers gained icon status in the 1970s. Was it surprising that this was the first time you worked with them?
A: Everything happens at the allocated, correct time. It started when Cindy [Blackman] and I got married in 2010. The first song we played was “The Look of Love,” a song by Burt Bacharach, but it was Ronnie Isley singing it. … When it comes to voices, Aretha [Franklin] is the queen and Ron Isley is the king. … I like investing emotionally with quality artists.
Q: Is the guitar effortless for you now or do you still find challenges on the instrument?
A: Both. I don’t look at it like a challenge. I look at it like a golden opportunity to enunciate and articulate.
Q: What do you still love about the guitar as opposed to other instruments?
A: The guitar is very immediate with illumination, frequency, sensation, emotion, passion, sound. It’s very spiritual and very sensual.
Q: Your sound is often associated with a Spanish guitar style. Do you consider your style to be fully integrated into American rock or do you view it as
outside the mainstream?
A: My style has never been outside. It is as inside as you having a thirst for water or a sensual fox.
Q: What is the live show like for this tour?
A: When people come to hear the sound and see the band, they’re assaulted by a sound that transports you to a place where you begin to see that your life has meaning. You can make a difference in the world. Our sound reminds you that you are immutable. It’s all one: light, love, spirit and soul. Those things you cannot eff with.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to say to people?
A: Sure, thank you for asking. It is my joy to share with everyone, with everything that is happening on this planet, it is important for everyone to look in the mirror and say, “My light will see me through.”