Carlos Santana and the Santana Band's (SOCC) Sound of Collective Consciousness Tour of North America Launches August 25 in Seattle

LOS ANGELES, May 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Carlos Santana and the Santana Band are set to launch their summer 2011 (SOCC) Sound of Collective Consciousness Tour of North America on August 25 with a concert at White River Amphitheatre in Seattle, Washington.  The tour, which follows extensive international itineraries, wraps September 30 in Palm Springs, CA. Tour dates will feature special guest Michael Franti & Spearhead.

Other (SOCC) Sound of Collective Consciousness Tour tour highlights include shows at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, BC (8/27); BOK Center in Tulsa, OK (9/7); AT&T Center in San Antonio, TX (9/11); Sandia Casino in Albuquerque (9/17); Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre in San Diego, CA (9/21); and Reno Events Center in Reno, NV (9/23).  Tickets for the tour go on sale May 13.  Check www.santana.com for Santana fan club pre-sale information.

Carlos and the Santana Band will perform classics from the group's four-decades-long career, and spotlight songs from Santana's latest album, Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time (2010, Arista Records).  With its release, Santana joined the Rolling Stones as one of only two music acts in Billboard chart history to score at least one Top Ten album in each decade from the 1960s through the present.  With highlights including the first single, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"—featuring India.Arie and Yo Yo Ma accompanying Santana— Guitar Heaven is Santana's 29th Billboard Top 200-charting release, 12th Top Ten album debut, and third Top 10 debut in the past five years.

Michael Franti is the creator and lead singer of Michael Franti & Spearhead.  For more than two decades, the Bay Area-born Franti has built a diverse and inspiring repertoire of music, including his most recent release, The Sound of Sunshine—the highest Billboard 200 chart debut of his career.  The album continues to find chart success with the latest single, "I'll be Waiting."  It follows up Franti's acclaimed 2008 album All Rebel Rockers, and the hit single "Say Hey (I Love You)."

During the (SOCC) Sound of Collective Consciousness Tour, Santana will also perform several shows co-headlining with comedic great George Lopez, which are billed as "Divine Rascals" dates.  The special performances will feature a set from Santana and standup from Lopez.

Ever since Santana emerged from the San Francisco Bay Area music scene in the late 1960s, the group has sold more than 100 million records and reached more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. To date, Santana has won ten GRAMMY® Awards, including a record-tying nine for a single project, 1999's Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Smooth"). In 1998, the group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, whose website notes, "Guitarist Carlos Santana is one of rock's true virtuosos and guiding lights." Among many other honors, Carlos Santana has also been cited by Rolling Stone Magazine as #15 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time."

For more information: www.santana.com

SOURCE Santana