Carlos Santana feels 'blessed' to perform for Indian fans

It was an evening that left music lovers spellbound!  Legendary rock guitarist Carlos Santana brought the house down with his powerful strumming, and left fans asking for more as he took to the stage for his maiden concert here Sunday night.

Addressing thousands of fans, Santana said: "Coming to India is like connecting to the light. We are very honoured to be here."

Santana performed for two hours on his first visit to India, and said he feels blessed.

"Thank you. It is a blessing to come to New Delhi and feel connected with your heart. We are all one family. We want to invite all the governments of the world to invest in peace and not in brutality," said the musician, who was here to perform for the Formula One Rocks concert.

The legendary musician's fans turned up in thousands, but were kept waiting for the real treat. Till then, Soulmates, a band from northeast India, regaled the audience at the sprawling grounds of the Galgotia Institute here.

The crowd showed lack of enthusiasm for this band, but it was a surprise glimpse of Santana during the pre-concert gig that drew the attention to the band's tunes. He amplified the enthusiasm of his fans as he played along with them, to encourage the members. However, the 65-year-old went behind the stage soon!

But he was back in no time!

When Santana took to the stage for good, he got the crowd on their feet. People waved their hands, jumped as high as they could and sat atop their friends' shoulders - and practically did all they could to let the international artist and his troupe know that they were in total sync with their melodies.

The guitarist played and sung numbers like "Black magic woman", "A love supreme" and "E papa re", but it was his famous track "Maria maria" that got everyone grooving.

The event, organised by Formula One Rocks with Vladivar, was backed by a strong security force, making sure nothing went out of control.

It was a moment to witness when the musician's wife Cindy Blackman Santana took the drummer's seat and performed an energetic piece of music. It ended with the couple playing their instruments together producing perfect symphony.

Santana's band also performed with Soulmates towards the end, and the Mexican-American was all praise for its talent.

"It is a real joy to connect and be with this beautiful band called Soulmates. They are the future," he said.

The band closed the performance with the track "Make somebody happy" - a phrase that suited the scene to the hilt for his Indian fans were happy!