Carlos Santana is set to return to the Las Vegas stage in January, but fans don’t have to worry about this being their last chance to see him. While he may be 76 years old, the guitar great has no plans to retire anytime soon.
“I don’t think like that because it’s like this: people are flowers, music is water and I’m a hose,” he tells ABC Audio. “Why would I stop?”
And Santana has some strong opinions about artists who make big announcements about retiring from the road, like Elton John, KISS and Aerosmith, to name a few.
“Usually when people say that they’re already done anyway mentally, and so they’ve been retiring for the last 50 years,” he says. “I wish they would just, you know, either do it or shut up or stop saying it.”
But even though Santana’s not hanging things up for good, he knows he can’t keep going at the pace he once did.
“I promised my daughter Stella that I would balance it more,” he says, although he adds, “I feel really strong, really clear and very passionate about living life to the fullest.”
Carlos’ Las Vegas residency, An Intimate Evening with Santana: Greatest Hits Live, returns to the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay on January 24, with dates booked through May. A complete list of shows can be found at santana.com.
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