>>Because all humans want to aspire you know? When you inspire people to aspire. Its like
Elvin Jones inspired me and Coltrane to aspire. Well what does that mean? It means that when
I was a kid, everything that I said I was going to do and be, it came really fast after
I practiced. I said to my mum, I was living in Tijuana and I said to my mum, "Mum, I'm
going to get you a house some day, a dish washer and a refrigerator, and [she said]
"that's nice hijo", [I said] "Heyy! don't put a damper on my thing! I'm going to get
you those things". So when I got her those things I pretty much got my desires really
really quickly. But then something was missing. And to me, George Harrison and Ravi Shankar,
Coltrane, Mahalia Jackson, and Martin Luther King, of course Coltrane, they told me there's
another thing happening that is infinitely more fullfilling than how many houses or how
many cars... >>material things...
>>or how many platinum records, you know. And that is... In order to do that you have
to commit career suicide a couple of times. You have to do what people don't want you
to do. So there's not a single within a thousand miles of that record you know? And you go, "right!"
>>Yeah! Its what I want to do. I think you
know Carlos, people who have longevity in their career - all those things that you said
is great, because its just so true. So many people aspire to, especially in our culture
now, hip hop and they want the car and the jewellery and this and that and whatever,
that those things really they don't fullfil anything. And you aspire, if you're really a
musician, to make your art and your music. Often if you have a hit early on in your career
they want you to do that again. That's your thing, you're good at that, do that again.
They don't understand - and I agree with your career suicide thing - that... To me with
our group, we made 11 records or something like that, we've been together for 30 years
but we're not going to make the same record again. We did it, that one was great, and
we were talking about like, there's elements of that which are really cool and really good
that its still going to be part of what you do. But to me records are... we write them
all in a six month or nine month period and that's who we are at that point - our group.
And its a real, honest statement of what we do. Its a chapter in a book. Say there's a
book of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, well record one.... all the chapters, you can't read,
they're not supposed to be the same, its a story. And its a story of us and our career
and the music that we make and some people don't like this one - "why don't you do..."
and "why don't you play 'dadada', I like that one"... Well you can go listen to that, I
love that too. But that's not who I am anymore and I'm not 25 and whatever. I think its important
that, as an artist, that you need to change and grow of course, but to look at it like
chapters. You know? >>Yeah, yeah.
>>Some of the chapters are out and weird and others are more focused and whatever, its
just different. It needs to change and be different, as life does.
>>And it will be, the more you are honest. >>And be honest, you have to be honest.
>>Genuine, honest, sincere, true, for real and authentic. That to me is like the fuel.
>>That's it. That's it. >>And then everything else that you do is
going to be feel very natural and normal to you at that time. Its not really complicated.
People need to transcend that with the band thing. Women need to dance, if they don't they're
not nice people to live with ok? That's just it. So women need to dance and men need to
go inside and work it out. Women have physically what they need to do every month and all that
kind of stuff. Men have to psychologically, like a bear, go in and reinvent yourself like
Picasso and Miles. And its a natural growth for us musicians, because Miles said its either
a blessing or a curse that you have to change. You have to change. This record or that CD
or whatever it is nowadays. But all it means is like what Charlie Parker said and he said
it so clearly, "If you don't live it, its not going to come out". So put your drums
in the closet for a minute or the guitar and go out in the park, man. Take your shoes,
yourself and actually feel the grass, feel the life. And then you come back and when
you play about it, people say "even though you are playing drums, I heard your story".
And here comes the best part - because its my story as well. Your story is the same story.
I heard Wayne say something like its the same song. All of those that he wrote are the same
song. And I was like, what? But he said its the same song. All of them that we know. Well
in a way its true because they're all tied in together like beads on a string and he
is that string. I love life right now because I don't think I've ever been so clear and
so at ease. This last tour I learned how powerful it is to be at ease. So you can really create
stuff that even your brain goes "dang". Because the brain likes to measure...
>>You've got to get the brain out of the way. >>Yeah, exactly. And this tour I read a lot,
I played but I read a lot, and all the books I read pointed in the same direction. Affirm
grace. Because there's no luck, chance, fortune and there's no, you know, get behind the mechanics
and feel... Paul Simon had it right, its the rhythm of grace, man. The flow of grace. Where
real genius creativity abounds. That's the other thing. If you want abundance in your
life, appreciate what you have already. >>Yeah gratitude is very important.
>>Gratitude is really important. >>Really important. I think people get caught
up in their busy day-to-day lives stuff and aren't grateful for what... just... what you
have or what it is what you're being, what you're doing. You're breathing, you've got...
hopefully you're doing positive things and you're enjoying yourself...
>>I'm grateful and I'm thankful for your band, because when your band plays you captivate
people and you take people into a place where they're able to... I can close this thing
by saying I'd love to do a video of a dog with a lot of hair and with the sun behind
him, and he's shaking water in slow motion and you see this rainbow behind him and it
says: you too, like this dog, can shake off all your illusions, your so-called lack of
self-worth or xxxxxx, all that other bullshit, you can just shake it all off. And look at
his face, man. I don't know any animals that are more happy than dogs... when they see
you. >>Its funny that you said it because I just
came from Alaska and we went on a glacier and went on a dog sledging trip and these dogs. 40 dogs.
Its cold up there obviously, they're totally happy up there and I'm you know [cold] and as soon
as they were getting ready to get hooked up to pull us, I've never seen more happy - they
just couldn't wait to get hooked us and run. Its what they love to do and its so beautiful.
I'm thinking it must be really hard and its cold and that kind of stuff. They love it,
that's what they live for. They were so friendly and I was petting them. I saw some really
happy dogs, man. Its beautiful to see that. Very simple, in existence, very simple. And
as happy as can be. >>Yeah I think that's the message, without
telling people who to be, what to do or how to do it. There's an invitation in inspiration,
and then there's imposition or anything like that. But I've never seen your band not bring it, man. Every
time I've seen you band, in any configuration, I always see the audience bombarded with your
heart, everybody's heart in the band. Then I see their eyes and I go, well there it is.
They're not worshipping a plastic Jesus, this is the street man, this is for real.
>>They're connecting. >>They're connecting.
>>Thank you for saying that. That's very kind. We put out a lot of positive energy.
>>Yes you do. >>And sometimes if you're in a big place it
can be more difficult to get that... But sometimes its easier because you can get - I mean you've
played big places before where it can turn into a really big ball of energy. Clubs- people
are right there right in your face, they see you, there's that immediate reaction, that's
fantastic too, I love that. There's something special about both types of situations but...
I just love to play any time, whether there's 10 people or 10,000 it doesn't matter. Its
when they feel the joy of you loving what you're doing then you can get... everybody
else on stage is connecting, so I was talking about having that conversation- everyone is
connected, we make sure we're connected and we're not out on the ramps. We kinda play
like Neil Young where everyone is close and there's a lot of eye contact. I think they
pick up on that. I know they do. You can make people happy through music. Its a
gift. man. >>Yeah. I want to conclude this one and thank
you for inviting me to... >>No thank you.
>>to share light conversation and I mean light conversation. One of the last things-
the main things- that I learned this year was from this lady named Thelma in St Louis.
She said, for your band and my band its a blessing to be blessed.
>>Well put. That's it. Alright, thank you so much. >>My pleasure, thank you.
>>Alright. >>Carlos Santana ladies and gentleman!