The magic that informs every note played by Carlos Santana reaches a new intensity with SHAMAN, his long-awaited second album on Arista Records. The album was produced by Carlos Santana and Clive Davis, and executive produced by Antonio "LA" Reid, President and CEO, Arista Records. Its release was preceded by the first single (and video), The Game Of Love, featuring Michelle Branch.  She was the first to be introduced - the song came in as the #1 most-added track at top 40 radio, Mainstream AC and Hot AC upon its impact in September - but the album's guest list goes on to include Citizen Cope, Dido, Placido Domingo, Macy Gray, Melky Jean, Chad Kroeger, Alejandro Lerner, Musiq, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Ozomatli, P.O.D., Seal, Michael Shrieve, Govner Washington and producers Wyclef Jean, KC Porter and Kike Santander.

SHAMAN, of course, is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to Supernatural. Released in June 1999, the phenomenal career landmark sold over 25 million worldwide and spent 102 weeks on the Billboard 200 Album chart, including 12 weeks at #1. It also generated an all-time record-breaking nine Grammys at the awards ceremonies that took place in February 2000, including Album Of the Year and Best Rock Album.

Supernatural produced the back-to-back #1 platinum hits Smooth (co-written by and featuring Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, which won Grammys for Record Of the Year, Song of the Year and Best Pop Collaboration) and Maria Maria (featuring the Product G&B, which won the Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo/Group). The two songs were the Billboard Hot 100's longest-running #1 singles of 1999 and 2000, at 12 weeks and 10 weeks, respectively.  In addition, Supernatural featured collaborations with Cee-Lo from Goodie Mob, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Eric Clapton, Everlast, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, Maná, Dave Matthews, and KC Porter.

Like its predecessor, SHAMAN boasts a dazzling array of collaborators from across the musical spectrum, and is again (in Carlos Santana's words) a "multi-dimensional" collection, bridging generations and cultures in a musical melting pot of creative partnerships. In typical fashion the album opens with a cover of West African singer Angelique Kidjo's composition Adouma (from her 1994 album Aye) given a Santana flavor by co-producer Kike Santander. Santander recently won Producer of the Year at this year's Latin Grammy Awards and has worked with J-Lo, Gloria Estefan, Thalia, Albita and other Latin superstars over the last decade.

Among those artists whose talents grace SHAMAN are 7-time Grammy winning tenor Placido Domingo on Novus. The track was produced and arranged by Carlos, with vocal production by Walter Afanasieff (known for his work with Mariah Carey and Kenny G). The song was co-written by Santana, Afanasieff, Gabor Szabo, Greg DiGiovine, and Richard DiCicco.  Like Domingo, who was born in Madrid and raised in Santana's native country of Mexico, Argentinean superstar Alejandro Lerner shows the expansiveness of the Latin music explosion on his track, Hoy Es Adios.

Santana is joined on SHAMAN by Grammy winning artist Wyclef Jean (of the Fugees), along with Melky Jean and Govner Washington on Since Supernatural. This track, like Maria Maria on Supernatural, was co-written and co-produced by Wyclef and his partner Jerry "Wonder" Duplessis.  Multi-platinum Arista artist Dido co-wrote and co-produced Feels Like Fire.

The idiosyncratic Citizen Cope (aka Clarence Greenwood) takes lead vocal duties on Sideways, accompanied by Me'Shell Ndegeocello who played bass on the sessions, partly recorded at Electric Lady Studios in New York. The rock band P.O.D. and their producer Howard Benson join forces with Carlos on one of SHAMAN's focal points, America, written by the four members of P.O.D.

Grammy winning singer and songwriter Macy Gray brings her considerable talent to Amoré (Sexo), which she co-wrote with Javier Vazquez as well as the track's producers Lester Mendez and Dallas Austin.  Mendez is the producer and arranger of two more standout tracks on SHAMAN: Why Don't You & I was written by and features Chad Kroeger on lead vocal; and You Are My Kind features multiple Grammy recipient Seal and was written by Rob Thomas.

Cory Rooney, one of the producers and songwriters of Marc Anthony's Latin Grammy-winning Dimelo (I Need To Know), has also co-written (with Rob Thomas) and co-produced Nothing At All, featuring lead vocal by platinum artist Musiq.

Producer and songwriter KC Porter, whose Primavera (featuring rhythm guitarist and programmer JB Eckl) and Migra were both high points on Supernatural, has contributed One Of These Days, featuring Eckl and world music pace-setters Ozomatli.

Original 'first generation' Santana drummer Michael Shrieve enjoys a timely reunion with some of his old bandmates on Aye Aye Aye, which he co-produced and co-wrote with Carlos. Two additional Santana band tracks on SHAMAN are Foo Foo and Victory Is Won, which Carlos wrote.

In its own way SHAMAN builds upon the musical fusions introduced on Supernatural. In addition to the aforementioned Grammy awards, Supernatural also generated Grammys in the categories of Best Pop Instrumental Performance (for El Farol); Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group (for Put Your Lights On featuring Everlast); and Best Rock Instrumental Performance (for The Calling featuring Eric Clapton). At the first annual Latin Grammy Awards in September 2000, the album generated another three honors, as El Farol again won for Best Pop Instrumental Performance; and Corazon Espinado (with Mexican supergroup Maná) won Record Of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group.

The day before the Latin Grammy Awards marked the in-store arrival of the DVD, Supernatural Live - An Evening with Carlos Santana and Friends, which went on to debut at #1 on Billboard's Top Video Sales and DVD Sales charts and earn RIAA double-platinum certification. A reprise of the May 31st concert event at Pasadena Civic Center (originally broadcast on the Fox TV network), the home video starred the Santana band and guests Cee-Lo, Everlast, Lauryn Hill, Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford, Sarah McLachlan (a showstopping duet with Carlos on her top 5 hit Angel), the Product G&B, Wayne Shorter and Rob Thomas. The full-length concert was complimented by 55 minutes of additional content, including video clips, an interview with (and biography of) Carlos Santana; behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage; fan club information and more. The DVD boasted DTS and Dolby Digital 5.1 sound.

Always evolving, breaking new ground, exploring musical secrets and influences from every corner of the globe, Carlos Santana is one of our treasured natural resources. With every new album, he continues to surprise and inspire the next generation of musicians who learn from his artistry and his willingness to share ideas. Far from being a tribute album, SHAMAN is, like the album that preceded it, a wondrous musical journey and, in Carlos Santana's words, "a beautiful example of synchronicity."