Many people got a first glance at the playing of Carlos Santana from his incendiary performance in the original Woodstock film from 1969.

Carlos, then 22, had not even released an album yet (he was signed to Columbia by legendary record man Clive Davis and was working in the studio at the time). His manager, the late Bill Graham, had called in a favor from the promoters of the concert to get Carlos onto the bill. Carlos has said he was so high on acid during that performance that the only way he ever remembers any of it is when he watches the film. Despite this, that performance at that concert became legendary and after wowing the crowd at the show, and the world soon after from the film, he went onto release his debut album, Santana, with hits like “Evil Ways,” “Jingo” and “Soul Sacrifice,” followed by his Abraxas album, which spawned more hits like “Black Magic Woman” and “Oye Como Va.” In the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s, band lineup changes came, but so did more hit albums and songs like “No One To Depend On,” “Europa,” “She’s Not There” and “Winning.” In 1998, Carlos was inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. Then, in 1999, Carlos released Supernatural, which teamed him up with the guy who originally signed him to Columbia right after his Woodstock performance, Clive Davis. As the executive producer of Supernatural, Davis paired Carlos up with other top artists and singers like Eric Clapton, Dave Matthews, Everlast, Lauryn Hill and Rob Thomas (Matchbox 20). The Thomas collaboration was on the worldwide smash hit “Smooth.”

Supernatural exposed Santana’s music to a whole new audience around the world. That album went onto sell 27 million copies worldwide and won Carlos a whole mantle full of Grammy awards (he now has nine). The formula worked so well that two more albums followed in the 2000s that teamed Carlos up with more of today’s top artists. Shaman was released in 2002 with Chad Kroeger from Nickelback singing on the track “Why Don’t You and I. ” The album also yielded a top-five smash single from Carlos’ collaboration with Michele Branch on the song “The Game Of Love.” The third album in the collaborative series came in 2005 with the release of All That I Am. That album paired Carlos up again with more of today’s hottest artists including Steven Tyler, Mary J. Blige, Big Boi from Outkast, Kirk Hammett, Robert Randolph and more.

Now, almost 11 years after Supernatural came out, Carlos has just released Guitar Heaven: The Greatest Guitar Classics of All Time, again helmed by Clive Davis, who brought in singers like Chris Cornell for Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love,” Train’s Pat Monahan on Van Halen’s “Dance the Night Away,” and Rob Thomas on Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love,” among many more.

In 1998, Carlos started his Milagro Foundation, a publicly supported foundation which benefits underserved and vulnerable children around the world by making grants to community-based tax-exempt organizations that work with children in the areas of education, health and the arts. Milagro means “miracle.” The image of children as divine miracles of light and hope, even as gifts to our lives, is the meaning of the name.

Carlos has put out a line of women’s shoes, Carlos by Carlos Santana – fashionable shoes inspired by the passion and energy that surround his music and designed for women who demand fashion and love shoes. A portion of the proceeds from the sales of these shoes is donated to the Milagro Foundation.

Recently, Carlos added a chain of restaurants to his repertoire, Maria Maria La Cantina. With five locations (three in California, one in Texas and one in Arizona), Maria, Maria is a creative collaboration between Carlos and Chef Roberto Santibañez. Named for his song “Maria Maria,” the restaurant’s look, sound and feel are inspired by the emotion and spirit of the music of Santana. Carlos’ contributions also include selected artwork and memorabilia to enhance the décor. The menu has been created so every guest will savor contemporary, freshly prepared Mexican cuisine as it was meant to be enjoyed. Carlos Santana and Maria Maria’s dedication includes the commitment to provide its family of employees with a respectful and healthful work environment. Some proceeds from Maria, Maria also are donated to the Milagro Foundation.

I had a few minutes to sit down with Carlos recently and talk about his new album, the restaurants and other things in his life.

Jonathan Clarke – Tell me about your chain of restaurants, Maria, Maria.

Carlos Santana ¬– Whether it’s shoes, or Maria Maria, or anything and everything we do, it gives us an opportunity to invest in children all over the world … feeding, clothing and investing in education. As you know, the world will be heaven on earth the more we invest in education; the more you educate people, the more sense of self-worth they have. And then people will not do brutal things and violent things to one another. The most important things we can do with humans is like Martin Luther King said, “Learn, baby, learn, not burn, baby, burn.”

JC – On the new album you do a song with one of your Woodstock alums, Joe Cocker, on Jimi Hendrix’s “Little Wing.”

CS – I swear to you, I get chills just saying the name Joe Cocker. We are [two] of the few survivors from Woodstock; we are still here. And Joe said to me, “Can you believe it, we’re still here since ’69?” And I told him, “We used to be charcoal, now we are diamonds.”

JC – You cover The Door’s “Riders on the Storm” on the new album with Ray Manzarek on keyboards and Chester Bennington from Linkin Park on vocals.

CS – That was a lot of fun and this is one of the highlights of this CD. I love utilizing the second best muscle that we have, which is imagination. “Riders on the Storm” conjures up a lot of imagery. My favorite band is still The Doors, with respect to The Stones, Cream, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. But, The Doors are my favorite because of John Lee Hooker and John Coltrane that I know, as a band, they were all deeply influenced by.

JC – So another new thing in your life, you are engaged to be married and you can’t get more rock ’n’ roll than this. Do I have this right? You asked your girlfriend, also your drummer, now your fiancée Cindy Blackmon, to marry you onstage right after a drum solo she did during one of your shows in Illinois this past summer?

CS – It was a hell of a drum solo. You should have been there! I feel absolutely grateful to God because Cindy is pristine. She’s totally invested like Bruce Lee was in her discipline of a higher standard of excellence when she plays drums. It’s one thing to say it, but another to own it. She won’t say it, but I can say it. She’s in the top one, two or three in what she does and how she does it. She’s not a domesticated kitten; she’s a black panther. So when she plays the drums, she’s a hardcore jazz musician, plus she played with Lenny Kravitz for such a long time, she understands both sides of the energy. So I am very blessed and grateful that she said yes and we look forward to having the rest of our lives as a honeymoon.

JC – And a honeymoon on tour around the world – can’t get much better than that, right?

CS – Paris with Cindy? Whoo, lawdy!

JC – Do you ever get flashbacks from your days at The Fillmore East or West?

CS – (laughing) I get flashbacks all the time.

JC – Carlos, an honor to speak with you.

CS – Thank you. Jonathan, best to you, and everyone in New York. Stay happy!