17th November 2004
Voices of Latin Rock, San Francisco

Jim McCarthy’s book "Voices of Lating Rock" was launched at an amazing party at the famous Bimbo’s Club in San Francisco on 17 November 2004, where members of the original Santana band, plus many other legendary artists performed.

Some of you will know that our very own Jim (Jimbo) McCarthy has been hard at work over the last few years on a book entitled Voices of Latin Rock much of it concentrating on the legend that is Carlos Santana.

Travelling to the USA many times to meet and interview Santana band members past and present, and ultimately the great man himself, his efforts culminated in the book launch party, at the famous Bimbo’s Club in San Francisco on 17 November 2004, where these pictures were taken.

Here’s what Publishers Weekly the biggest publishing trade magazine in the USA said about Jim’s book:

"For us, music was […] sounding like a street mutt, like a dog that’s bred with everything," notes Carlos Santana in his foreword, neatly encapsulating the feel of McCarthy’s photo-rich book. Consisting primarily of artists’ reminiscences, the chatty volume traces the origins and early successes of Latin Rock, from the street gangs of San Francisco’s Mission District to the chart-topping albums and singles.

Not surprisingly, much of McCarthy’s narrative concerns the band Santana, which began as the Santana Blues Band and rose to fame by combining the wail of blues guitar with Latin rhythms while playing songs from Mary Poppins. McCarthy also traces Malo’s early career in detail and recounts the group’s making of their Coast to Coast album. Even more interesting are his accounts of San Francisco’s Mission District in the 1960s and the confluence of styles that fueled the burgeoning Latin Rock scene.

Numerous asides mention lesser-known acts, such as Mandrill and Azteca, and give brief coverage of newer Latin rock bands, like Los Mocosos. Unfortunately, the book lacks an index, but its "Cast of Characters," glossary and limited discography are useful substitutes. With over 800 black-and-white and color photographs, McCarthy’s book looks and reads like a photo album. One disappointment is the large gap in the Santana story, which skips the late 1970s and the ’80s. However, among the sordid tales of touring, recording, partying and snorting cocaine are gems of information about the electrifying music and its creators.