By Rich Freedman/Times-Herald staff writer

Posted: 06/22/2009 12:59:01 AM PDT

Malo” is Spanish for “bad.” And that’s often the bottom line when record companies distributed profits to its artists. Or didn’t. Fact is, said Ron Sansoe, entertainers are often neglected when it comes time to paying up. It happened to the Latin rock band, “Malo,” said Sansoe, and that’s why he fought off lawyers and eventually recouped thousands of dollars for the band known mostly for its 1972 hit, “Suavecito.”

Sansoe, who relocated in April from San Francisco to Vallejo, remains actively responsible for the publishing rights for “Malo,” and heavily involved in the annual “Voices of Latin Rock” benefit in San Francisco that’s featured Carlos Santana, Pete Escovedo, Lenny Williams, Sheila E., Lydia Pense, Linda Tillery, Neal Schon, Jackie Greene, WAR and, of course, Malo.

Sitting at Napoli’s pizza with Green Valley promoter and long-time pal Jeff Trager, the animated Sansoe shared some eye-opening rock ‘n’ roll stories, many included in “Voices of Latin Rock,” a 300-page paperback he co-authored with Jim McCarthy. Santana wrote the foreword.

The book was going to be a Malo media guide celebrating the group’s 30 years, Sansoe said. But after a handful of interviews, the writers knew they were on to something bigger.

“We realized this was a piece of musical history, but American history tied to the Black Panthers, the United Farm Workers and other vital organizations of their time and we saw it as something special,” Sansoe said. More than 120 interviews were conducted for the book, released in 2004 and still selling well, Sansoe said. “It was a 61/2 year project,” he said. “Needless to say, you don’t make a lot of money in the book business.”

Sansoe and McCarthy’s devoted interest in Latin Rock “was the heartbeat of this whole project,” said Sansoe..

The book is now used in more than 40 colleges and universities as part of ethnic studies programs, Sanose said.

Little did the born-and-raised San Franciscan know he would ever have any part in a book. Though his brothers teach high school, Sansoe said his grades were never great.

“I wasn’t much in the education field,” he said.

Sansoe was in the bar business for about 12 years when, in 1985, he helped promote a concert. In 1990, he was asked to help resurrect some royalties for “Malo,” handling administration. Sansoe laughed that while “Sauvecito was a good song, I hated it.” Still, he joined the “Malo” team, helping promote a show with the group, Escovedo and Tower of Power at Fort Mason in The City. Though promoter Bill Graham was approached, he declined to do the show, Sansoe said. The show sold out. “Graham shows up and the security guy — an off-duty SFPD officer — didn’t recognize him and Graham couldn’t get back stage,” grinned Sansoe. “We made a chunk of dough that night.”

Sansoe said he only met the legendary Graham a few times before Graham died in a helicopter crash in 1991 near Vallejo. “I had nothing but respect for him,” Sansoe said. “I didn’t want to become a concert promoter. Nobody did with Bill around. If there was a show and it wasn’t his and he didn’t want it to happen, he would make it not happen. At the height of his career, he could stop anything from happening in Northern California.”

Sansoe got into the publishing end of the business as CDs emerged in the late 1980s.

“One smart thing Malo did was to keep their publishing rights,” Sansoe said. “That’s where the money is for the artist. And now, with the Internet, the artists are getting a better share than he ever got.”

Sansoe got into the ring battling lawyers in 1999 when “the heart” of “Suavecito” was used by another band. When Sansoe eventually got a nice check on behalf of the band, he doled out the money at a Christmas party.

“None of the guys knew this was happening,” Sansoe said, still gratified that “I beat an attorney. I told him, ‘I’m not getting off the Ferris wheel until we get our checks.”

Sansoe wasn’t done.

“I started seeing that artists were being taken advantage of,” Sansoe said, sifting through paperwork and realizing “where the bones are buried.”

Most entertainers are more creative musically than astute businessmen, said Sansoe.

“You get kids who are passionate about something and they’re thinking about the songs,” Sansoe said. “Then they get screwed and that’s when they lose their passion.”

Sansoe shakes his head.

“In what other business is the person who creates the product and the ability to create money the last one to get paid and never gets a fair share,” Sansoe said, blasting record companies. “That’s why the Internet is the best thing that ever happened. For an artist to make the same money selling 10,000 units independently, he’d have to sell 700,000 records by the record company. So you get your name out there and play.”

Because of Sansoe, Malo continues to accrue royalty payments.

“It’s like an old horse,” Sansoe said. “You keep riding it. It doesn’t always win, but it comes in place and show a lot.”

“The Voices of Latin Rock” benefit concerts were originally a book release party at Bimbo’s in San Francisco. It was so successful, Sansoe and the other promoters kept it going. Last year’s event included a letter from Mayor Gavin Newsom, praising Sansoe and McCarthy for “The Voices of Latin Rock” as “a dazzling document of modern American history.”

The shows, said Sansoe, “are never about the money. It’s about the feel of the ’70s. That’s a hard thing to recreate in today’s atmosphere. There’s something special here you don’t get in other cities.”

The same artists who initially feel they’re doing Sansoe a favor by doing the show, “are the ones who thank you at the end of the night,” he said.

The sixth annual concert, produced by Sansoe, Trager and Dr. Bernie Gonzalez, is set for January.

Tags: Bernardo Gonzalez, Jeff Trager, Malo, Ronnie Sansoe, The Warfield Theater, Voices of Latin Rock

Here is an article by Karen Murphy and Yvonne Montoya for Latino Future Magazine.
September 2006
Carlos Santana

By Karen Murphy & Yvonne Montoya
Photo Credits: J Records

Carlos Santana’s inimitable fusion of rock, jazz, blues, soul and Latin sounds have long earned him high praise. After 40 years in the fickle music industry, Santana remains a revered icon who has never sounded better.

When Jim Nash’s 1970s Rolling Stone review of Abraxas, Santana’s second album, said Santana “might do for Latin music what Chuck Berry did for the blues,” few people probably realized just how right that assessment was. Carlos Santana almost single-handedly brought the explosive Latin sound and energy of San Francisco’s blue collar Mission district in the 1960s out of the barrio and onto the world stage. Born the son of a virtuoso Mariachi violinist in Autlan de Navarro, Mexico, Carlos Santana had music running through his veins. He took up the violin at the age of five, but it was the music of the blues masters—John Lee Hooker, T-Bone Walker, and B.B. King—that reached deep into his soul. His first band in San Francisco actually was called the Santana Blues Band and it naturally mixed the music of his blues heroes with the Latin rhythms of his heritage.

After dropping the Blues Band moniker, the early Santana band released its first album, simply titled Santana, in January 1969. It featured a fusion of Santana’s hot electric guitar solos, Gregg Rolie’s bluesy organ and lead vocals with a three-prong Latin percussion section featuring Mike Shrieve on traps, José “Chepito” Areas on timbales and Michael Carabello on congas, underpinned by David Brown’s sturdy bass. It was, for rock and roll, both highly original and rhythmically uncompromising. Overnight, Santana’s music made a lot of rock music’s more monotonous 4/4 rhythms seem redundant. The album went gold, selling two million copies in its initial run.

Santana had been passed over by several producers before eventually being signed by legendary record mogul Clive Davis at Columbia, who focused more on the music and less on the cash register, according to Santana.

As Santana said in the foreword to the book, Voices of Latin Rock by Ron Sansoe and Jim McCarthy, “The first album was sound wise, no; music wise, yes. We’d been playing that material for about a year and a half. A lot of people forget we were headlining the Fillmore West without an album out. By the time we recorded it, it was done very fast with people who had no understanding of the music or how it should be recorded….”

Abraxas, which was released exactly one year later, is now widely recognized as one of greatest albums of all time. It secured Santana’s place among rock royalty and true to Santana’s love for the blues, Abraxas featured a haunting, powerful rendition of “Black Magic Woman”, originally penned by British blues guitar virtuoso Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac. The song was released as a single and it soon hit #4 on the Billboard music charts. The next track, Tito Puente’s classic Latin hit, “Oye Como Va”, became the second single and hit the charts at Number 13. The passion and ecstatic soloing on this album perfectly captured the psychedelic atmosphere of the times and showcased the incredible talent of all of the musicians.

Although 1971 started out on a high note—a new album in the works and a European tour preceded by an appearance in Ghana—a series of setbacks took a toll on the band. In February 1971, Chepito Areas suffered a brain hemorrhage right before the big tour and Coke Escovedo, whose brother Pete is the father of Prince collaborator Sheila E, had to be brought in to replace him.

As the band was struggling to record Santana 3 in 1971, everything began to fall apart. “We entered one of the worst periods of my life,” Santana said. “Success was getting to be too much. We were trying to make Santana 3, but overindulgence in everything available to a successful rock ‘n’ roller was becoming a problem. I started catching my friends shooting up in the bathroom.”

Santana and his band mates were not alone in their struggles with drugs at that time. The California music scene was awash in cocaine and heroin and talented musicians were dropping like flies before even reaching the age of 30. The Doors’ Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin all died in rapid succession the year before, the direct result of their overindulgence.
Fast Forward

While Santana more or less faded out of the mainstream in the 1980s and 1990s, he still continued to record and release CDs that his followers continued to buy. The band burst back into the limelight in 1999 with the release of Supernatural, Santana’s 36th album. The CD won a record-tying eight awards at the 42nd Annual Grammy® Awards—including Record of the Year, Best Rock Album and Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal. Rob Thomas/Itaal Shur of Matchbox 20 also won the Song of the Year for penning Supernatural’s smash single “Smooth”.

The incredible feat tied Michael Jackson’s record for the most Grammys won by an artist in a single year. Jackson’s 1983 album Thriller also won eight awards in a single year. Santana followed this award-winning CD with Shaman, released in 2002. The CD won a Grammy® for the hit, The Game Of Love. Santana also has won three Latin Grammy Awards, and received the Latin Recording Academy’s “Person of the Year” award in 2004. His latest album, 2005’s All That I Am, continues his tradition of collaboration with other talented musicians. Almost five decades of performing in front of 100 million people worldwide. An amazing 90 million albums sold. Carlos Santana is not only rock royalty, he is the best ambassador for Latin music we could ever find.
Lost In Translation

It was a gas doing Abraxas. Abraxas had just come out and Chepito was going back to Nicaragua with an armful of albums. He had ‘em wrapped in brown paper. He gets on the plane, clutching this package. He didn’t speak English very well.The stewardess comes down the aisle; she sees him clutching this brown paper package. “Sir,” she says, “the package will have to go overhead in the compartment.” “No, iz alright. I hold it, I hold it!” says Chepito. “Sir, it’s regulations.” Chepito goes, “No, no, no, oh, it’s dynamite!!” So, the plane taxis around to an empty hangar. The FBI come on and pull him off. Bill Graham had to call them and explain what Chepito was trying to say—that it was a dynamite recording, that he wasn’t a hijacker, and they finally let him go.”
—Recording Engineer Fred Catero as quoted in Voices of Latin Rock by Jim McCarthy and Ron Sansoe

Tags: Carlos Santana, Jim McCarthy, Latino Future Magazine, Ronnie Sansoe

Here is a very brief bio about the authors of Voices of Latin Rock from the pages of authortree.

Jim McCarthy is founder and director of Good News for Catholics, Inc.

Ron Sansoe’s association with Latin rock began with his co-production of the Fort Mason show with MALO & TOWER OF POWER in 1985. He continues to administrate music publishing for a number of Bay Area’s musicians.

Tags: Jim McCarthy, Ronnie Sansoe

Hey here is a write up from the LATIN MUSICFEST website

Press release
“Voices of Latin Rock” Book VOICES OF LATIN ROCK MUSIC FROM THE STREETS
Until now the history of Santana and Latin rock has remained untold. Parallel with the late sixties San Franciscan “psychedelic” scene was an explosion of music, arts and culture from the Mission District area of that same City.
Santana spearheaded a cultural wave, which represented a totally new art form known as Latin Rock in which Latin based music was on everyone¹s record player. At one stage Santana were the biggest selling act in the world, outselling even The Beatles. Other Mission based acts such as Malo, Azteca, Dakila, Sapo, and Abel & the Prophets also emerged out of that first wave. It was this same talent pool, fed the ranks of Sly & The Family Stone, Graham Central Station, Tower of Power, Cold Blood and many others.
VOICES OF LATIN ROCK ­ MUSIC FROM THE STREETS, unfolds this Wild West Coast tale of early huge success, the young Latin musicians attempts to cope with this roller coaster, the impact on the emerging Latin cultural identity, framed within the turbulent backdrop of Latino and black political consciousness, as evidenced by The Black Panther, Brown Berets and United Farm Worker movements. Musicians also ran into trouble with the increasing availability of hard drugs in the US cities.
The music itself, with its myriad influences displayed the best that the USA had to offer. The Latino¹s love of soul and R&B; combined with ferocious and pungent Latin percussion sections, in which the full primal heat of this music was underpinned. The music, completely original in style and attack, had amongst its ranks, young gunslingers like Carlos Santana and Gregg Rolie, from Santana, plus their ace timbalero, the mighty Jose²Chepito²Areas. From Malo, Jorge Santana¹s electrifying guitar; was abetted by master Cuban conguero Francisco Aguabella. Azteca, featured the Escovedo Brothers, Coke and Pete (who went to work and develop the career of his daughter Sheila E) with the cream of the West Coast jazz fraternity on horns. Suffice it to say, this music was as tight and as hip as it comes.
VOICES OF LATIN ROCK ­ MUSIC FROM THE STREETS is an in-depth look at this phenomenon. Compiled from over 100 hours of interviews, including all the main players such as Carlos Santana, Mike Shrieve, Gregg Rolie, Jorge Santana, Herbie Herbert (who went on to mastermind the mega-success of Journey, CBS¹ biggest selling act in history.) and many others. These are combined with intensive and detailed photographic and archival research. Jim McCarthy, a well known writer and cartoonist in the UK and Ron Sansoe, with his many interests in music publishing, including Malo¹s back catalogue, have pulled together a tale of passion, excitement and an in-depth look at a musical form, hitherto unexamined.
Sugar Ray incorporated Malo’s “Suavecito”, and Latin evergreen and also had a Billboard Number 1 with “Every Morning”. The upsurge in ³Nu Latin soul² from the likes of Los Moscosos, Ozomatli and Los Jaguares, shows a further broadening and contemporary slant on Latin rock. With Carlos Santana currently enjoying a musical rebirth with the international success of Supernatural and Shaman. With the soar away hits, “Smooth”, “Maria, Maria” and “The Game of Love” under his belt. Carlos is not only as fresh musically today as ever before but represents a symbol of both grace and perseverance to the Latin peoples who continue to admire both him and this musical form.
VOICES OF LATIN ROCK ­ MUSIC FROM THE STREETS
Voices of Latin Rock: The People and Events that Shaped the Sound Written by Jim McCarthy with Ron Sansoe and a foreword by Carlos Santana, is a dazzling documentation of modern American music history. In the late 1960s and 1970s, groups such as Santana and Malo along with a cast of characters roared out of San Francisco¹s Mission District barrio with a hot sound that gave birth to a new music synergy known as Latin rock.
McCarthy started developing this unique tome many years ago. Voices of Latin Rock reveals his path of more than 30 years following the explosive era of Latin rock music. After meeting music publisher Ron Sansoe at a Malo rehearsal in 1999, they began this historic musical journey. Interviewing not only the musicians and the cast of characters around them but also interviewing influential people in the recording industry and social an political groups who were all a part of the rise of this musical and cultural revolution, including the United Farm Workers union, the Black Panther party.
In the book, readers will discover the San Francisco Mission District scene of the 1960s and 1970s and the explosion of Latin, salsa and rock music. In addition, it includes more than 800 black-and-white and color photographs, artwork of dozens of rare album covers and other archival materials that have never been seen before.
“I’m grateful this book was written, because it’s a chance to take us back and bring us forward. If our history can challenge the next wave of musicians to keep moving and changing, to keep spiritually hungry and horny, that’s what it’s about.” Carlos Santana

Jim McCarthy and Ron Sansoe as well as a list of musicians are available for interviews and book signings.

If you have any questions or would like to set up book signings or interview please feel free to call Ron Sansoe at 415.431.6754 or email to ronsansoe@sbcglobal.net

Tags: Jim McCarthy, Ronnie Sansoe

Directly from the Mission District in San Francisco, the explosive fusion of Latin, salsa and rock is chronicled from a writer who has followed the music and the musicians for over 30 years. The book covers the stories of prominent Latin rock bands including Santana and Malo, examining in detail the pioneering records and the ways in which both reflect a wide spectrum of Latin influences. It highlights the cast of characters and emerging period in the US during the late ’60s, with all the cultural background events including the Summer of Love, Woodstock, political activism, and the record label expansion. Legendary figures such as Bill Graham, Clive Davis and the Escovedos family play crucial roles in the development of this sound. As Latin music continues to become more mainstream, the interest in its musical roots grows. This book sheds light on these musical pioneers, and is gorgeously illustrated with over 800 BandW photos by Jim Marshall, Rudy Rodgriguez, Joan Chase and others, plus artwork of dozens of rare album covers.
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More details
Voices of Latin Rock: People and Events that Created this Sound
By Jim McCarthy, Ron Sansoe
Contributor Ron Sansoe
Published by Hal Leonard Corporation, 2004
ISBN 063408061X

Tags: Carlos Santana, Jim McCarthy, Mission District, Ronnie Sansoe, Santana

Napa Valley Register Wednesday, August 27, 2008

It began as a movement, born out of San Francisco’s barrio in the 1960s and ’70s. It evolved into a style, then a revolution and finally a musical genre of its own: Latin Rock.
Saturday, an all-star cast of artists who participated in the birth of the movement take the stage at Lincoln Theater Napa Valley for a one-night, special performance of “Voices of Latin Rock.”
The show was inspired by Jim McCarthy’s book of the same title, which traces the people and events that created the sound. According to producer Jeff Trager, “The book is the story of the birth of Latin Rock music as it became known in the 1960s and 1970s with groups like Santana, Malo, Azteca and Sapo.”
In the foreword, Carlos Santana writes, “I’m grateful this book was written, because it’s a chance to take us back and bring us forward. If our history can challenge the next wave of musicians to keep moving and changing, to keep spiritually hungry and horny, that’s what it’s all about.”
The artists performing Saturday have been part of Latin Rock groups such as Santana, Malo, Azteca, War, Tower of Power and Sly & The Family Stone.
“Basically, Latin Rock was born in the Bay Area out of the Mission District in San Francisco,” Trager said. “There was Richie Valens before that but the Latin Rock sound exploded out in the late ’60s with Santana and their performance at Woodstock. They went there as the only unsigned band onstage, and when they finished playing they were world famous.”
Santana’s success was followed by Malo — whose founding members included Jorge Santana, Arcelio Garcia and Richard Bean who will all perform in Yountville — and their 1972 Top Ten Hit “Suavecito” which became a Latin Rock anthem.
At least 20 artists will play on Saturday night including Jorge Santana, brother of Carlos Santana; Arcelio Garcia and Richard Bean, who wrote “Suavecito;” Tony Lindsay from Santana; Greg Errico, who performed with Sly & The Family Stone, Santana and the Grateful Dead; and Abel Sanchez from Abel and the Prophets.
Carlos Reyes will be the opening act. A harpist and violinist who plays in Latin and jazz styles, he currently plays with Steve Miller and had performed for four U.S. presidents and a pope.
Trager, who grew up in San Francisco with many of the artists in the show, produces the “Voices of Latin Rock” to benefit autism at Bimbo’s in San Francisco each January. The popularity of that event, which has raised thousands of dollars for autism awareness, was the catalyst for taking the show on the road.

Tags: Abel Sanchez, Benefit for Autism Awareness, Jeff Trager, Jim McCarthy, Jorge Santana, Richie Valens, Ronnie Sansoe