Carlos Santana’s 3 Children: All About Salvador, Stella and Angelica

Mar. 15, 2025

Carlos Santana and son Salvador Santana attend the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on January 31, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.Photo:Lester Cohen/WireImage

Lester Cohen/WireImage

Carlos Santanapassed his musical talent on to his three children: Salvador, Stella and Angelica.

The rock legend is known for his skills on the guitar and as the founding member of Santana, but his kids have become musicians and artists in their own right.

Santana met his first wife, Deborah King, in 1972, and they married the next year, perSantana’s website. After nearly a decade of marriage, the couple welcomed their son Salvador and daughters Stella and Angelica within the span of seven years.

In 2007, Santana told PEOPLE that because he was raised learning how to play music from his father, he wanted to keep that tradition alive in his own family. “They’re all musical. In our house, learning to play the piano is required,” he said.

In addition to practicing music as children, the three siblings went on tour with their father, Stella toldVIBEin 2015.

While Santana encouraged them to pursue music, he says he was not overly heavy-handed in his desire to have them develop their talents.

“I told them it was in them and to stop fighting it. But it took them a while to accept that,” he toldThe Guardianin 2014. “I said, ‘I’m not going to push you like my father pushed me but the sooner you get to it, the faster you will create diamonds.’ ”

Because of their father’s encouragement, all three children inherited their father’s creativity. Salvador and Stella directly emulated their father, becoming career singers and musicians, while Angelica is an artist and poet — though she does sing and play piano as well.

Here’s everything to know about Carlos Santana’s children: Salvador, Stella and Angelica.

Salvador and Stella followed in his career footsteps

Carlos Santana and son Salvador Santana perform the national anthem before Game Four of the 2014 World Series at AT&T Park on October 25, 2014 in San Francisco, California.Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Both Salvador and Stella are successful musicians in their own right, following in their father’s musical footsteps.

While working on his solo career, he told theMarin Independent Journalin 2011 that he wanted to separate himself from his famous father.

“I’m trying to show that I went to school, studied, and I’m an established musician with the technique to back up the talent I have to offer,” he told the outlet. “I’m trying to show people that I know what I’m doing, that I’m not just a karaoke, generic artist with a special last name.”

Santana’s oldest daughter, Stella, also followed him into the music industry — though she started on a different path at first. Like her siblings, she was around music as a child, but she set herself on an academic path first, graduating from Pepperdine University with a degree in international and intercultural communication in 2007, according to herLinkedInandVIBE.

Stella toldThe Knockturnalin 2023 that her dad and mom gave her a few pieces of advice about the music industry. “My parents have always instilled into me my intuition. Pay attention who you align yourself with and who is speaking on your behalf,” she told the outlet.

Angelica is a poet and artist

Carlos Santana and daughter Angelica Santana at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on October 6, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada.Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Distinctive Assets

Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Distinctive Assets

Angelica is a poet, archivist and film producer, according to her momDeborah’s website.

Though she has not pursued music as her career, she did inherit Santana’s musical talents.

In July 2024, she published her poetry in a limited release collection calledGive Them Teeth. In June, Deborah shared a photo of Angelica’s poem “Stone Fruit” onInstagram.

“My youngest, Angelica, wrote this poem. She is a remarkable poet, novelist and creative,” the proud mom wrote in the caption. “She is a healer who is fiercely working on healing herself (and she wants that comfort for everyone). This poem reminds me of warm summer afternoons and tight hugs.”

In 2008, Angelica appeared alongside her father in the documentaryRoad to Ingwavuma. In it, Carlos, Salvador and Angelica — alongside other celebrities — visit post-apartheid South Africa to help end poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Known for his philanthropy and activism — which Angelica has inherited, per herInstagram— Santana was honored at the 2015BillboardLatin Music Awards and given the Spirit of Hope Award for his charitable Milagro Foundation.

Santana dedicated the award to Angelica and civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, according toCNN.

They’ve all collaborated on music together

Carlos Santana with his kids.Salvador Santana/Instagram

Salvador Santana/Instagram

All of Santana’s children have collaborated with him — and one another — on music.

Salvador started his career before he even graduated high school, collaborating with Santana on a song for his 1999 albumSupernatural,according to theMarin Independent Journal. Together, they wrote “El Farol” (or “The Light”), dedicated to Santana’s father, a mariachi violinist.

The album swept the Grammy Awards in 2000, with Santana winning eight trophies, including best pop instrumental for “El Faro.”

In 2021, Salvador helped his father with another album, this time alongside his sister, Stella. The LP,Blessings and Miracles, features a track from each of the two siblings.

Stella worked alongside DJ Avi Snow and the group MVCA on the song “Breathing Underwater” with her father, and Salvador created the song “Rumbalero” with Asdru Sierra from the band Ozomatli and his father.

Salvador posted a throwback photo of himself, his dad and Stella, as well as a present-day snap of the three, onInstagramto promote the album.

“Wow! I can’t even begin to describe how honored and grateful I am to be featured on an album with not just my dad, but also my sister! And to finally share some new music with the world!” he captioned the 2021 post. “I can’t wait for everyone to hear the joy and love that went into crafting this record.”

Salvador worked with his father again in July 2023 with the single “Energía.” They collaborated with Salvador’s cousin Jose Santana on the track, with Santana on the guitar, Salvador working on writing the lyrics and production and Jose contributing lyrics and a hip-hop sound, according toSantana’s website.

Though the siblings’ collaborations with their father have had commercial success, they’ve created music just for fun too.

In 2017, Angelica posted a video onInstagramof her singing alongside the piano while Salvador played. “This past weekend I got help making this song from @salvadorsantanamusic and also got to help @stellibelli write some lyrics and it was really nice to get to share those moments of creativity with family,” she wrote in the caption.

Stella and Salvador made him a grandfather

Carlos Santana with his son Salvador Santana and grandchild.Salvador Santana/Instagram

Stella and Salvador are both married and have made Santana a two-time grandfather with each of their children.

The couple welcomed their son, Steven River Santana, in 2018, perSalvador’s Instagram. In honor of National Son’s Day in 2021, Salvador shared a heartfelt message to his son onInstagram.

“You are my ‘why’. Why I get up early everyday, why I stay up late in the studio, why I go on the road to share my music and art with the world, why I go out and help people in need and speak out for those who don’t have a voice or a platform, why I do what I do because everything I do is for you,” Salvador wrote in the caption.

Almost every year since his son’s birth, Salvador posts a photo of himself with Steven and his father on Father’s Day. In June 2019, he shared a series of photos with his son and Santana onInstagramwith the caption, “Happy Father’s Day! I feel supremely grateful and blessed each and every day.”

Stella also made Santana a grandfather in 2021, when she and her husband welcomed their first child together — son,Koa.

While promoting the release of a new single in May 2023, she posted a slideshow of photos on her Instagram, starting with a selfie of her and son. “I made a lot of things in 2020. One of them was an entire human child,” Stella captioned the post.

He gave his children advice about life and music

Carlos Santana and daughter Stella Santana attend the Casa Noble Tequila Tasting at The Core Club on October 9, 2012 in New York City.John Lamparski/Getty Images

John Lamparski/Getty Images

Over the years, Santana has given his children advice and life lessons — about both the music industry and life.

Salvador spoke toThe Daily Sundialin 2013 about one piece of advice from his father and mother that has stuck with him.

“No matter what you do in life, give your 100 percent, give it everything you got, do it with love, do it with positivity, and do it with passion,” he told the outlet. “Whatever you choose to do, add those ingredients and that will resonate with people.”

In a 2023 interview withBET, Stella told the outlet that her parents taught her and her siblings to “do things from the heart” from a young age.

“As you get older, you realize what it means. When you start from that space, it affects who you work with and how you show up with that person. It really sets the tone for the journey that you’re going on – in any collaboration or in any sort of creation,” she shared. “So I feel like that is the core of everything and that’s always where it’s coming from.”

Stella also toldVIBEin 2015 that her parents made her and her siblings who they are. “We’re very grounded, not too crazy or reckless. We’re very respectful of other people and we love to give back,” she said.

source: people.com