Voices of Latin Rock: People and Events That Created This Sound

""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, and at times difficult to follow, 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. McCarthy's focus is purely on Latin Rock in the U.S. Readers looking for a broader view of the scene should check out Rockin' las Americas: the global politics of rock in Latin/o America.