C I N D Y  B L A C K M A N  S A N T A N A

VIRTUOSO DRUMMER 

WIFE OF LEGENDARY GUITARIST

CARLOS SANTANA

CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA is a virtuoso drummer whose artistry spans the realms of jazz and rock. As a bandleader and as a musician, Cindy is a sound innovator with a passion for pushing creative boundaries and exploring movement and change. She is as known for the nuances and colors she brings to her beats and fills as she is for the sheer power of her soulful playing. 

SANTANA has been creating magnificent musical time and space since the beginning of her career as a busking street performer in New York City in the '80s through the present day, touring the globe and making albums at the top of her game—including the critically acclaimed Another Lifetime (2010). In addition to collaborating onstage and in-studio with her own group—also known asAnother Lifetime—she has toured and recorded with artists including Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson, Bill Laswell, Joss Stone, Joe Henderson, Al B. Sure, Buckethead, Don Pullen, Hugh Masakela, Buster Williams, and Angela Bofill. Cindy was part of the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute Band called Spectrum Road with Jack Bruce, Vernon Reid, and John Medeski. From 1992 to 2007 and again in 2014 & 2015 she was the drummer in Lenny Kravitz's band, performing through multiple world tours and hit albums. In 2010, she was part of the all-star line-up performing “Bitches Brew,” a tribute to Miles Davis' seminal album staged at the San Francisco Jazz Festival and NYC Winter JazzFest. 

More recently, Cindy has become the regular touring drummer for Santana. Having met several years earlier at a festival in Europe while she was touring with Kravitz, Cindy first played with Santana in spring 2010, when drummer Dennis Chambers had a previous commitment. “They have a great band vibe. It's nice to play with people who have grown together, built a sound together, and stayed together,” she says. “When that happens, you can create so many different levels of communication. That's what they've done, and I love reacting with it and being a part of it.”

Electricity onstage generated chemistry offstage— Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana proposed to Cindy during a July 2010 concert, and they married in December. Looking ahead, they will collaborate artistically as well, on projects that will no doubt reflect their shared passion for improvisation, and belief in the transcendent nature of music. Cindy was an integral part of the new Santana/Isley Brothers release Power of Peace, featuring the song “I Remember,” which she wrote and sings. “To me,” she says, “music is completely spiritual, it's the way you connect with your higher self, with the universe. It's also a way to share light with millions of people. They don’t need to speak your language, have your beliefs, or be in the same place you are. The music speaks, it channels good energy, and makes a difference in people's lives. Carlos and I are both conscious of doing that.”

In 2016, Cindy connected with her fellow drummer and world-class producer NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN, and together the two have been working on new material ever since. CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA continues to build a body of work and artistic legacy that make her one of the finest drummers and recording artists of this or any generation.

The past few months have been a blur for CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA, who is currently touring and performing with her husband Carlos Santana, is featured as a vocalist, drummer, and songwriter on “Power of Peace,” the new Santana/Isley Brothers collaboration, and has been busy touring with her own band and recording tracks in the studio with the legendary producer NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN. Together through Walden's Tarpan Records label recently released the new single “FUN, PARTY, SPLASH” featuring Carlos Santana on all digital platforms. 

You can purchase the “FUN, PARTY, SPLASH” single on amazon.com and iTunes

Laura Rubinstein is a Certified Hypnotherapist, Master Leadership Coach, Bestselling Author, and award winning Social Media and Marketing Strategist. She is the creator the Savvy Social Media Success course, and founder of Social Buzz Club. During the past 20+ years, Laura has optimized brand marketing strategies for over 1,000 businesses.

She is the author of the bestselling book Social Media Myths Busted, Transform Your Body in the Mental Gym and the Feminine Power Cards (endorsed by John Gray, PhD of Mars Venus). These wisdom cards offer practical tools that allow people to make profound shifts in their relationships and professional life. Laura’s writings are featured in a variety of publications including the Amazon bestselling books Women Living Consciously and Journey to Joy, as well as on genConnect.com, YourTango.com and her popular https://www.transformtoday.com/ blog.

Greg Lovett is a professional media executive with over 30 years experience in production and management.

He began his career in the U.S. as a Director of the Houston Astros and Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans) live television broadcasts.  After relocating to Holland he set up his own television production company and produced for both Dutch and international broadcasters.

Later, he was a founding member of Europe’s first Pay Per View platform, spearheaded the launch of Holland’s first broadband Internet service, and managed a start-up that specialized in interactive television and personalized programming.

He most recently produced and directed the award-winning documentary “Delay, Deny, Hope You Die” which tells the story of American soldiers poisoned by open-air burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The film is being released in October 2017.

Andrea is the founder and CEO of YourTango, the leading media company dedicated to love and relationships. YourTango’s mission is to help women love better and connect more meaningfully, engendering greater happiness, more confidence, and a deeper sense of belonging within the community we serve. YourTango has built a powerful platform where a community of readers, writers, brands, thought leaders, and the world’s leading relationship and mental health experts connect and engage where it matters most: the heart.

Andrea is making her debut as an author through her first book, Radical Acceptance, The Secret to Happy, Lasting Love, was published in May, 2017 by the Atria Division of Simon & Schuster.

Andrea has been featured frequently in the media, including multiple appearances on The Today Show, The Early Show, Better TV, CNN, E!, Fox News, ABC, and radio stations across the U.S., as well as in national publications such as USA Today, The Huffington Post, The New York Post, The Los Angeles Times, and Business Week. Andrea is a frequent panelist and guest speaker on industry panels including Internet Week and SXSW, as well as for classes and events at Harvard University, Columbia University, Fordham University, The Wharton School and NYU Stern School of Business.

A graduate of Tulane University (B.S. Mechanical Engineering), Andrea earned an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School, where she was the managing editor of The Bottom Line, the school’s student newspaper. Prior to launching YourTango, Andrea achieved a rewarding career in finance and consulting, including positions with Goldman Sachs, ICF Consulting and Enron’s international finance team—which gave her the opportunity to live in Mumbai, India, for three years.

Andrea serves on the Board of Trustees of the New York Theatre Workshop. She has been awarded a black belt in Shotokan karate by the Japan Karate Association (JKA) and is a licensed private pilot. Andrea and her husband live with their two little boys in New York City.

Alexia Mae is a Vegan advocate, nutrition specialist, and animal rights activist.

Barbara Lima is a multi-disciplinary artist from Rio de Janeiro Brazil, who has danced and taught professionally for the past fourteen years. Barbara has studied various movement mediums and uses dance to give form to sound waves and images.   ​

Both Barbara and Jocelyn believe that there are healing messages and potent grids for transformation, which can be activated through the tool of authentic embodiment. Their work with movement seeks to nurture and ground the innate energetic intelligence in every human. 

Jocelyn Edelstein has been studying the Mayan calendar for the past twenty years and gives Mayan readings in Portland. She is a multi-disciplinary artist, whose mediums include dance, writing and filmmaking. She teaches dances classes for adults and children at Polaris Contemporary Dance Center.