The true state of San Diego’s music community is possibly best judged by the amount and quality of new young talent emerging. If so, then the kids are all right, with bands like the Bassics and singer-songwriters like Raelee Nikole, emerging into the spotlight recently and with events for under 21s increasing. One such up and coming young group, with some band members still attending Canyon Crest Academy, is the Santana Brothers B.A.N.D., performing at the Ocean Beach Farmers Market at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26.
The group first got together in December 2011, built around the core of brothers Brendan (guitar), Alexander (drums), Nathan (vocals) and Daniel (bass) Santana, with the actual size of the group varying up to eight members, depending on the job and budget of the client. Joining The Santana Brothers are Ryan Faison on rhythm guitar, sax and keys; on vocals, either Stellita or Andrea Blea; keys James Ferguson, and sometimes a percussionist is also added.
Though all loved music since an early age, the actual formation of the band was a way of family bonding. “The band was formed by the brothers to support Nathan, who is autistic and has epilepsy,” explained mother and manager Gabriela Santana. “Nathan always enjoyed singing; he tried bass but found that it was difficult because of some of his fine motor delays. Nathan’s dream was to sing in a band, so from a young age Nathan was always singing. Living with him was like being in a musical,” she said. The family had also been told that music would be good therapy for Nathan. “Incredibly the seizures that so dramatically affect Nathan’s everyday life do not affect the part of the brain where music is stored thus allowing Nathan to memorize lyrics without any difficulty.” The band is a family affair, top to bottom. “Our parents are great; they support us in everything, they are the drivers, the roadies, and our mom books the band as well as manages a lot of the paperwork,” Brendan commented. “The balancing act is very difficult because we have school, work and we are all competitive swimmers. Two of us take it really seriously, and this next year is an Olympic year, so it will be extra challenging.”
So far the band is primarily performing cover tunes, though they have written a pair of original songs. According to Alexander, “If we had to pick (crowd pleasers), it’s probably Stevie Ray Vaughn’s tunes, some of the classic rock like ‘Separate Ways’ and ‘No One Like You.’ Right now ‘Uptown Funk’ is huge.” As might be expected considering their surname, Carlos Santana has been a big influence. “I tried several instruments but immediately gravitated to the guitar,” Brendan said. “I grew up listening to Carlos Santana and he was always a big inspiration. My favorite song in our set is the Santana medley, which includes; ‘Smooth,’ ‘Corazon Espinado,’ ‘Black Magic Woman’ and ‘Oye Como Va,’ because artistically it gives me more freedom to express myself, I can jam more.”
Though they are in the fledgling stage of their musical career, The Santana Brothers are thrilled with things so far. “We would love to get discovered like any other musicians, but realistically we see it as a great way to spend time together,” Brendan said. “We will always have the love of music to share. Our favorite thing about being a musician is bringing the gift of music to people and watching the enjoyment they get,” he continued. “Music changes people’s lives. We see how it helped our brother.”
The Santana Brothers B.A.N.D.: Wednesday, Aug. 26 at Ocean Beach Farmers Market, Newport and Bacon Ave.. 4 p.m. All Ages. www.oceanbeachsandiego.com/events/farmers-market-wednesdays