In conversation: Chad Smith with Carlos Santana - video edition (part two)

He's one of the most celebrated and influential guitarists of the last 40 years, but in his next life, Carlos Santana might be hoping to come back as a drummer. When he sat down with Chad Smith last month in San Jose, California, for a special video edition of Chad's MusicRadar interview series, In Conversation, Santana kept the focus on the musician who sits behind the band but who, in his view, sets the tone.

"A drummer can lift you out of your existence," Santana said, noting that, even as a teenager, when his teeth playing strip clubs in Tijuana, he realized that "the drummer's role was very important." And in words that will warm the hearts of sticksmen and women everywhere, Santana proclaimed that "the language of the drum is grace."

In the conclusion of In Conversation: Chad Smith and Carlos Santana, the two musicians get into the sometimes metaphysical nature of live performances. "People need transcen-dance with the dance," Santana explains in a way that only he can, stressing that musicians have to get beyond mechanics to reach a true connection with the audience. "Genuine, honest, sincere, truthful, real and authentic - anything else that you do will be natural and normal."

The interview took place on August 9th during rehearsals for DRUM! Night at the San Jose Repertory Theater in San Jose, California. MusicRadar is proud to present this video in association with Drum Channel, who graciously filmed and edited the clip.

MusicRadar would like to offer our sincere thanks to Don Lombardi, Andy Doershuck, Laura Glass, Adam Fells and, of course, Chad Smith and Carlos Santana.