North Bay Woman

F A L L 2 0 1 6 | NORTH BAY WOMAN 33 was so joyous, I feel like I'm walking on air." She uses words to describe playing music in a way that most of us would describe a great meal: Luscious. Delicious. Beautiful. Tasty. It's understandable. As a drummer, Blackman Santana's entire body is attuned to her instrument. Nourished by it. Watch her play on stage or on a YouTube cut and you see an organic vigor that crackles from her dusky dandelion-in-full-bloom hair through her toned arms down to her feet (frequently shod in colorful stiletto heels or gold sneakers) to the drums themselves. Her rhythms are so precise, so intense, it seems miraculous that she can get the sticks to move so quickly and hold the rhythms so steady at the same time. "I grew up with music. It's in my DNA," Blackman Santana says. That's an understatement. Both her mother and maternal grandmother were professional musicians; one uncle played vibes. Her father's mother was a church pianist who could read, sight-sing and interpret pop songs from her day. It's not surprising that with all the music performed in the house, Blackman Santana fell in love with the drums when she was still a baby. "My mom and older sister tell me that from birth I was always trying to find rhythms and tap out rhythms," she recollects. "When I started hearing music and was able to separate the sounds in my head as a child — around 3, 4 years old — drums stood out to me. When I figured out what they were, I begged to play them." Though her mother thought Blackman would "eventually grow out of it" she only grew more deeply involved in formally learning drumming skills. Her training began at age 7. An interest in jazz kicked in at age 13; her greatest influence and mentor was the legendary jazz drummer, Tony Williams. Years of performing both jazz and rock 'n' roll, especially many years as the drummer for the Lenny Kravitz band, took Blackman Santana around the globe. She cut dozens of records, both as drummer for other bands and with the jazz and rock bands she formed — more than 11 of those. She became a composer. And she became an athlete. The Nevada resident, who has a second home in Tiburon, is devoted to yoga, working out in a gym, martial arts, staying hydrated, a vegan diet, holistic cruelty- free beauty products and an overall healthy lifestyle. You can see her self-care in the sinewy, sharply defined muscles that help her ace the physical demands of being a world-traveling drummer at the top of her game. "Drums are very physical," she says. "To get to the level of control and precision at the peak of energy and physicality, you have to be healthy." Taking care of herself and encouraging her husband to do the same for himself, she continues, is just part of the richly varied lifestyle the two Santanas enjoy. They love relaxing and hiking in Marin, in particular enjoying the water, the woods and nature. In addition to their bay view home in Marin, they also have a home in Las Vegas, where Santana has a standing gig at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. "We are soul mates, absolutely," Blackman Santana says of her legendary partner. "On a musical level it is incredible. He's always listening, searching, hearing something, trying new musical ideas. He's a great ideas person. "I'm the same way," she reflects. "On that level, it's perfect. Our marriage works so well because we both do that." When the two talents met in 2010, Blackman Santana had been single her whole life, with deep loves behind her though no marriages. Santana, father of three grown children, had recently ended a 30-year marriage. He heard Blackman play live in 2002. They didn't formally meet until Santana booked soul mates, absolutely We are " " – Cindy Blackman Santana Above: Cindy Blackman Santana and Carlos Santana during the photo shoot for North Bay Woman magazine in Marin, August 2016.– Photos by Stuart Lirette

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