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Born in the Netherlands, and raised in Hawaii, Benny Rietveld has recorded and toured with Carlos Santana for around 25 years. A pivotal contributor to Santana’s albums, he most recently played on “Santana IV.”
“It was completely magical and inspiring,” he says. “It was like being transported into another universe.”
While he’s officially known as the Santana band’s musical director, he says, “Carlos is the real music director, I just help things along.”
The two musicians first met in a recording studio in 1990.
“I was just at the end of my stay with Miles Davis and he said, ‘I’m looking for a bass player, would you be interested?’ ” Rietveld recalls. “Luckily, I passed the audition. I had listened to the music so much growing up, it was like a piece of cake.”
It was kind of mind-boggling, he remembers, transitioning from one legend to another.
“The time with Miles was like being in a dojo or school,” he says. “I was being prepared for life in the Santana band. Even though the music is somewhat different, they think the same and their approach is the same. They want it fresh every night, and are always tinkering and changing little things. They’re both all about what’s happening now in the moment.”
Reflecting on his Hawaii roots, when Rietveld tours the islands with Santana, he likes to include Liko Martin’s classic “Waimanalo Blues” during his bass solo.
“That song is part of my childhood,” he says. “It’s pretty meaningful to me.”