Santana percussionist Raul Rekow dead at 61

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Musician played in guitarist’s band for 34 years and appeared on 16 studio albums

Carlos Santana’s longtime percussionist Raul Rekow has died, it’s been announced.

He made his debut on Santana’s 1977 album Festival and went on to play on 15 other studio recordings, including Marathon, Beyond Appearances, Supernatural and last year’s Corazon.

Santana said in a statement: “We mourn the loss of my brother Raul Rekow. He was an integral member of Santana for 34 years and the heartbeat of the band.

“His presence on the stage was one of power, grace, collaboration and joy. He redefined what it means to be a conga player. My heart goes out to his family.

“Raul, may you soar in heaven in the company of your mom and dad.”

No cause of death has been given.

Scott Munro
Scott Munro
Louder e-commerce editor

Scott has spent 35 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in the summer of 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott keeps Louder’s buyer’s guides up to date, writes about the best deals for music fans, keeps on top of the latest tech releases and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more for Louder. Over the last 10 years, Scott has written more than 11,000 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from daily news and weekly features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, The Tragically Hip, Marillion and Rush.