Borboletta is the sixth studio album by Santana. It is one of their jazz-funk-fusion oriented albums, along with Caravanserai (1972), and Welcome (1973). Non-band albums by Carlos Santana in this style also include Love Devotion Surrender (1973) with John McLaughlin and Illuminations (1974) with Alice Coltrane, Jack DeJohnette and Jules Broussard. The guitarist leaves a lot of room to percussion, saxophone and keyboards to set moods (“Spring Manifestations”), as well as lengthy solos by himself (“Promise of a Fisherman”) and vocals (“Give and Take”, a funky guitar-led song). The record was released in a metallic blue sleeve displaying a butterfly, an allusion to the album Butterfly Dreams (1973) by Brazilian musician Flora Purim and her husband Airto Moreira, whose contributions deeply influenced the sound of Borboletta. In Portuguese, borboleta means “butterfly”.
Original bassist David Brown returned to replace Doug Rauch and vocalist/keyboardist Leon Patillo joined. After the album’s completion, drummer Michael Shrieve left, to be replaced by Leon “Ndugu” Chancler, who had guested on parts of the album.
Tracks
1 Spring Manifestations (Sound Effects) (Airto Moreira, Flora Purim) 1:04
2 Canto De Los Flores (Tom Coster, Santana) 3:46
3 Life Is Anew (Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve) 4:15
4 Give And Take (Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve, Tom Coster) 5:45
5 One With The Sun (Jerry Martini, Earlyrin Martini) 4:24
6 Aspirations (Tom Coster, Carlos Santana) 5:10
7 Practice What You Preach (Carlos Santana) 4:32
8 Mirage (Leon Patillo) 4:44
9 Here And Now (Armando Peraza, Carlos Santana) 3:02
10 Flor De Canela (Carlos Santana, Doug Rauch) 2:19
11 Promise Of A Fisherman (Dori Caymmi) 8:04
12 Borboletta (Airto Moreira) 2:51
Musicians
1 Spring Manifestations (Sound Effects)
Percussion / Effects | Airto Moreira |
Percussion / Effects | Flora Purim |
2 Canto De Los Flores
Bass | David Brown (2) |
Drums | Michael Shrieve |
Piano | Tom Coster |
Congas | Armando Peraza |
Congas | Jose Areas |
Percussion | Carlos Santana |
3 Life Is Anew
Drums | Michael Shrieve |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Organ | Tom Coster |
Piano | Leon Patillo |
Congas | Jose Areas |
Percussion | Armando Peraza |
4 Give And Take
Bass | David Brown (2) |
Drums | Michael Shrieve |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Organ | Leon Patillo |
Piano | Tom Coster |
Synthesizer | Tom Coster |
Sax | Jules Broussard |
Congas | Armando Peraza |
Percussion | Jose Areas |
Vocals | Leon Patillo |
5 One With The Sun
Bass | David Brown (2) |
Drums | Michael Shrieve |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Organ | Tom Coster |
Piano | Leon Patillo |
Congas | Armando Peraza |
Vocals | Leon Patillo |
6 Aspirations
Bass | Stanley Clarke |
Drums | Leon Chancler |
Organ | Tom Coster |
Sax | Jules Broussard |
7 Practice What You Preach
Bass | David Brown (2) |
Drums | Michael Shrieve |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Organ | Tom Coster |
Vocals | Leon Patillo |
8 Mirage
Bass | David Brown (2) |
Drums | Michael Shrieve |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Organ | Tom Coster |
Synthesizer | Tom Coster |
Piano | Leon Patillo |
Congas | Armando Peraza |
Vocals | Leon Patillo |
9 Here And Now
Bass | Stanley Clarke |
Drums | Leon Chancler |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Piano | Tom Coster |
Sax | Jules Broussard |
Congas | Armando Peraza |
Percussion | Carlos Santana |
10 Flor De Canela
Bass | Stanley Clarke |
Drums | Airto Moreira |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Organ | Tom Coster |
Piano | Tom Coster |
Sax | Armando Peraza |
11 Promise Of A Fisherman
Bass | Stanley Clarke |
Drums | Airto Moreira |
Guitar | Carlos Santana |
Organ | Tom Coster |
Piano | Tom Coster |
Sax | Jules Broussard |
Percussion | Armando Peraza |
Vocals | Airto Moreira |
Vocals | Carlos Santana |
Vocals | Flora Purim |
12 Borboletta
Liner Notes
Producer – Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve, Tom Coster
Engineer – Glen Kolotkin
Art Direction – Ed Lee
Design – Barry Imhoff, Carlos Santana
Mastered At Customatrix
Phonographic Copyright CBS Inc
Copyright CBS Inc