Legendary guitarist Carlos Santana has won the 2015 American Book Award for his book ‘The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light’ which he wrote with Ashley Kahn and Hal Miller.
The American Book Awards ‘were created to provide recognition for outstanding literary achievement from the entire spectrum of America’s diverse literary community. The purpose of the awards is to recognize literary excellence without limitations or restrictions. There are no categories, no nominees, and therefore no losers. The award winners range from well-known and established writers to under-recognised authors and first works. There are no quotas for diversity, the winners list simply reflects it as a natural process.’
The 36th annual award has been given to ‘The Universal Tone’ which had previously been recognized as one of NPR’s Best Books of 2014.
Published in November 2014 by Little, Brown and Company, the book ‘traces his journey from his earliest days playing the strip bars in Tijuana while barely in his teens and brings to light the establishment of his signature guitar sound; his roles as husband, father, recording legend, and rock guitar star; his indebtedness to musical and spiritual influences – from John Coltrane and John Lee Hooker to Miles Davis and Harry Belafonte; and his deep, lifelong dedication to a spiritual path that he developed from his Catholic upbringing, Eastern philosophies, and other mystical sources.’
