Inside Carlos Santana's Tragic Relationship With His Mother

In a 2014 interview with The Guardian, Carlos Santana opened up about his tense relationship with his late mother, Josefina. As his father was absent for much of his early life, Santana's mother ran a tight ship to compensate. Santana told the outlet, "She would come into a room, clear her throat and everybody would pay attention. We were very scared of her."

Once Santana was older, they became estranged. "There were six or seven things that I fell out with my mom about. That separation lasted from 1962 to 1981," he recalled. "She didn't have the skills and tools to communicate. She was either angry or more angry. For a while, I was like her, which didn't go well in the same house. I felt like I was being bullied."

While Santana credited their falling-out to a multitude of reasons, there's one above the rest. After he was molested by a family friend, his mother told his siblings and made him feel like it was his fault. When he eventually tried to forgive her, it didn't go over so well. "Her face immediately went like a lioness ready to attack, like, 'What do you have to forgive me about?,'" the musician said.

Thankfully, Santana and his mother were able to make amends. He dedicated his memoir "The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story To Light" to her, saying, "I think she probably prayed for me more than anyone to keep me from getting lost," (via NPR).

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).

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