Today, we journey back to the very beginning of the century with a track that is enjoying renewed relevance. Santana’s ‘Maria Maria’ is this week’s From The Vault pick.
The flavoursome track was produced by Wyclef Jean who is also listed as a feature act alongside his protégé duo The Product G&B. It was released in late ’99, but eventually reached the highest spot of the Hot 100 – where it stayed for 10 weeks. Like its parent album ‘Supernatural,’ it was a global hit, charging into the Top 10 in the UK (#6) and #1 in France, Germany, and Canada among other territories.
Its accompanying video saw Carlos, Wyclef and G&B all congregate for a Mexican-themed street party. Echoing the song’s lyrics, the clip borrows elements of the ‘West Side Story’ throughout.
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‘Maria Maria’ premiered 19 years ago, and with DJ Khaled and Rihanna’s ‘Wild Thoughts’ (which samples the song) currently ruling iTunes and VEVO, it looks like a whole new generation will be able to appreciate its greatness. And we’re all for that!