'We don't do this because it's our job, we do it because it's in our blood': Oye Santana to recreate the passion of a Carlos Santana show at Norden Farm tomorrow

Oye Santana; made up of Milan ‘Carlos’ Webb, Gez Kahan, Hector Gomez, Auriol Kobani and Paul Murphy, have been playing together as a tribute to Santana since early 2012, and they have already made a big impact on audiences around the country.

The group, who all have links to Maidenhead, Marlow and High Wycombe, started out playing pubs but have moved onto bigger venues as their fan base has grown.

Gez Kahan, who sings and plays the piano, organ synthesizers and percussion, said: “We started at the beginning of 2012 with just me, Milan and Paul. We did our first gig in June that year and bit by bit, the band grew with Hector and Auriol joining us. We started off playing in pubs but now we do dedicated music venues. It has moved pretty quickly for us.”

The talented artists play a huge range of instruments including congas, percussion, timbales and piano, to name a few.  

Gez is adamant that fans of Carlos Santana won’t be disappointed by their show.

“It’s a night of great Latin music, all the hits that people love from the Santana repertoire. The main one’s are Maria Maria and Smooth, but we go much further back than that. A lot of the audience will remember that Santana were a real hit at Woodstock originally, they really entertained the crowds there and their career really took off.

“We do their music but this isn’t just a bunch of guys going through the motions, we actually get it right. We really have worked hard on the repertoire so the quality of music is excellent. But it’s more than that, it’s a show. We look so much like the real deal, especially Milan.

“When we put our version of the single Mas Que Nada on iTunes, we got told to take the picture down because they actually thought that it was a picture of Carlos Santana, when it was actually Milan.

As well as a healthy dose of Latin Rock tunes, audiences at Norden Farm can expect a lively visual show as the band dedicate themselves to getting viewers on their feet, dancing.  

“The whole evening is a really good show. And Hector is such a livewire on stage. At the end of each show when we stand together and bow, it’s always a competition to get as far away from him as possible, because he’s usually soaked with sweat because he puts 100 per cent into every performance and the response from the audience has been amazing.”

Gez, who has lived in Marlow since 1983 but grew up in Maidenhead, is looking forward to playing his hometown again and is keen to let the audience know the band haven’t forgotten about their original fans.

“Norden Farm is a really well looked after theatre with brilliant people working there. It’s great to come back and play in Maidenhead. We love playing around here because it’s like a homecoming gig for us. I probably know at least 20 per cent of the audience at a gig around here, which is really lovely.

“We’re always very conscious of the people who have followed and supported us since the very beginning. They’re very special to us so we would really like to thank them for the support they have given us over the years. They’re not just fans; they’re friends, so this is a really special gig for us.”

The group, who are all big fans of Carlos Santana’s music, are so dedicated to giving the audience the best show possible, they made sure the show was perfect before they took it on tour.

Gez said: “We spent six months rehearsing before we even thought about taking the show on the road. We were all really committed to getting it right and we all work so hard and it’s actually paying off because we’re playing less and less in local pubs and more in arts venues and centres across the country.  All we talk about is the band and touring is so much fun.”

Gez has been an avid fan of Carlos Santana since he was a teenager.

“I loved Santana’s music from the first time I ever heard it. I was on a cruise when I was 17 or18 and there was this record club and they played the new Santana album and I couldn’t believe it, it was amazing. The first thing I did when I got back on dry land was go out and buy it and I just loved it.”

All of the band members have a passion for playing music, which makes their presence on stage electrifying.

Gez said: “I took piano lessons from the age of seven and I discovered blues when I was 12 and from that moment I knew I wanted to play music, I'm lucky enough that that’s what I can do. Milan is the same. He started gigging when he was 15 or 16 and we just haven’t been able to stop doing it since we experienced the buzz of playing to a live audience.

“We don’t do this because it’s a job; we do it because it’s in our blood.”

Oye Santana comes to Norden Farm on Saturday, February 21 at 8pm. Tickets are £15, available online at www.norden.farm/events/oye-santana or by calling the box office on on 01628 788997.