Jingo by Santana - Songfacts

Album: Santana (1969)

Charted: 56

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This is a variation of the 1960 song "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" by the Nigerian drummer Babatunde Olatunji, who is credited as the writer on Santana's track. "Jin-Go-Lo-Ba" is part of an album called Drums Of Passion, which is likely the first-ever African drums record released in America. Santana, with two percussionists and a drummer in the group, built their sound around African rhythms, which they melded with Latin flavors and Carlos Santana's guitar work. On "Jingo," Santana drummer Mike Shrieve tried to keep the drum patterns as similar as possible as the original.
An edited version cut down to 2:40 (it runs 4:23 on the album) was released as Santana's first single. The adventurous track made a surprisingly strong showing, climbing to #56 in the US; their next single, the more traditional "Evil Ways," went to #9.
This was one of the songs Santana played at the Woodstock festival, just two weeks before their first album was released. Their Woodstock performance exhilarated the crowd and built anticipation for the album, which went on to sell over 2 million copies.
The DJ/producer Jellybean Benitez released a techno version of "Jingo" in 1987 that got some club play.

Comments: 11

Tony from Cta work of art-it reminds me of my ancestry dna -congo,cameroon,bantu peoples
David Rakes Jingo!The best rhythm, and just now found out it is pure African, the other Drummers held back, because they want pure African rhythm! Well this is it!
Jeff from AtlantaOf course, the lyrics as listed here are incorrect. The song is a cover of Jin-go-lo-ba by the Nigerian percussionist, Babatunde Olatunji. So, instead of:
Jingo
Jingo Ba
Lo
Ba, Ba, Lo
it is
Jingo
Lo Ba
Lo, Ba, Ba
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 26th 1969, Santana performed "Jingo" on the CBS-TV program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
One week earlier on October 19th it entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #96; it would peak at #56 {for 1 week} and spent 8 weeks on the Top 100...
On the same 'Sullivan' show the group also performed "Persuasion"; both songs were tracks on their debut album, "Santana", and the album would peak at #4 on Billboard's Top 100 Albums chart...
Leader Carlos Santana will celebrate his 68th birthday come next July 20th {2015}.
Jorge from Bronx, NyEvery band will have 'fillers' in their albums,But even Santana doing a cover,makes it sound,like he was the original,near perfection!
Larry from Los Angeles, CaAmazing that Santana can make Jingo, a ONE-chord song, really work! A testament to the band as well.
Ken from San Mateo, Caone of the best guitarists, without a doubt!! And still going strong. Man can the guy jam!!!
Robert from San Francisco, CaThis song is featured in Bruce Brown's first "Endless Summer" movie from 1966. There is a segment in the film when the two surfers are surfing near an African fishing village. The villager's are in their boats fishing and pulling in nets to the beach. The background soundtrack music is an African chorus singing "Jingo".
Dave from Cardiff, WalesRick - I don't think under-rated is the right word to describe Carlos Santana. Underachiever is probably more accurate. But then, his canon of work is very patchy anyway, and his records were always either very good or very poor. It's hard to believe that his band, who did all those great songs and instumentals like the excellent "Samba Pa Ti", "Oye Como Va", "Mother's Daughter" and "Everything Is Coming Our Way" could also have churned out such rubbish tracks as the awful "Luz Amor Y Vida", "Fried Neckbones & Homefries", "Let The Children Play" and "Vera Cruz"
Dave from Cardiff, WalesIn 1988 an Acid-House version of Jingo made the UK Top 20 for acclaimed producer John "Jellybean" Benitez (who prodyuced numerous early Madonna records), part of a string of UK hits in 1987/1988 in which he set a record by becoming the first artist to amass five UK Top 20 hits in just six months
Rick from Clare, MiThis one gets in your blood and will not let go. You can say that about that entire album. Carlos Santana is a fantastic composer/performer, but even after all his albums and success, I still get the feeling that he's underrated. He should have received Grammies long before he did.

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