(Galo Rivera/guitar, Joe Callado/percussion, Ruben Canales/percussion, Noel Torres/keys & vocals, Bill Rabon/bass & vocals, Jose Martinez-Junito/drums)

Wanda: I"ll start with, out of all the bands out there, why Santana?

Galo: Actually, most of us right here, we've been kinda of doing Santana stylish music all our lives. We kinda got together so ... actually ... we could do an album ... but not for Santana album. What we are doing is just prepping the band for a new album and we decided to use Santana as - since we do it so well - we decided might as well start out with Santana and that way get our chops really tight. And then just finish the album and we'll be all prepped for that.. That's one of the reasons why Santana. We start the album by the way this month.

Wanda: Did you learn all the Santana tunes?

Galo: Wow! That's a big job. laughs Know all the Santana tunes. laughs We kinda chose certain tunes for different purposes. This is South Florida actually ... I mean we'll go anywhere we have to but we're kinda concentrating in South Florida. We are trying to get as much Latin influence as we can ... as you'll see tonight on the show. We go a little deeper than Santana with the Latin music. Right in between the songs you'll really feel a lot of Latin ... more than Santana ...

Wanda: So what are you going to add the criollo flavor, the rumba sound, the salsa, samba?

Galo: Salsa ... stuff like that. Ruben: Almost all of it.

Galo: Much more dance-able. Santana is really known for concert work. And we do get hired for clubs and stuff like that ... and a lot of clubs is not really a concert situation so we got to modify it a little bit ... so people could feel more comfortable.

Wanda: So you speed it up a little.

Galo: We put a little bit more salsa here and there ... a little Latin jazz in between it ...

Wanda: The Braziliani, sambazi jazz ...

Galo: Exactly. So we got all these rhythms happening ... from rock n' roll ... salsa ...

Wanda: OK so ... how about the image, the Santana image. Did you watch a whole bunch of footage to capture that image and the style?

Galo: Tons, tons.

Wanda: Did you go to tons of his concerts as well?

Galo: Yeah. Santana has got to be the hardest job I have ever done in my life... as a musician ... trying to emulate that guy ... because you know you create your own sound even though your sound is a little familiar ... but the man plays in a certain way and it's really really difficult to be a Santana. I don't compare myself to Santana whatsoever ... but it's like one of the hardest jobs I have done in my life ... musically. Even though it feels comfortable because its my kinda of music more or less ... you know what I'm saying ... like the Latin rock and jazz and stuff like that ... but trying to emulate Santana is not an easy task.

Wanda: So for his image, the way he dresses ...

Galo: You'll see the black hat, you'll see the glasses ... you know ... the moves and all that stuff.

Wanda: Did you spend hours in front of the mirror doing this?

Galo: laughs Not really. I spent hours playing it.

Wanda: So you didn't spend hours seeing if you had the moves down?

Galo: No actually it's just playing for so many years and listening to his music ... it catches .... Santana's playing is really not a lot of technique. It's really the heart pumping right out ... so if you catch that spirit ... it'll go right through you ... you can feel it. Around the world there's like four bands that do Santana very well ... about four bands ...

Wanda: And you're one of them ... Mike: You're the top rated one from what I heard on the radio.

Galo: Yeah. Nobody touches us ... I mean ... you know ... it's really difficult. One of the reasons is ... that we live in the Latin area here ... the Miami area ... and we just get to choose from really good players ... you know ...

Wanda: Right. You have a large pool of musicians here.

Galo: It's like Noel Torres, man. There's just very few Noel Torres around. And you take for example Ruben here ... most percussion players they kinda imitate some other people ... these guys got their own style but they could mold themselves into different things ... you know ... You take a drummer like Junito, the guy that's playing tonight ... this guy has played with the best too ... with Tito Puente, Santamaria, Giovanni ... Noel too ... they come from really strong Latin sides too but at the same time they love all kinds of music ... they could blend into the rock n' roll, the R&B and all that stuff ... there are very few musicians that can do all the styles together ... either they get good on R&B or jazz only ... you know what I'm saying ... but I could say the word blessed ... I've been blessed by just having such great musicians by me ...

Wanda: So how did you all meet?

Galo: I know Noel since ... Noel: Diapers laughs

Galo: You could go ... probably four foot off the floor ... and that's how high he was when we met. We've just been together for years and years ... you know. I do a little pushing. He does a little pushing. We go this way, we go that way but we always end up together for some kind of reason.

Wanda: pointing at Joe and Ruben And these two guys ... where did you pick them up? Joe: He found me on I-95. Ruben: laughs He was homeless.

Galo: laughs This guy was homeless laughs Ruben: He had a sign ... I'll play for food ... laughs

Galo: ... I did an album in New Jersey ... it was called "A Touch of God" ... I had what they call a religious experience so I decided to make a spiritual album so I did an album ... I moved here to Florida about eleven years ago ... and I started searching for key people .... key percussion players and it's not that I want to knock people down but a lot of people like the drinking stuff and all that stuff ... I'm not that kind of a person .... you know what I'm saying ... I try not to ... so I started kinda of pinpointing who was what ... so I found you meaning Joe first from Kendall. I drove from West Palm Beach to Kendall to meet this guy and I went and knocked on his door ... that's how I operate kind of ... then we started doing some concerts and I met you meaning Ruben ... how did I meet you?

Wanda: That was the turnpike right? Ruben: laughs You met me through Carlos.

Galo: Carlos ... yeah I did a lot of work with Carlos Jorge ... Carlos Jorge worked with Willy Chirino ... and all these guys ... the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine ... very good friend of mine ... I used to fly Carlos up North to my concerts up there so through him I kinda started meeting people ... so I met him through Carlos and we've been together what .... eight years? Ruben: Closer to ten.

Galo: We're working in and out. I'll bring him to my studio. We'll do some jamming ... that's how I met these guys.

Wanda: Now there is something I'm dying to ask you. Obviously you guys are musicians but when people are tribute bands ... when you go on stage and you're emulating Santana do you feel that not only do you have to be musicians but that you have to be actors as well?

Galo: It's somewhat ... But actually, to me, I feel an honor to do that kinda music because there is only one Santana in the world. There's only one guy like that and for me to put those shoes on it's just very difficult but it's an honor that I can emulate the guy pretty well. I'm not saying that I'm Santana. And you can quote me on that ... you know what I'm saying because there's only one of those but it's an honor for me.

Wanda: To be able to act and play his part?

Galo: Exactly. To do his part and it's not like we want to be Santana it's like that sound, that sound, especially down here in South Florida is so needed. Not too many people can do it well and when you get a whole bunch of guys that can do it well ... again it's an honor ... Ruben: You see one thing is to play Santana's music another thing is to capture his whole experience

Wanda: His essence?

Galo: That's what we are all about. We try to do everything as close as we can. One of the hardest\t things also is that tribute bands also get knocked down a lot.

Wanda: That's why I asked the question. Personally I feel it is very difficult to emulate another band. I feel it requires a lot of study. You are playing a part. Ruben: Like I said some people can play the music but to get the feel of it, is a different story.

Galo: I always call it like this ... Santana is an "in" time experience. When you go see him in concert that's a time experience. And, we try and capture that. We try and replicate that piece of time and it's not easy.

Wanda: Tell me about your own style, your own group. What's it called?

Galo: Right now we are calling it Galo. We still haven't figured out a name for it.

Wanda: What kind of style?

Galo: Our kinda of style is going to be very mixed. It's going to be Santanaish but it's going to go more into Latin jazz too and it's going to have probably a little of the urban feel on the background too. I call it a hardcore mix. It's going to be deeper than Santana. Santana is more Latin rock kinda of a thing. We are going to try and explore more of ...

Wanda: A harder edge.

Galo: Exactly.

Wanda: The album you are working on now do you have a release date for it?

Galo: We figure it'll probably be done from four to six months from now.

Wanda: Do you already have label interest?

Galo: We have a couple of people but I think we are going to go independent at the beginning. I want to feel the market.

Wanda: What kind of songs can we expect? Are they going to be in English, Spanish, both?

Galo: A lot of instrumentals. Background vocals like choruses and stuff like that.

Wanda: Where do you guys see yourself in five years from now? Ruben: Bahamas on a boat.

Galo: We don't know. Time changes so ... I know where I'll be but I can't quote for them.

Wanda: Where are you going to be?

Galo: Achieving what I'm always trying to achieve. Just bring out the best music that I can.

Wanda: That's always been your dream?

Galo: My dreams is not really about money, it's just expressing myself as a musician. No big goals of making it as a Santana. I just want to achieve and do great music. You see, I'm a firm believer that talent sells itself. If you have great talent, doors get opened for you.

Wanda: But people need to see you ...

Galo: Exactly. But if you've got the talent and they go to the places they'll see you. That'll tell the whole story right there. It'll build up from that. You see what I'm saying. People will talk about you. People will do the pushing for you. That's my firm belief.

Wanda: Now if a record executive came up to you and said, what's your dream record deal? What would you ask for?