 NEW YORK (Arista Records) - "Food For Thought" CD Sells Briskly In Its First Week Of Release Exclusively at Baja Fresh Restaurants Nationwide. A serving of salsa from Carlos Santana on his July 20th birthday might come as no surprise. But chips? For a limited period, the Mexican-born legend will sell his new album exclusively at all 300 Baja Fresh Mexican Grill restaurants nationwide. It's a first for both the artist and the chain. The Santana/Baja Fresh deal is the latest in a trend of music/corporate partnerships that enhance an artist's reach and circumvent conventional record marketing avenues. What makes this partnership unique, however, is the unprecedented access Carlos Santana has allowed its corporate partner. He went into the studio and recorded new material for the project.
The 10-track "Food For Thought" boasts four new songs recorded this year, plus a previously unreleased version of "Oye Como Va." It also includes a tune penned and performed by his son Salvador who is currently touring with Carlos in Europe and selections by some of Carlos' favorite artists who he hand picked to join the project: Etta James, Buddy Guy, Indigenous and Cesaria Evora. Carlos even personalized the cover artwork by providing a unique piece from his own collection that is entitled "Alimento de los Recuerdos ("Food For Thought.") Proceeds from each $8 disc go to Santana's charitable Milagros Foundation. In its first week of sales, it is selling briskly. In Stockton and Modesto, California, fans were waiting two hours before the local Baja Fresh restaurants were scheduled to open on the day of the release. At the rate the CDs are selling, Baja Fresh is not sure they can keep them in stock until the planned end of the promotion on September 13.  Internationally renowned Arista recording artist Carlo Santana will be honored by the 2004 Latin Recording Academy to recognize his professional, cultural and social accomplishments. Santana will receive the 2004 Latin Recording Academy Person Of The Year honor on August 30, 2004, at a star-studded tribute dinner and concert at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the MusiCares Foundation. Carlos and the Santana Band will also perform two smaller-scale Los Angeles, CA dates following their current European tour that are scheduled for September 30 and October 1 at the Greek Theatre.
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