Santana on life, Mexico, memories and music

He's been called one of the greatest guitarists of all time. Multi-Grammy award winning musician Carlos Santana has just released a revealing new memoir, "The Universal Tone: Bringing My Story to Light."

Carlos Santana wrote in his book that the painful memories from his childhood became inextricably linked with the music of home. That led to decades of ambivalence toward classic Mexican tunes.

Now a wiser and more spiritual adult, Santana said he's a proud Mexican man who feels a strong connection to his roots, reports CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller.

When Santana plays, it's his heart you hear. The bluesy Latin rock musician rarely sings, instead he speaks through the notes, the melodies, the riffs.

"I love melting cynical people's hearts," Santana said. "I love where one note just -- especially when people are like cement, you know -- 'I dare you to make me like you,' you know?"

In Tijuana, Mexico, the journey to melting hearts began unexpectedly with a violin.

"I never liked that sound or the smell or the feel of it," he explained.

Carlos' father Jose came from a long line of professional folk musicians, and was determined to pass on the family tradition.

Santana said, as a boy, he was nervous playing alongside his father.

"I always was scared to play with my dad because I would -- I never knew I could be as good as him," he explained.

Life at home for Santana, his six siblings and mother Josephina was hard. The family was poor and Jose spent months away on the road.

There was fighting over money and over other women. Sometimes it got violent and all of it left scars he would have to overcome.

"I found out that I have in me the inner strength to say, 'basta,'" Santana said. "No more."

No more to the trauma of witnessing domestic violence in his family. "Or creating it," he added.

Santana only began creating his singular sound when he put down the violin and his mother introduced him to the electric guitar.

"As soon as I heard that sound, for me it was like a revelation," he said. "I recognized immediately. That's me."

And a love of the American blues was born.

"I can grab any guitar and make it sound like a woman," he said. "Divine, of course."

When he came to America in the early '60s, he put together a band and started living the rock and roll lifestyle -- drugs included. Santana arrived on the national scene with a legendary performance at Woodstock.

Decades of superstardom and musical experimentation eventually led Santana to the eight-time Grammy-winning album, "Supernatural," and over 100 million records sold.

But while he achieved worldwide fame, back in Mexico the press was not so positive.

"'Why don't you play Mexican music?'" people back home wondered. "I says, 'well, why don't you?' On one hand, they adore that I represent them worldwide, but on the other hand, they can't stand that they can't control me."

Forty-five years after his debut record, Santana has fully embraced his heritage with the release of his first Latin album, "Corazon" (heart). He was drawn back to Mexico.

"The real connection to the colors, the food, the textures, the sound -- I needed to connect more and more with those roots," he explained.

With a nod to the Mariachi music he learned at his father's side, he marked the milestone with a concert in Mexico, featuring some of today's biggest Latin stars.

At 67,, he said he's a man at peace -- a husband, a father, a grateful son and now a storyteller.

"This book is dedicated to my dearest mother, Josephina Baragrande Santana, for her power, patience, tenacity, unshakable faith and total conviction," he read. "Your prayers worked."

Santana said he and his siblings got the best of their parents; while he got his charisma from his father, it was his mother who taught him conviction.

He also said he no longer needs people to pray for him because now he can pray for himself. He likes to look in the mirror and remind himself of all he has to be grateful for. And he'll say "Man, I'm delicious, I'm fine."