


LEAD GUITARIST & LEAD VOCALIST
MICHAEL
HERNANDEZ
A Bay Area native, but now in El Dorado Hills, Michael has spent his life performing all over the west coast, and formed the Rhythm Vandals in the early 2000s as a classic Rock band. This evolved after partnering with Steve Garland in 2008. Both Bay area musicians had a natural love of Santana, and had been performing his music separately. Together, they formed what has become the VIVA SANTANA SHOW Tribute to Santana! Also a lifelong marketing guy, the band has two marketing pros that help promote all the shows on both radio and social media.


LEAD BASSIST & LEAD VOCALIST
STEVE
GARLAND
After hitchhiking to Bill Graham’s Fillmore West at age 14 to see the original Santana back in 1970, Steve picked up the bass, committed to learning their Latin-rock sound, eventually becoming a lead singer. Steve toured and recorded with bands in the 70s and early 80s with legendary musicians. He also gained notoriety as an bay area Radio and TV personality including the ABC TV series "San Francisco Hot Rock," spending time with music legends including Grace Slick, Van Halen, Eddie Money, Night Ranger
and members of Santana. After decades of performing, broadcasting, and marketing, today Steve runs a Jingle and marketing Agency, hosts the internationally known Hot Rock Podcast and has been Bassist, Lead Singer and a front man for The Viva Santana tribute show since 2008.


KEYBOARDIST & LEAD VOCALIST
GIG
GARCIA
Gig is an accomplished studio musician, songwriter, commercial jingle writer, producer. Respected as a remarkable musician, Gig has also added acting credits to his résumé with his performance in the 1996 Touchstone Pictures release “Phenomenon” which featured John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Robert Duvall and Forest Whitaker. He is also seen in Eric Clapton's "Change the World" video. Co-producer of the PSA "Save Water" for the city of San Jose which was awarded an Emmy.


CONGAS
SELWYN
JONES
Originally from Texarcana, Texas, Selwyn is an amazing percussionist that has been with the band since their very first Santana tribute show. He's been playing congas and percussion for over 30 years, and has performed all over Northern California with several groups such as Sack 'O Soul and East Wind.


DRUMMER
GREG
BURCH
Greg is an original member of the band, and has a deep knowledge of the percussion behind the the music of Santana. Greg directs the percussion section, carefully making sure the band expertly re-creates all the nuances of every song, while finding places to give the congas or timbales the spotlight with some stand out percussion solos!


TIMBALAS
VICTOR
AGUILA
Originally from El Salvador, Victor is a world class percussionist. He started playing drums in El Salvador when he was 16 years old . He played with famous bands like La Banda(the band)Espiritu Libre (free spirit), Hierro (iron) and Via Lactea (milky way) touring all over Central America playing Carnivals, concerts and tv shows, some of those tv shows can be found on YouTube under Via Lactea videos , emigrating to the USA in 1981 Victor has performed with several top touring bands and joined Viva Santana Show several years ago. His standout solos, and rock solid knowledge of Santana's percussion makes for an exciting show!


TROMBONE & HOUSE ARRANGER
RON
DAVIS
Ron is a former music copyist for Tower of Power horns, music copyist and arranger/composer for the Don Ellis Orchestra, as well as having played with Solomon Burke, 4 Tops, Temptations, Bobby Rydell, and Lee Greenwood. He is a former Navy Band unit leader and staff arranger, and is now a local bandleader of his own big band, various jazz and party bands, and The Folsom Branch. Ron manages the horn players that make-up the big 10 piece version of the Viva Santana Show!


KEYBORDIST
DAVE
SCHULER
Born in the frozen tundras of northern Wisconsin, Dave Schuler started playing keyboards at age 9. His stylistic roots span multiple genres, including jazz, rock, pop, country and classical. He’ll even admit to playing a few polkas (Hey, he’s from Wisconsin). He cites Jimmy Smith, Keith Emerson and Chick Corea as early influences. He began playing professionally at age 15, and graduated from the University of Minnesota, majoring in Music and Computer Engineering. His performing career has found him in venues across the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe and China, sharing the stage with artists as diverse as INXS, Randy Brecker, Badfinger, the Replacements, the Guess Who, Billy Preston, The Rembrandts and Wendy O Wilson.


SECOND GUITAR
LARE
GARCIA
Guitarist Lare Frank Garcia has established himself for years as an accomplished concert performer, studio musician, producer and recording engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area. His interpretation of Flamenco master Paco De Lucia’s “Entre Dos Aguas” is filled with passion and as a premier guitarist he brings fire to Spanish classics “Malaguena”, “Historia De Un Amor” and many others. He has shared the stage in concert with Lou Rawls, Sergio Mendes, Pete Escovedo and many national and international artists. He is currently in his first year of performing with Viva Santana.


TRUMPET
TONY
MARVELLI
Tony is a veteran trumpet player in Northern California and the wind band director for American River College in Sacramento. Tony has performed with major touring acts including Engelbert Humperdinck and Paul Anka, along with performing with the three-piece horn section in The Viva Santana Show. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies Performance from the University of North Texas and a Master of Arts in Band Conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston University. Tony has also been a public-school educator since 2007, teaching music programs from 4th grade through college.

A Bay Area native, but now in El Dorado Hills, Michael has spent his life performing all over the west coast, and formed the Rhythm Vandals in the early 2000s as a classic Rock band. This evolved after partnering with Steve Garland in 2008. Both Bay area musicians had a natural love of Santana, and had been performing his music separately. Together, they formed what has become the VIVA SANTANA SHOW Tribute to Santana! Also a lifelong marketing guy, the band has two marketing pros that help promote all the shows on both radio and social media.
Michael Hernandez
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Lead Guitar
After hitchhiking to Bill Graham’s Fillmore West at age 14 to see the original Santana back in 1970, Steve picked up the bass, committed to learning their Latin-rock sound, eventually becoming a lead singer. Steve toured and recorded with bands in the 70s and early 80s with legendary musicians. He also gained notoriety as an bay area Radio and TV personality including the ABC TV series "San Francisco Hot Rock," spending time with music legends including Grace Slick, Van Halen, Eddie Money, Night Ranger
and members of Santana. After decades of performing, broadcasting, and marketing, today Steve runs a Jingle and marketing Agency, hosts the internationally known Hot Rock Podcast and has been Bassist, Lead Singer and a front man for The Viva Santana tribute show since 2008.
Steve Garland
.jpg)
Lead Bassist & Lead Vocalist
Gig is an accomplished studio musician, songwriter, commercial jingle writer, producer. Respected as a remarkable musician, Gig has also added acting credits to his résumé with his performance in the 1996 Touchstone Pictures release “Phenomenon” which featured John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Robert Duvall and Forest Whitaker. He is also seen in Eric Clapton's "Change the World" video. Co-producer of the PSA "Save Water" for the city of San Jose which was awarded an Emmy.
Gig Garcia
.jpg)
Keyboardist & Lead Vocalist
Originally from Texarcana, Texas, Selwyn is an amazing percussionist that has been with the band since their very first Santana tribute show. He's been playing congas and percussion for over 30 years, and has performed all over Northern California with several groups such as Sack 'O Soul and East Wind.
Selwyn Jones
.jpg)
Congas
Guitarist Lare Frank Garcia has established himself for years as an accomplished concert performer, studio musician, producer and recording engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area. His interpretation of Flamenco master Paco De Lucia’s “Entre Dos Aguas” is filled with passion and as a premier guitarist he brings fire to Spanish classics “Malaguena”, “Historia De Un Amor” and many others. He has shared the stage in concert with Lou Rawls, Sergio Mendes, Pete Escovedo and many national and international artists. He is currently in his first year of performing with Viva Santana.
Lare Garcia
.jpg)
Second Guitar
Greg is an original member of the band, and has a deep knowledge of the percussion behind the the music of Santana. Greg directs the percussion section, carefully making sure the band expertly re-creates all the nuances of every song, while finding places to give the congas or timbales the spotlight with some stand out percussion solos!
Greg Burch
.jpg)
Drums
Born in the frozen tundras of northern Wisconsin, Dave Schuler started playing keyboards at age 9. His stylistic roots span multiple genres, including jazz, rock, pop, country and classical. He’ll even admit to playing a few polkas (Hey, he’s from Wisconsin). He cites Jimmy Smith, Keith Emerson and Chick Corea as early influences. He began playing professionally at age 15, and graduated from the University of Minnesota, majoring in Music and Computer Engineering. His performing career has found him in venues across the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe and China, sharing the stage with artists as diverse as INXS, Randy Brecker, Badfinger, the Replacements, the Guess Who, Billy Preston, The Rembrandts and Wendy O Wilson.
Dave Schuler

Keyboards
Originally from El Salvador, Victor is a world class percussionist. He started playing drums in El Salvador when he was 16 years old . He played with famous bands like La Banda(the band)Espiritu Libre (free spirit), Hierro (iron) and Via Lactea (milky way) touring all over Central America playing Carnivals, concerts and tv shows, some of those tv shows can be found on YouTube under Via Lactea videos , emigrating to the USA in 1981 Victor has performed with several top touring bands and joined Viva Santana Show several years ago. His standout solos, and rock solid knowledge of Santana's percussion makes for an exciting show!
Victor Aguila
.jpg)
Timbalero
Tony is a veteran trumpet player in Northern California and the wind band director for American River College in Sacramento. Tony has performed with major touring acts including Engelbert Humperdinck and Paul Anka, along with performing with the three-piece horn section in The Viva Santana Show. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies Performance from the University of North Texas and a Master of Arts in Band Conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston University. Tony has also been a public-school educator since 2007, teaching music programs from 4th grade through college.
Tony Marvelli

Trumpet
Ron is a former music copyist for Tower of Power horns, music copyist and arranger/composer for the Don Ellis Orchestra, as well as having played with Solomon Burke, 4 Tops, Temptations, Bobby Rydell, and Lee Greenwood. He is a former Navy Band unit leader and staff arranger, and is now a local bandleader of his own big band, various jazz and party bands, and The Folsom Branch. Ron manages the horn players that make-up the big 10 piece version of the Viva Santana Show!
Ron Davis

Trombone
Ken has toured, performed on stage and recorded with many legendary Jazz, Motown, and Rock Music
artists and groups including The Four Tops, The Temptations, Mic Gillette(Tower of Power)and many
others. Ken’s most memorable Rock and Roll Sax solo recordings were with Trent & Wayne Gardner’s
progressive rock group “Megallen” the 1995 international hit “Moon Revisited Album, a tribute to Pink Floyd’s “Money”. Ken is a huge advocate for saving and promoting music arts education in public
schools in Solano and Yolo Counties since 1987. Today Ken is band director of the Alive Music Orchestra and is the sax player with The Viva Santana Show’s horn section.
Ken "Saxman" Stout

Trombone


ABOUT THE BAND
The timeless music of Carlos Santana has helped shape the sound or rock and Latin music since the late 60s. The "VIVA SANTANA" show is a fiery tribute to the classic Santana sound, with a set list that plays like a Greatest Hits” CD! From searing guitar solos to smooth vocals and the rhythmic beat of the congas, timbales, and drums, you’ll hear everything from "Black Magic Woman” to “Jingo”, “She’s Not There”, “Smooth” and much more!
Lead guitarist Michael Hernandez and lead vocalist/bass player Steve Garland grew up in the bay area during Santana’s rise to fame, and both became musicians during the late 60s and early 70s, becoming a part of the San Francisco rock music scene. They’ve always been inspired by the music of Carlos Santana, and have worked over the years to recreate the Santana signature sound on guitar, and the vocals that combine to bring the Sound of Santana to life. It's a high energy show that pays tribute to their Latin heritage and Santana.
VIVA SANTANA was born from Steve, Michael and The Rhythm Vandals-a longtime Sacramento favorite band. The VIVA SANTANA SHOW launched in 2008, and since then they've Opened for WAR, Los Lobos, Eddie Money, Malo, and Headlined Concerts, events, festivals, casinos, and clubs. For bookings, see the bookings page.
Nicknamed "Northern California's #1 Santana Tribute band by Thunder Valley Casino, the band is still fronted by founders Michael Hernandez and Steve Garland. The rest of the band features several talented, well-known Musicians from around the world musicians including Gig Garcia, Victor Aguila, Selwyn Jones, Greg Burch, Dave Schuler, and occasional guest guitarist Lare Garcia. The Big 10 piece show also features The Bad Axe Horn Section, run by Ron Davis.


ABOUT THE BAND
The timeless music of Carlos Santana has helped shape the sound or rock and Latin music since the late 60s. The "VIVA SANTANA" show is a fiery tribute to the classic Santana sound, with a set list that plays like a Greatest Hits” CD! From searing guitar solos to smooth vocals and the rhythmic beat of the congas, timbales, and drums, you’ll hear everything from "Black Magic Woman” to “Jingo”, “She’s Not There”, “Smooth” and much more!
Lead guitarist Michael Hernandez and lead vocalist/bass player Steve Garland grew up in the bay area during Santana’s rise to fame, and both became musicians during the late 60s and early 70s, becoming a part of the San Francisco rock music scene. They’ve always been inspired by the music of Carlos Santana, and have worked over the years to recreate the Santana signature sound on guitar, and the vocals that combine to bring the Sound of Santana to life. It's a high energy show that pays tribute to their Latin heritage and Santana.
VIVA SANTANA was born from Steve, Michael and The Rhythm Vandals-a longtime Sacramento favorite band. The VIVA SANTANA SHOW launched in 2008, and since then they've Opened for WAR, Los Lobos, Eddie Money, Malo, and Headlined Concerts, events, festivals, casinos, and clubs. For bookings, see the bookings page.
Nicknamed "Northern California's #1 Santana Tribute band by Thunder Valley Casino, the band is still fronted by founders Michael Hernandez and Steve Garland. The rest of the band features several talented, well-known Musicians from around the world musicians including Gig Garcia, Victor Aguila, Selwyn Jones, Greg Burch, Dave Schuler, and occasional guest guitarist Lare Garcia. The Big 10 piece show also features The Bad Axe Horn Section, run by Ron Davis.


FOR BOOKINGS CONTACT:
Steve Garland
Michael Hernandez

LEAD GUITARIST & LEAD VOCALIST
MICHAEL
HERNANDEZ
A Bay Area native, but now in El Dorado Hills, Michael has spent his life performing all over the west coast, and formed the Rhythm Vandals in the early 2000s as a classic Rock band. This evolved after partnering with Steve Garland in 2008. Both Bay area musicians had a natural love of Santana, and had been performing his music separately. Together, they formed what has become the VIVA SANTANA SHOW Tribute to Santana! Also a lifelong marketing guy, the band has two marketing pros that help promote all the shows on both radio and social media.

LEAD BASSIST & LEAD VOCALIST
STEVE
GARLAND
After hitchhiking to Bill Graham’s Fillmore West at age 14 to see the original Santana back in 1970, Steve picked up the bass, committed to learning their Latin-rock sound, eventually becoming a lead singer. Steve toured and recorded with bands in the 70s and early 80s with legendary musicians. He also gained notoriety as an bay area Radio and TV personality including the ABC TV series "San Francisco Hot Rock," spending time with music legends including Grace Slick, Van Halen, Eddie Money, Night Ranger
and members of Santana. After decades of performing, broadcasting, and marketing, today Steve runs a Jingle and marketing Agency, hosts the internationally known Hot Rock Podcast and has been Bassist, Lead Singer and a front man for The Viva Santana tribute show since 2008.

KEYBOARDIST & LEAD VOCALIST
GIG
GARCIA
Gig is an accomplished studio musician, songwriter, commercial jingle writer, producer. Respected as a remarkable musician, Gig has also added acting credits to his résumé with his performance in the 1996 Touchstone Pictures release “Phenomenon” which featured John Travolta, Kyra Sedgwick, Robert Duvall and Forest Whitaker. He is also seen in Eric Clapton's "Change the World" video. Co-producer of the PSA "Save Water" for the city of San Jose which was awarded an Emmy.

CONGAS
SELWYN
JONES
Originally from Texarcana, Texas, Selwyn is an amazing percussionist that has been with the band since their very first Santana tribute show. He's been playing congas and percussion for over 30 years, and has performed all over Northern California with several groups such as Sack 'O Soul and East Wind.

DRUMMER
GREG
BURCH
Greg is an original member of the band, and has a deep knowledge of the percussion behind the the music of Santana. Greg directs the percussion section, carefully making sure the band expertly re-creates all the nuances of every song, while finding places to give the congas or timbales the spotlight with some stand out percussion solos!

TIMBALAS
VICTOR
AGUILA
Originally from El Salvador, Victor is a world class percussionist. He started playing drums in El Salvador when he was 16 years old . He played with famous bands like La Banda(the band)Espiritu Libre (free spirit), Hierro (iron) and Via Lactea (milky way) touring all over Central America playing Carnivals, concerts and tv shows, some of those tv shows can be found on YouTube under Via Lactea videos , emigrating to the USA in 1981 Victor has performed with several top touring bands and joined Viva Santana Show several years ago. His standout solos, and rock solid knowledge of Santana's percussion makes for an exciting show!

TROMBONE & HOUSE ARRANGER
RON
DAVIS
Ron is a former music copyist for Tower of Power horns, music copyist and arranger/composer for the Don Ellis Orchestra, as well as having played with Solomon Burke, 4 Tops, Temptations, Bobby Rydell, and Lee Greenwood. He is a former Navy Band unit leader and staff arranger, and is now a local bandleader of his own big band, various jazz and party bands, and The Folsom Branch. Ron manages the horn players that make-up the big 10 piece version of the Viva Santana Show!

KEYBORDIST
DAVE
SCHULER
Born in the frozen tundras of northern Wisconsin, Dave Schuler started playing keyboards at age 9. His stylistic roots span multiple genres, including jazz, rock, pop, country and classical. He’ll even admit to playing a few polkas (Hey, he’s from Wisconsin). He cites Jimmy Smith, Keith Emerson and Chick Corea as early influences. He began playing professionally at age 15, and graduated from the University of Minnesota, majoring in Music and Computer Engineering. His performing career has found him in venues across the USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, Europe and China, sharing the stage with artists as diverse as INXS, Randy Brecker, Badfinger, the Replacements, the Guess Who, Billy Preston, The Rembrandts and Wendy O Wilson.

SECOND GUITAR
LARE
GARCIA
Guitarist Lare Frank Garcia has established himself for years as an accomplished concert performer, studio musician, producer and recording engineer in the San Francisco Bay Area. His interpretation of Flamenco master Paco De Lucia’s “Entre Dos Aguas” is filled with passion and as a premier guitarist he brings fire to Spanish classics “Malaguena”, “Historia De Un Amor” and many others. He has shared the stage in concert with Lou Rawls, Sergio Mendes, Pete Escovedo and many national and international artists. He is currently in his first year of performing with Viva Santana.

TRUMPET
TONY
MARVELLI
Tony is a veteran trumpet player in Northern California and the wind band director for American River College in Sacramento. Tony has performed with major touring acts including Engelbert Humperdinck and Paul Anka, along with performing with the three-piece horn section in The Viva Santana Show. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies Performance from the University of North Texas and a Master of Arts in Band Conducting from the American Band College of Sam Houston University. Tony has also been a public-school educator since 2007, teaching music programs from 4th grade through college.

SAXOPHONE
KEN "SAXMAN"
STOUT
Ken has toured, performed on stage and recorded with many legendary Jazz, Motown, and Rock Music
artists and groups including The Four Tops, The Temptations, Mic Gillette(Tower of Power)and many
others. Ken’s most memorable Rock and Roll Sax solo recordings were with Trent & Wayne Gardner’s
progressive rock group “Megallen” the 1995 international hit “Moon Revisited Album, a tribute to Pink Floyd’s “Money”. Ken is a huge advocate for saving and promoting music arts education in public
schools in Solano and Yolo Counties since 1987. Today Ken is band director of the Alive Music Orchestra and is the sax player with The Viva Santana Show’s horn section.



FOR BOOKINGS CONTACT:
Steve Garland
Michael Hernandez
