Studio Album · No. 5
Borboletta Songwriting Credits by Santana
Produced by Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve, Tom Coster
Columbia
Latin RockJazz Fusion
58%
Authorship
Holds writing credit on 7 of 12 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 7 / 12 documented
Who wrote the songs?
Scored across the 12 tracks with documented writers, by whether Santana carries a lyricist or composer credit.
7 trackswritten by Santana
5 tracksoutside writers
Santana's roles on this album
Share of the 12 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
Lyricist58%
Composer58%
Producer100%
Performer100%
By the Numbers
12
Tracks
10
Lyricists
3
Producers
1974
Released
Data Insight
Borboletta closes the jazz-fusion stretch Santana opened with Caravanserai and Welcome, leaning further into open-ended improvisation than tight Latin-rock hooks. Most pieces are band compositions credited across Carlos Santana, keyboardist Tom Coster, drummer Michael Shrieve, and others, with Leon Patillo handling lead vocals and writing the ballad "Mirage." Brazilian guests Flora Purim and Airto Moreira shape the record's airy, percussive feel, and their presence ties directly to the album's title, the Portuguese word for butterfly. The lone outside song is "Promise of a Fisherman," a cover of Dorival Caymmi's "Promessa de Pescador" that stretches past eight minutes as the album's centerpiece.
Borboletta is the sixth studio album by Santana, released in 1974 on Columbia Records. The album continued the jazz-influenced direction of Caravanserai and Welcome while incorporating Brazilian musical elements, the title means "butterfly" in Portuguese, and the record has a fluid, organic quality that distinguishes it from the heavier early records. Tom Coster remained a central compositional voice, and the album features the deep rhythmic interplay between Carlos Santana's guitar and the expanded percussion section. "Promise of a Fisherman" brought a rare vocal tenderness to the collection, and the suite-like instrumental passages demonstrated the band's improvisational range. Borboletta is often grouped with Caravanserai and Welcome as the "spiritual trilogy" of Santana's 1970s artistic expansion.
Track Listing & Credits 12 tracks
Written by the artist
Written by outside writers
| # | Title | Lyricist(s) | Composer(s) | Producer(s) | Performers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Spring Manifestations
|
Airto MoreiraFlora Purim | Airto MoreiraFlora Purim | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 2 |
Canto de Los Flores
|
Tom Coster | Tom Coster | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 3 |
Life Is Anew
|
Carlos SantanaMichael Shrieve | Carlos SantanaMichael Shrieve | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 4 |
Give and Take
|
Carlos SantanaTom CosterMichael Shrieve | Carlos SantanaTom CosterMichael Shrieve | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 5 |
One with the Sun
|
Jerry Martini | Jerry Martini | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 6 |
Aspirations
|
Tom CosterCarlos Santana | Tom CosterCarlos Santana | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 7 |
Practice What You Preach
|
Carlos Santana | Carlos Santana | Carlos SantanaTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 8 |
Mirage
|
Leon Patillo | Leon Patillo | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 9 |
Here and Now
|
Armando PerazaCarlos Santana | Armando PerazaCarlos Santana | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 10 |
Flor de Canela
|
Carlos SantanaDoug Rauch | Carlos SantanaDoug Rauch | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 11 |
Promise of a Fisherman
|
Dorival Caymmi | Dorival Caymmi | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
| 12 |
Borboletta
|
Airto Moreira | Airto Moreira | Carlos SantanaMichael ShrieveTom Coster | Carlos Santana (Guitar)Tom Coster (Keyboards)Leon Patillo (Vocals, Keyboards)David Brown (Bass)Michael Shrieve (Drums)Armando Peraza (Percussion)José "Chepito" Areas (Percussion) |
Songwriter & Credit Spotlight 12 contributors
CS
Carlos Santana
Writer · Producer · Guitar
TC
Tom Coster
Writer · Producer · Keyboards
MS
Michael Shrieve
Writer · Producer · Drums
AM
Airto Moreira
Writer
AP
Armando Peraza
Writer · Percussion
DC
Dorival Caymmi
Writer
DR
Doug Rauch
Writer
FP
Flora Purim
Writer
JM
Jerry Martini
Writer
LP
Leon Patillo
Writer · Vocals
DB
David Brown
Bass
J"
José "Chepito" Areas
Percussion
More from Santana
1969
78%
Santana
Columbia
9 tracksProd. David Rubinson
1970
67%
Abraxas
Columbia
9 tracksProd. Fred Catero
1971
78%
Santana III
Columbia
9 tracksProd. Fred Catero
1972
80%
Caravanserai
Columbia
10 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1973
44%
Welcome
Columbia
9 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1976
86%
Amigos
Columbia
7 tracksProd. David Rubinson
1977
64%
Festival
Columbia
11 tracksProd. David Rubinson
1977
88%
Moonflower
Columbia
16 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1978
56%
Inner Secrets
Columbia
9 tracksProd. Brian Potter
1979
91%
Marathon
Columbia
11 tracksProd. Keith Olsen
1980
44%
The Swing of Delight
Columbia Records
9 tracksProd. David Rubinson
1981
58%
Zebop!
Columbia
12 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1982
55%
Shangó
Columbia
11 tracksProd. Bill Szymczyk
1983
36%
Havana Moon
CBS Records
11 tracksProd. Jerry Wexler
1985
64%
Beyond Appearances
Columbia
11 tracksProd. Val Garay
1987
100%
Blues for Salvador
CBS Records
9 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1987
90%
Freedom
Columbia
10 tracksProd. Jeffrey Cohen
1990
60%
Spirits Dancing in the Flesh
Columbia
10 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1992
67%
Milagro
Polydor
12 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1994
55%
Brothers
Polydor Records
11 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
1999
54%
Supernatural
Arista
13 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
2002
25%
Shaman
Arista
16 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
2005
38%
All That I Am
Arista
13 tracksProd. Clive Davis
2010
0%
Guitar Heaven
Arista
12 tracksProd. Howard Benson
2012
85%
Shape Shifter
Sony Masterworks
13 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
2014
8%
Corazón
RCA
12 tracksProd. Lester Mendez
2016
100%
Santana IV
Santana IV Records
16 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
2019
0%
Africa Speaks
Concord Records
11 tracksProd. Rick Rubin
2021
67%
Blessings and Miracles
Concord Records
15 tracksProd. Carlos Santana
Frequently Asked Questions Borboletta
When was Santana's Borboletta released and on what label?
Borboletta was released on October 1, 1974, on Columbia Records (CBS). It was Santana's sixth studio album and reached number 20 on the US Billboard 200.
What does the title Borboletta mean and why was the album named that?
Borboletta comes from the Portuguese word for butterfly (borboleta). The title and the album's metallic blue butterfly sleeve reflect the strong influence of Brazilian guests Flora Purim and Airto Moreira, whose own album Butterfly Dreams fed into the record's sound.
Who wrote "Promise of a Fisherman" on Borboletta?
"Promise of a Fisherman" is a cover of "Promessa de Pescador" by Brazilian composer Dorival Caymmi. At over eight minutes it is the longest track on Borboletta and serves as the album's improvisational centerpiece.
Who sang lead vocals on Borboletta and wrote "Mirage"?
Leon Patillo handled most lead vocals and keyboards on Borboletta, and he wrote the ballad "Mirage." Flora Purim also contributed vocals to the album.
What musical style is Borboletta by Santana?
Borboletta is a Latin rock and jazz fusion album. It continued the jazz-funk-fusion direction Carlos Santana explored on Caravanserai and Welcome, favoring instrumental improvisation and Latin percussion over conventional pop song structures.
Which guest musicians appear on Santana's Borboletta?
Brazilian artists Flora Purim and Airto Moreira appear prominently on Borboletta, contributing vocals and percussion. Bassist Stanley Clarke and saxophonist Jules Broussard also play on the record alongside the core Santana lineup.
Who produced Borboletta?
Borboletta was produced by Carlos Santana, Michael Shrieve, and Tom Coster. Shrieve left the band after the recording sessions and was replaced on drums by Leon "Ndugu" Chancler.
How did Borboletta perform on the charts?
Borboletta reached number 20 on the US Billboard 200 and number 18 on the UK Albums Chart. It also charted strongly elsewhere, peaking at number 4 in Italy, number 9 in Austria, and number 11 in Japan.
Is Borboletta certified gold?
Yes. Borboletta was certified Gold by the RIAA in the United States, signifying 500,000 copies, and Silver by the BPI in the United Kingdom.