SPILL NEW MUSIC: CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA SHARES “THE MESSAGE IS LOVE” | NEW ALBUM ‘COHERENCE’ OUT JULY 31 ON MACK AVENUE RECORDS

CINDY BLACKMAN SANTANA SHARES “THE MESSAGE IS LOVE” | NEW ALBUM COHERENCE OUT JULY 31

MACK AVENUE RECORDS

Acclaimed drummer, composer, bandleader, and vocalist Cindy Blackman Santana shares her new single, “The Message Is Love,” the latest release from her forthcoming album Coherence, arriving July 31 via Mack Avenue Records. Featuring Carlos Santana’s powerful guitar work and a special spoken introduction from Snoop Dogg, the track creates a musical dialogue between coasts—Blackman Santana’s powerful New York jazz and East Coast funk energy meets G-Funk sound and the musical legacy of Long Beach, California.

Built around an irresistible pocket, infectious rhythms, and vibrant improvisation, “The Message Is Love” reveals another side of Coherence. While the album explores jazz, fusion, rock, and spiritual improvisation, this track leans into funk without losing sight of the album’s central idea: that music has the power to bring people together.

“‘The Message Is Love’ is about evoking that feeling. The greatest thing you can feel is the energy, appreciation, and the act of just love for love’s sake,” says Blackman Santana. “Not for any agenda, just because it’s beautiful, and that’s what the creator is: complete love. Love for love’s sake, no other reason. That’s where the title came from and where the energy of the song comes from”

Throughout the album, Blackman Santana assembles an extraordinary community of musicians, including Carlos Santana, John McLaughlin, Matt Garrison, Ray Angry, Dave Eggar, and her acclaimed touring band, to create music built on conversation, trust, and fearless collaboration rather than convention.

As Blackman Santana explains, “Coherence is about everything in creation coming together. We come from the creator. In these times, we need unity. We need to understand that we are not different… the core of every single human being is light.”

Snoop Dogg’s appearance marks a reunion with Blackman Santana following their collaboration with Chris Stapleton on ESPN’s Monday Night Football anthem, a reimagining of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight.” Debuting in 2023, the performance introduced millions of viewers to the unlikely but compelling combination of Snoop Dogg’s unmistakable voice and Blackman Santana’s commanding drumming. The theme will continue when the new football season kicks off this fall.

Recorded at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas alongside her longtime touring band (Emilio Modeste (saxophone), Aurelien Budynek (guitar), Zaccai Curtis (keyboards), and Felix Pastorius (bass)), Coherence expands upon the musical vision Blackman Santana introduced on 2020’s Give the Drummer Some. The album blends spontaneous improvisation with deep compositional intention, creating a collection that is as adventurous as it is emotionally resonant.

In support of Coherence, Blackman Santana will perform at BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn! in Prospect Park on July 24 before continuing her summer as drummer with Santana on the Santana & The Doobie Brothers Oneness Tour. Following that are additional performances at Detroit Jazz Festival on September 7, Keystone Korner in Baltimore on October 24 and 25, and multiple upcoming dates with Santana’s Las Vegas residency.

Cindy Blackman Santana
Coherence
(Mack Avenue Records)
Release Date: July 31, 2026

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Background Photo Credit: Denise Truscello