"Maria Maria" is a song by American rock band

Santana Santana may refer to: Transportation * Volkswagen Santana, an automobile * Santana Cycles, manufacturer of tandem bicycles * Santana Motors, a former Spanish automobile manufacturer Boats * Santana 20, an American sailboat design by W. D. Sch ...

featuring

the Product G&B The Product G&B is an American R&B duo made up of David McRae (also known as Sincere Gubano) and Marvin Moore-Hough (also known as Money Harm). They were associated with Wyclef Jean's The Refugee Camp. Since their debut in 1998, the duo lent thei ...

, included on Santana's 18th studio album, ''

Supernatural Supernatural refers to phenomena or entities that are beyond the laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin (above, beyond, or outside of) + (nature) Though the corollary term "nature", has had multiple meanings si ...

'' (1999). The song was written by

Wyclef Jean Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

, Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis,

Carlos Santana Carlos Humberto Santana Barragán (; born July 20, 1947) is an American guitarist who rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s with his band Santana, which pioneered a fusion of Rock and roll and Latin American jazz. Its sound featured ...

, Karl Perazzo, and Raul Rekow while Jean and Duplessis produced it. The track samples the drum beat from "God Make Me Funky" by American

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and jazz improvisation, improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, ...

band

the Headhunters The Headhunters are an American jazz fusion band formed by Herbie Hancock in 1973. The group fused jazz, funk, and rock music. History (and name) Hancock had grown dissatisfied with his prior band, Mwandishi, and wanted to make a band with a st ...

, and the melody riff was inspired by the

Wu-Tang Clan Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...

song "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit". Interspersed with guitars and other strings, "Maria Maria" is driven by a hip hop beat. At the 2000 Grammy Awards, the song won for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, before it experienced commercial success. "Maria Maria" was released on September 14, 1999, to American

urban radio Urban contemporary music, also known as urban music, hip hop, urban pop, or just simply urban, is a music radio format. The term was coined by New York radio DJ Frankie Crocker in the early to mid-1970s as a synonym for Black music. Urban contem ...

and was issued across the world throughout the following year. It reached number one in Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. In the US, it stayed at the top of the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for 10 weeks and reached number one on two other ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...

'' listings. In 2009, it was named the 14th-most-successful song from 2000 to 2009 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 Songs of the Decade. Nine years later, in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Hot 100 chart, ''Billboard'' compiled its list of the top songs since the inception of the chart in various categories; "Maria Maria" came in at number 122 on this ranking.

Background

"Maria Maria" was written by

, Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis,

, Karl Perazzo, and Raul Rekow. Jean and Duplessis conceived the song with Carlos Santana while Jean's previous musical group,

Fugees Fugees (; sometimes The Fugees) is an American hip hop group formed in the early 1990s. Deriving its name from a shortening of the word "refugees", the group consists of Wyclef Jean, Pras Michel, and Lauryn Hill. The group rose to fame with its ...

, was on tour in San Francisco. During a ''Drink Champs'' podcast interview, Jean said that he came up with the song's composition by reworking by a 1993

song titled "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing ta Fuck Wit", borrowing the instrumental that plays during the title lyrics. The track also samples the drum beat from

' song "God Make Me Funky" from their 1975 debut album, ''

Survival of the Fittest "Survival of the fittest" is a phrase that originated from Darwinian evolutionary theory as a way of describing the mechanism of natural selection. The biological concept of fitness is defined as reproductive success. In Darwinian terms, th ...

''. Jean asked

, a musical duo composed of Marvin Moore and David McRae, to sing on the track after the two had telephoned a nearby music studio in New York to speak to a friend. Rapper and Fugees member

Pras Michel Prakazrel Samuel Michel (; born October 19, 1972) is a Haitian-American rapper, producer, songwriter and actor. He is best known as a member of the hip hop group Fugees, alongside Wyclef Jean and Lauryn Hill. After the Fugees, he earned two ...

answered the call, at which point Moore and McRae immediately decided to meet him at the studio. Jean soon added the duo to his

record label A record label, or record company, is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the produ ...

, Yclef.

Composition

Jean and Duplessis produced "Maria Maria" while the Product G&B provide the lead vocals. Musically, "Maria Maria" is a hip hop song with

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

influences, punctuated by Spanish guitars during the verses and Carlos Santana's electric guitar during the post-choruses, climaxing at the

bridge A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...

. Tom Breihan of online publication ''

Stereogum ''Stereogum'' is a daily Internet publication that focuses on music news, reviews, interviews, and commentary. The site was created in January 2002 by Scott Lapatine. ''Stereogum'' was one of the first MP3 blogs and has received several award ...

'' called the recording a "rap song ..with no actual rapping". The lyrics of the song describe a woman named Maria who observes the tumultuous circumstances of the world around her and wishes for more pleasurable existence. Carlos Santana sings additional vocals, performing the "''Ahora vengo mama chula''" chants, as does Jean, who came up with his intermittent lyrics by

freestyling Freestyle is a style of improvisation, with or without instrumental beats (Mystrodamus), in which lyrics are recited with no particular subject or structure and with no prior memorization.Kevin Fitzgerald (director), '' Freestyle: The Art of Rhyme' ...

. Duplessis plays the bass guitar while he and Jean collaborated on the drum programming. Additional instrumentalists who contributed to the recording include Jeremy Cohen on violin, Daniel Seidenberg and

Hari Balakrishnan Hari Balakrishnan is the Fujitsu Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at MIT, and the Co-founder and CTO at Cambridge Mobile Telematics. Early life and care ...

on viola, and Joseph Hébert on cello. The track was mixed, engineered, and mastered at three studios in New York City and at Fantasy Studios in

Berkeley, California Berkeley ( ) is a city on the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay in northern Alameda County, California, United States. It is named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher George Berkeley. It borders the cities of Oakland and Emer ...

Release

"Maria Maria" first appeared as the seventh track on ''

'', which was released in the United States on June 15, 1999. Three months later,

Arista Records Arista Records () is an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America, the North American division of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. The label was previously handled by BMG Entertainmen ...

serviced the song to US

on September 14, 1999, three weeks after previous single "

Put Your Lights On "Put Your Lights On" is a song by American rock band Santana and American musician Everlast from Santana's 18th studio album, '' Supernatural'' (1999). Released to US rock radio in August 1999, the song peaked at number 18 on the '' Billboard'' B ...

" was sent to rock-oriented radio. The same month,

rhythmic contemporary Rhythmic contemporary, also known as Rhythmic Top 40, Rhythmic CHR or rhythmic crossover, is a primarily American music-radio format that includes a mix of EDM, upbeat rhythmic pop, hip hop and upbeat R&B hits. Rhythmic contemporary never uses ...

stations picked up the song, followed by

contemporary hit radio Contemporary hit radio (also known as CHR, contemporary hits, hit list, current hits, hit music, top 40, or pop radio) is a radio format that is common in many countries that focuses on playing current and recurrent popular music as determined by ...

in November. On January 25, 2000, the song was issued in the US as a

CD single A CD single (sometimes abbreviated to CDS) is a music single in the form of a compact disc. The standard in the Red Book for the term ''CD single'' is an 8 cm (3-inch) CD (or Mini CD). It now refers to any single recorded onto a CD of any si ...

, a maxi-CD single, a

cassette single A cassette single (CS), also known by the trademark cassingle, or capitalised as the trademark Cassette Single, is a music single supplied in the form of a Compact Cassette. The cassette single was first introduced in 1980. History The debu ...

, and a 7-inch vinyl single. The CD and cassette contain a remix of "Maria Maria" by Jean plus "Migra", the eighth track on ''Supernatural''. The maxi-CD includes additional remixes while the 7-inch single has the album's lead single, "

Smooth Smooth may refer to: Mathematics * Smooth function, a function that is infinitely differentiable; used in calculus and topology * Smooth manifold, a differentiable manifold for which all the transition maps are smooth functions * Smooth algebrai ...

", as its B-side. In Europe, a two-track CD single and a maxi-CD were distributed, with the latter format issued on February 7, 2000. Both formats contain various mixes and

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

s of "Maria Maria". The maxi-CD was also issued in Australia. In the United Kingdom, the single was due to be released in late June 2000 to coincide with

's tour there, but it was delayed several times. It was eventually issued on July 24 as a CD and cassette containing the radio mix of the track plus Jean's remix and the Pumpin' Dolls remix.

Critical reception

On October 23, 1999, ''

'' reviewed the song, preferring the original version over the Wyclef remix and writing that it "sounds cooler than an autumn breeze on the airwaves", noting that its simplistic nature does not detract from the quality and pointing out that its classic yet modern sound works well. British columnist

James Masterton James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...

referred to the track as a "perfect summertime soundtrack" and called Jean's contributions to the track "unmistakable". In February 2000, before the song became a commercial success, it won a

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pres ...

for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals, one of the eight awards Santana accrued for that night. Ultimate Santana wrote that the song's drum loop is montonous and called the electric guitar riffs messy, noting that "Maria Maria" would have been a "royal mess" had another team handled production, but went on to describe the song as "charming" and "infectious" with nicely performed vocals. In August 2022, Breihan reviewed the single for his "The Number Ones" column, giving the track a grade of 6 out of 10. He wrote that the song's beat and chants are the most engrossing parts of the composition, but the track does not live up to expectations, concluding, "It ultimately sounds like little more than a brand extension for all the parties involved, and that's really what it was."

Commercial performance

On the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, "Maria Maria" debuted at number 15 on the chart dated February 12, 2000, becoming that week's highest debut with 55,000 sales. The following week, the song jumped to number eight, giving Santana two simultaneous top-10 hits, along with "Smooth", which was at number five. After rising above "Smooth" on February 26, the song took five more issues to reach number one, garnering 102,500 weekly sales on April 8. It topped the chart for 10 weeks, dropping to number eight on June 17, and stayed on the Hot 100 for 26 weeks in total. On other ''Billboard'' rankings, the song reached number one on the Maxi-Singles Sales chart for four weeks and on the

Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 p ...

chart for three weeks. It also peaked at number two on the

Mainstream Top 40 Pop Airplay (also called Mainstream Top 40, Pop Songs, and Top 40/contemporary hit radio, CHR) is a 40-song music chart published weekly by Billboard (magazine), ''Billboard'' Magazine that ranks the most popular songs of pop music being played o ...

, number seven on the

Rhythmic Rhythmic may refer to: * Related to rhythm * Rhythmic contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic adult contemporary, a radio format * Rhythmic gymnastics, a form of gymnastics * Rhythmic (chart) The Rhythmic chart (also called Rhythmic Airplay, and ...

listing, and number 12 on the

Adult Top 40 The Adult Pop Airplay (formerly known as Adult Pop Songs and Adult Top 40) chart is published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and ranks "the most popular adult top 40 as based on radio airplay detections measured by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems ...

. At the end of 2000, ''Billboard'' ranked the song at three on its year-end edition, and in 2009, the same publication placed the track at number 14 on its decade-end ranking. In 2018, the Hot 100 published an all-time chart for its 60th anniversary, on which "Maria Maria" appeared at number 122. The

Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...

(RIAA) awarded the song a

platinum Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver". Platinu ...

disc in March 2000, denoting shipments of one million units. In Canada, "Maria Maria" peaked atop the ''

RPM Revolutions per minute (abbreviated rpm, RPM, rev/min, r/min, or with the notation min−1) is a unit of rotational speed or rotational frequency for rotating machines. Standards ISO 80000-3:2019 defines a unit of rotation as the dimensionl ...

'' 100 Hit Tracks chart on April 17, 2000, and also appeared on the Adult Contemporary Tracks and Top 30 Dance rankings. In Europe, "Maria Maria" was the second-best-selling single of 2000, topping the

Eurochart Hot 100 The European Hot 100 Singles was compiled by '' Billboard'' and ''Music & Media'' magazine from March 1984 until December 2010. The chart was based on national singles sales charts in 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium (two charts separately ...

. The song stayed at number one in Switzerland for five weeks, earned a platinum certification from the

International Federation of the Phonographic Industry The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is the organisation that represents the interests of the recording industry worldwide. It is a non-profit members' organisation registered in Switzerland and founded in Italy in 19 ...

(IFPI), and came in at number two on the country's year-end chart for 2000. In Sweden, the single reached number one for two weeks, while in both France and Germany, it remained atop the charts for four weeks. It also reached number one in Hungary in March 2000. Elsewhere in continental Europe, the song entered the top 10 in nine other nations, including Austria, Denmark, Iceland, the Netherlands, and Belgium's

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...

region, where it entered the top three. In the Czech Republic and Spain, the single achieved top-20 placings. In July 2000, the song debuted and peaked at number six on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

and at number 21 on the

Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is the Republic of Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) and compiled on their behalf by the Official Charts Company. Chart rankings are bas ...

. The song also charted in Australia and New Zealand, topping off at number 49 in both countries and spending two non-consecutive weeks within the top 50 on both national charts.

Music video

The video starts zooming onto Carlos Santana and the Product G&B as they are performing outdoors to a group of people partying. Cut scenes include Santana playing the guitar. The focus is then put on a girl the viewers may assume is Maria. She is looking in the mirror and later joins the party. In January 2000,

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

and

BET Black Entertainment Television (acronym BET) is an American basic cable channel targeting African-American audiences. It is owned by the CBS Entertainment Group unit of Paramount Global via BET Networks and has offices in New York City, Los A ...

added the video to their playlists.

Legacy

"Maria Maria" became such a success that Carlos Santana worked together with chef Roberto Santibañez and California business Dudum Sports and Entertainment to open a restaurant chain named after the song. The menu, created by Santibañez, contains tradition Mexican food with alternations, containing meals such as mushroom

fajita A fajita (; ), in Tex-Mex cuisine, is any stripped grilled meat with stripped peppers and onions usually served on a flour or corn tortilla. The term originally referred to skirt steak, the cut of beef first used in the dish. Popular alternative ...

s, coconut

ceviche Ceviche () is a Peruvian dish typically made from fresh raw fish cured in fresh citrus juices, most commonly lime or lemon. It is also spiced with '' ají'', chili peppers or other seasonings, and julienned red onions, salt, and cilantro are al ...

, and

guacamole Guacamole (; (informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisi ...

made from seafood. Only four of these restaurants are operational, with two in northern California, one in Arizona, and one in Texas. Five artists were recruited to design the restaurants' decor. In 2017, "Maria Maria" was sampled by

DJ Khaled Khaled Mohammed Khaled (born November 26, 1975), known professionally as DJ Khaled, is an American DJ, record executive, record producer and rapper. Khaled first gained recognition as a radio host in the 1990s on the radio station WEDR, 99 Ja ...

on his song "

Wild Thoughts "Wild Thoughts" is a song by American musician DJ Khaled featuring Barbadian singer Rihanna and American singer Bryson Tiller. It was released on June 16, 2017, by We the Best Music Group, We the Best and Epic Records as the third single from Khal ...

", which features

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

and

Bryson Tiller Bryson Djuan Tiller (born January 2, 1993) is an American singer and rapper. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, he began his career in 2011 with a mixtape entitled ''Killer Instinct Vol. 1''. Tiller initially gained mainstream success in 2015 follow ...

. This single reached the top 10 in many countries, peaking at number one on the UK Singles Chart.

Track listings

US CD and cassette single # "Maria Maria" – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (

Wyclef Nel Ust Wyclef Jean (; born October 17, 1969) is a Haitian rapper, musician, and actor. At the age of nine, Jean immigrated to the United States with his family. He first achieved fame as a member of the New Jersey hip hop group the Fugees, a ...

remix) – 4:21 # "Migra" – 5:54 US maxi-CD single # "Maria Maria" (album version) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Wyclef remix) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Pumpin' Dolls radio edit) – 3:56 # "Maria Maria" (Pumpin' Dolls club mix) – 8:36 # "Maria Maria" (Wyclef Remix instrumental) – 4:21 # "Migra" (album version) – 5:54 US 7-inch single # "Maria Maria" – 4:21 # "

" (featuring Rob Thomas) UK CD and cassette single # "Maria Maria" (radio mix) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Wyclef remix) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Pumpin' Dolls remix) – 3:56 European CD single # "Maria Maria" (radio mix) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Pumpin' Dolls club mix) – 8:36 European maxi-CD and Australian CD single # "Maria Maria" (radio mix) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Pumpin' Dolls radio edit) – 3:56 # "Maria Maria" (Wyclef remix) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Pumpin' Dolls club mix) – 8:36 # "Maria Maria" (Wyclef remix instrumental) – 4:21 # "Maria Maria" (Pumpin' Dolls club mix instrumental) – 8:36

Credits and personnel

Credits are taken from the ''Supernatural'' booklet and ''Stereogum''. Studios * Mixed at

The Hit Factory The Hit Factory is a recording studio in New York City owned and operated by Troy Germano. History On March 6, 1975, Edward Germano, a singer, record producer, and one of the principal owners of the Record Plant Studios New York, purchased the ...

(New York City) * Engineered at The Hit Factory (New York City) and Fantasy Studios (

, US) * Mastered at

Sterling Sound George Marino (April 15, 1947 – June 4, 2012) was an American mastering engineer known for working on albums by rock bands starting in the late 1960s. Biography Marino was born on April 15, 1947, in the New York City borough The Bronx. He at ...

(New York City) Personnel *

– writing, drum programming, production * Jerry "Wonda" Duplessis – writing, bass, drum programming, production *

– writing, additional vocals, guitar * Karl Perazzo – writing * Raul Rekow – writing *

The Product G&B The Product G&B is an American R&B duo made up of David McRae (also known as Sincere Gubano) and Marvin Moore-Hough (also known as Money Harm). They were associated with Wyclef Jean's The Refugee Camp. Since their debut in 1998, the duo lent thei ...

– lead vocals * Joseph Hébert – cello * Daniel Seidenberg – viola *

– viola * Jeremy Cohen – violin * Andy Grassi – mixing, engineering * Michael McCoy – mixing assistant * Chris Theis – engineering * Steve Fontano – engineering * Chuck Bailey – engineering assistant * Jason Groucott – engineering assistant *

Ted Jensen Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' ''Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''. Biography Ted ...

– mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts

Decade-end charts

All-time charts

Certifications

Release history

References

{{Authority control 1999 singles 1999 songs Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles European Hot 100 Singles number-one singles Music videos directed by Marcus Raboy Number-one singles in Germany Number-one singles in Hungary Number-one singles in Sweden Number-one singles in Switzerland RPM Top Singles number-one singles Santana (band) songs SNEP Top Singles number-one singles Song recordings produced by Jerry Duplessis Song recordings produced by Wyclef Jean Songs written by Carlos Santana Songs written by Jerry Duplessis Songs written by Wyclef Jean Wyclef Jean songs