Richard Segovia honored as Bay Area nonprofit supports musicians battling cancer
by the El Reportero staff
Eleven years after Raul Rekow’s death, the San Francisco percussionist whose congas helped define Santana’s Latin rock sound is being remembered through an initiative supporting musicians facing cancer.
Latin Rock Inc. Legacy describes its Raul Rekow Legacy in Rhythm Cancer Fund as an effort to offer financial assistance and healthcare resources to artists battling serious illness. The organization has also promoted an award bearing his name.
A recent Facebook post by musician Carlos Gonzalez identifies Richard Segovia, leader of Puro Bandido, as a recipient of the Raul Rekow Legacy Award at Club Fox in Redwood City. Gonzalez, who says he was the award’s first recipient, described it as financial assistance for musicians confronting cancer. The post does not specify the amount Segovia received.
Gonzalez praised Segovia’s contributions to Latin rock, his mentorship of younger musicians and his work on the Mission District’s Casa Bandido mural, which commemorates the neighborhood’s musical pioneers. He thanked Dr. Annie Rodriguez of Latin Rock Legacy Inc. for sponsoring the event.
Segovia has long been involved in Bay Area music and community activities. His Latin Rock House and mural have helped preserve the history of musicians who emerged from San Francisco’s Mission District.
His recognition also highlights the continuing role of veteran performers in preserving neighborhood history and guiding generations of younger Bay Area musicians.
Rekow, born in San Francisco in 1954, had Filipino, German and Polish ancestry. Largely self-taught, he played with Malo and Sapo before joining Carlos Santana’s band in 1976. His association with Santana lasted through 2013, spanning 37 years with a brief interruption in the late 1980s.
His powerful conga rhythms contributed to Santana’s distinctive combination of rock, funk and Latin music, including recordings associated with the Grammy-winning album Supernatural. He also performed with Aretha Franklin, Patti LaBelle, Whitney Houston and Herbie Hancock, and taught percussion alongside Karl Perazzo.
Rekow died in November 2015 at age 61, following cancer-related complications. He was survived by his wife, Diane; three children, Raul Jr., Rafael and Marie-Danielle; and three grandchildren. Carlos Santana remembered him as a vital musical presence.
The initiative connects his legacy to the financial vulnerability performers may experience when illness interrupts their careers. Although public materials describe the fund’s mission, comprehensive figures on recipients and payments have not been independently verified.
For Bay Area listeners, Rekow’s legacy now links musical innovation, family and community solidarity with recognition for artists such as Segovia.
