Being in the Moment with Benny Rietveld - Walk Talk Listen (episode 220)

2025-12-03

Benny Rietveld — bassist, composer, arranger, musical director for Santana, and former member of Miles Davis’ band — joins Walk Talk Listen for a deeply reflective, funny, and generous conversation about music, presence, heritage, and healing. Born in Utrecht and raised in Honolulu, Benny grew up in a multicultural mix of Dutch-Indonesian roots, Hawaiian upbringing, family parties full of guitars, and the irresistible pull of a piano in a department store. At age 12 he was playing in bands; by his 20s he was on stage with Sheila E., Prince, and later

Born in Utrecht and raised in Honolulu, Benny grew up in a multicultural mix of Dutch-Indonesian roots, Hawaiian upbringing, family parties full of guitars, and the irresistible pull of a piano in a department store. At age 12 he was playing in bands; by his 20s he was on stage with Sheila E., Prince, and later Miles Davis, whose “laser beam of attention” taught him what it means to be truly present in music.

Today, Benny is the longtime musical director and bassist for Carlos Santana, and continues writing, recording, composing for film, and leading a genre-defying ensemble he jokingly calls “the circus.”

In this episode we talk about:

Growing up as a Dutch-Indonesian kid in Hawaii’s melting pot of cultures
How Hey Jude sparked his first steps into music
What Miles Davis really taught him: presence, intensity, and honesty
Why music remains “medicine” for a dark and distracted world
Leaving Miles for Santana — and why Miles wanted people to move on
The joy (and lessons) of performing with his son
His upcoming projects, including a new album and film score

Benny also leaves a powerful question for the next guest

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