Smooth choice: Latin Academy salutes Santana.

Carlos Santana has been named the 2004 Latin Recording Academy person of the year for his professional, cultural and social accomplishments. He will be honored on August 30, 2004, during a tribute dinner and concert at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City. In 1998, Santana and his wife, Deborah, founded the Milagro Foundation, a nonprofit that supports children and youth through grants to charities and agencies involved in arts, health and education. Last year, the Santanas got involved with donating and supporting programs to help with the AIDS pandemic in South Africa.