Based on the various interviews with Santana that I've read/seen over the years, the instrumental holds a special place for him, too, as the first composition of his own that got substantial airplay back in the day. The sentiment he often expresses about the song is one of liberation. Basically, it's the song where he finally felt like he was coming into his own as an artist and could successfully express himself in a way that wasn't consciously trying to emulate any other guitarist's sound or technique.
To me, "Samba Pa Ti" perfectly captures the warmth of Santana's signature tone and the fluidity/soulfulness of his soloing. It's a showcase for his skills without being showy. There's even a sweetness and humble majesty to the track that I feel pays homage to his modest upbringing as the son of a classically-trained violinist who basically traded performing in orchestras in Mexico for playing in mariachi bands in California so that Carlos and his five siblings could ultimately have a better life in the States.
He pretty much confirmed this in a December 3, 2014, interview with veteran rock journalist Ben Fong-Torres at San Francisco's Castro Theatre. Journalist Steve Roby's article for BAM magazine online chronicled Santana's response to Fong-Torres's question about what "Samba Pa Ti" means to him.
"(Through that song) I represent all of the people that pick up your food, clean the sheets at every hotel from here to New York...clean the toilets, babysit, gardeners...I am the dreams and aspirations of these invisible people."
A beautiful sentiment for a beautiful song.
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