Page 49 - Seniors Today - Oct 2019
P. 49
“This is only the second time we’ve performed in
front of people. We’re scared shitless.” Wooden
Ships, one of the songs played in the festival and
showcased in the record, is a wonderful song
and many melodies followed from this group
subsequently. In their post-Woodstock album
So Far, they performed the Joni Mitchell song
Woodstock to great acclaim.
Pandit Ravi Shankar’s music accompanied
by the table of Alla Rakha also mesmerised a
young audience. For many of them, it was their
A marker at the site of the Woodstock Music Festival, with names first exposure to Indian classical music, which
of the acts that played there
was the only foreign music featured during the
- Getting enveloped in a euphoric haze with the festival.
smell of pot in the air.
- Nonstop music by some of the greatest bands Mesmerised audience
of all time for three days and nights. Lost track Here are more impressions of the performances
of time and space. first-hand from Prakash Ullal:
- And finally, my best friend’s comment, telling - “Freedom” by Richie Havens
me “ why the f--- did you bring us here, it’s - Janis Joplin with her husky voice singing “Ball
changed me” in his prim and proper Delhi and Chain” early in the morning
American accent. - Sly and The Family Stone singing “Take Me
- At last, the 10-mile walk back on Monday Higher” late at night. (We were already stoned
morning trying to locate the green Mustang, and by that time)
voila we found it!!!! - Gracie Slick and The Jefferson Airplane
- And then it was back to reality. singing “ Don’t You Need Somebody to Love”
The first glimpses for folks in India was the at 4 in the morning (me, almost near the stage
release of the iconic film Woodstock and a set sitting on the wooden fence barrier. I could
of three long-playing records. Alas, these could almost feel the early morning wrinkles under
highlight only a very limited version of the vast her eyes)
amount of music that was played during the - Santana arriving in a helicopter and then
festival. Listening to the music and seeing the playing “Soul Sacrifice”
film was like magic transportation to another - Crosby Stills Nash And Young playing “Find
musical land. the cost of freedom” and a superb guitar number
“Southern Man”
Career boost - And the finale - Jimi Hendrix at 7 on Monday
After the opening act by the toothless Richie morning playing “Purple Haze” and “The Star-
Havens with his rasping voice improvising Spangled Banner
Freedom, the then well-known yoga guru in the For all the great music, the musicians had not
west, Swami Satchidananda was called in to charged a lot for their appearance. Only 5 of the
give a short speech. Pandit Ravi Shankar also 32 artistes charged in 5 figures. Santana was
performed on the opening day itself. paid a lowly US$ 750!!
Woodstock gave a career boost to several In the end, what remains is a legacy of great
fledgling and struggling musicians, Santana music and great memories. It has left a profound
and Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young being young impact on everyone involved with rock music,
artistes who rose to fame after the festival. the musicians, music lovers and the music
CSNY were a nervous group when they came on industry. The memories will live on in the minds
stage, as can be heard by Stephen Stills saying of rock fans forever.
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