DN SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2009 IN TUNE with Chamikara Weerasinghe

An estimated 400,000 music fans gathered on Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, N.Y. for the most celebrated music festivals Woodstock music festival, 2009 ever Woodstock, 1969

t is 40 years this week- end since almost half a No tickets Bob! I million young Ameri- cans took over the small town of Bethel, New York to attend a three-day rock Woodstock 40th festival that became known as “Woodstock.” Originally planned for Woodstock, New York - that’s how the festival got its name - it was ultimately moved to the small town of Bethel, New Anniversary York. Many expected vio- lence with such huge num- the grass on these fields in time for the Woodstock bers, but they were to be because of the bodies all music festival on August surprised.To many, this over the ground,” said Sam 18, 1969, for which—in an place is considered sacred Yasgur. “Farmers couldn’t effort to expand his sound ground. It is the location of get milk trucks in, so they beyond the power trio for- the famous Woodstock fes- had to throw the milk out, mat—Hendrix then added tival, which took place 40 down the drain. What you rhythm guitarist Larry Lee years ago this weekend. had just dumped was your (another old friend from his The farmland was owned livelihood.”Yasgur says R&B days), and percus- by Max Yasgur, a dairy everyone expected vio- sionists Juma Sultanand farmer, who died years lence. Instead the locals Jerry Velez later. His son Sam says befriended the concert- Festival MC introduced immediately after giving goers. “Here you have the band as “The Jimi Hen- permission for the concert, invaders, people who were drix Experience”, but Hen- opposition arose. kind of strange and the peo- drix quickly mcorrected “Signs started going up ple in this county said these this to “Gypsy Sun and ‘Don’t Buy Yasgur’s Milk. are hungry kids and people Rainbows, for short it’s Yasgur Loves Hippies.’ And all over rallied to bring nothin’ but ‘A Band Of’ that made dad mad,” Sam them water and food,” he Gypsies” and launched into Yasgur recalled.Duke added. a two hour set, the longest Devlin, a self-described hip- “The people rallied to of his career. pie, was hitchhiking in the help these kids. We had all As well as the two per- area, and read about the the ingredients of a perfect cussionists, the perfor- upcoming festival. “There storm but instead it became mance notably featured was going to be an Indian an organic melding of calm- Larry Lee performing two Village and a Petting Zoo Ravi Shankhar was also one of the highlights of Woodstock ing and peace.” songs and Lee sometimes and Arts and Crafts,” he Music Festival in 1969 Remarkably there was no soloing while Hendrix said. “And on the bottom it serious violence at the site. played rhythm in places. said ‘breathe air that’s won.”Teenagers, like Zeke “The pond is at the back of In fact many of the kids jimi Hendrix playing the Most of this has been edit- never been breathed’ before Boyle and Joe Dipone came us and that is where they stayed back to clean up. american national anthem, ed out of the officially so it was all this cool because they felt alienated were all skinny dipping. Some like Duke Devlin, the the star spangled banner at released recordings, includ- stuff.”Hundreds of thou- from their parent’s genera- Everybody was into every- hippie who had been hitch- the festival in 1969 ing Lee’s two songs, reduc- sands came. Every single tion. “When I went to body. It was a magical time hiking in the area, never ing the sound to basically a road in this area was Woodstock I saw all these for lack of a better term.””It left. Today he is a tour life here.” August 15 marks three piece. The concert mobbed. Then on August kindred souls,” he said. “It was all your Christmases, guide for the Bethel Center the 40th anniversary of the was relatively free of the 15, the concert that would just made me feel like I was- all your Chanukahs, all your for the Arts. “You know Woodstock festival. Duke technical difficulties that Guitar Bob waits to hitch a ride out of town, saying he could- define a generation began. n’t alone in the wilderness birthdays in one weekend,” they asked me to do this,” Devlin will be out again frequently plagued Hen- n’t get a ticket to attend the concert marking the 40th Richie Havens, the first per- out there. There was a cre- Duke Devlin said. “If I he said. “They actually pay talking about the place he drix’s performances, anniversary of the Woodstock music festival August 15, former, took a helicopter in dence to the movement. It found something to eat, I me to do this, to be a ‘Site loves. although one of his guitar 2009 in Bethel, New York. On August 15-17. AFP because of the crowds. empowered me and made ate it. If I found something Interpreter.’ What they strings snapped while per- “When I looked down and I me think “wow we are a to smoke I smoked it. If I don’t know is I would do it Jimi Hendrix forming “Red night, could not always highly-regarded rendition saw all the colours, I went force to be reckoned found a place to snooze a for a Twinkie and a Yoo- He appeared with his House”(song)(he kept play- keep up with Hendrix’s of the The Star-Spangled ‘oh-oh.’ Every human being with.”Some came for other little, I did it. Hoo. I just love dealing new bass player Billy Cox, ing regardless). pace, but in spite of this the Banner a solo improvisa- was represented,” he noted. reasons. “As the crowds grew, peo- with the people. I came and session drummer Ed The band, unused to guitarist managed to deliv- tion which is now regarded “If the newspapers get this “There was a lot of free ple had nowhere to go. here for three days and I Shaughnessy sitting in for playing large audiences and er a memorable perfor- as a special symbol of shot, we’ve love,” said Jeff Corwin. “You wouldn’t be able to see got 40 years of a wonderful Mitchell. Mitchell returned exhausted after being up all mance, climaxing with his the1960s era.

Woodstock music festival 2009 ‘Hoggish’- the Wall St Journal s Woodstock 40th whether rock is a debased Bethel, New York state. alarming to the Journal’s anniversary nostal- form of music; we don’t Today’s US media are editorial board at the time A gia went into over- like it, but never mind,” treating the anniversary as they pondered the rise drive Friday, the Wall the Journal said 40 years with near reverence. of the Woodstock-era Street Journal reminded ago, adding: “Consider- Documentaries, inter- youth, now identified as readers that not everyone ing the way rock is pre- views with original per- the baby boomer genera- had always approved of sented it must be counted formers, books and a fea- tion. the epic rock concert. a step down on culture’s ture film have been “It would be a curious “Disgusting or pitiful or ladder.” released to mark the America if the unwashed, both, but certainly hog- The reappearance of the event, while the Wall more or less permanently gish,” thundered an furious editorial highlight- Street Journal on Friday stoned on pot or LSD, August 28, 1969 editorial ed how attitudes have devoted three full pages - were running very many reprinted by the business changed since the August including the editorial’s things,” the Journal daily. 15-18, 1969 festival of reprint - to coverage. Mat- wrote. NEW YORK, Aug People gather at dusk as the 40th anniversary of the Woodstock music festival approaches August 14, 2009 in Bethel, New “We won’t argue drugs, love and music in ters certainly looked more 14, AFP York. AFP

Ni-Ro expands to four The love you take is equal IMAGINE, JOHN LENNON ihal Fernando, lead- ized in handling social func- lak and Virajan were with IMAGINE er of duo ‘Ni-Ro’ tions. We have a wide reper- “The Diamonds” in ‘70s. to the love you make Words & music: John Lennon N has added a female toire of Love songs, Wed- Nihal and Thilak have been singer and experienced play- ding songs and Spirituals & officwe bearers of Moratuwa - Lennon INTRO: C Cmaj7 C F ers to their current lineup. special songs for Christian Arts Forum. (The Cmaj7 is a quick pull-off: C C C Cmaj7-C F F F F) Thilak Perera has joined Weddings” said Nihal. Thilak said, “I started my n a dark day in Lon- York to India, John wan- Nihal and Virajan Bharathi Nihal is a versatile singer solo career as a One Man don, while Hitler’s dered with his three fellow C Cmaj7 C F C Cmaj7 C F hans joined as a guitarist. and a beyboardist. He also Band in late ‘80s after play- Obombs rained from Beatles, singing and living a Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try Roshi is the outfit’s female plays guitar. He had played ing key-boards with Sam the sky, JohnWinston message of honesty and non- C Cmaj7 C F C Cmaj7 C F singer. Nihal said , their guitar with the bands, Sam The Man and I still love to Lennon was born. A child of violence. “And in the end,” No hell below us, above us on - ly sky main aim is to perform at The Man, Talk of the Town, perform with Sam when- war, he would become a he sang, “the love you take is [F] C/E Dm7 F/C G C G7 weddings & home-coming Pearl, Ice and Fire and ever he require my services symbol of peace to all the equal to the love you make.” Imagine all the people living for today...ahh receptions.” we are special- Golden Chimes. Nihal, Thi- as a One Man Band. world. (“The End”, 1969) The end His father left him to sail for this man of peace came Imagine no more countries, it isn’t hard to do the sea. His mother was by a gun in the hand of a vil- Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too taken from him in the crash lain. But John Lennon is Imagine all the people living life in peace...you-hoo... of a car. But he had music in greater in death even than he him, and with his music he was in life. In life, John F G C E7 built a new family, which still Lennon was a rock star. In CHORUS: You may say I’m a dreamer endures and still grows. He death, he became a myth. F G C E7 traveled the earth, singing Theyoung people who But I’m not the only one “come together” and “all you were his original devotees F G C E7 need is love.” are no longer young, but are I hope someday you’ll join us He journeyed to India to still his devotees. But now F G C Cmaj7 C F... study peace in the land of they are joined by their chil- And the world will be as one Ghandi. He gave an anthem dren and grandchildren: to the peace movement John Lennon has become a Imagine no possessions, I wonder if you can when he sang “All we are voice that speaks to all gen- No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man saying is give peace a erations. The man who was Imagine all the people sharing all the world chance” (Give Peace a born in violence and died in Chance, 1969). From Ham- violence became a CHORUS Niro 04: Roshi, Nihal Fernando, Bharathi and Thilak Perera burg to Japan, from New paramount symbol of peace. =