Woodstock
Posted on August 8th, 2011
Dr Ruwan M Jayatunge
In 1969, a monumental music festival changed our world. More than half a million people came together – united in a message of peace, openness and cultural expression ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢¢”š¬…” and demonstrated how a generation could be heard. Today, Woodstock lives on. The original producers of the historic festival continue to carry forward the Woodstock ethos by identifying social, environmental and political causes, organizing communities around them, developing products for those communities, and encouraging creative expression.ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ (John RobertsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ WoodstockƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚ Convention)ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Near Bethel NY
Three Days of Peace & Music
Half -million souls gathered
Towards one direction
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
It was a catharsis
It was a cry for freedom
It was an ultimate emancipation
It was the magical multicoloured phenomenon of pop culture
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The insignificant group of social outcastsƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Went in search of truth
Have they found it?
We donƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢t know yet
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
They were determined to go back to the Garden
Challenging the conservative traditions
Revolting against the political hypocrisies of our time
Rejecting the censored truth
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Deep voice of Joe Cocker
Protest songs of Joan Baez,
Electric rhythm of Jimi Hendrix
Made their intuition strong
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Battles won, treaties signed and rulers elected
New inventions made, Patent received
Factories manufactured and people consumed
But the empty space was never addressed
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
The cynicism of the Modern World
Errors made by the previous generation
Breach created due to the generation gap
Emphasized in a different form
ƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚
Woodstock Generation was unique
They challenged the world
Not with arms and ammunition
But projecting the necked reality of our very existenceƒÆ’-¡ƒ”š‚