Lou Majaw

Shillong, May 20: Bob Dylan turns 71 on Thursday and the celebration for the man whose music blew in here with the winds turns 40 with a three-day extravaganza reminiscent of Woodstock ’69.

The music will waft from the guitar of Shillong’s own Bob Dylan, Lou Majaw, the acoustic band Whirling Kalapas led by Uday Benegal, and American singers Parker Ainsworth, Jeff Harding and Skye.

Other artistes from the country and abroad will also perform from Thursday at Cloud 9, Centre Point Hotel. Rock band Ace of Spades will also play its tunes.

As earlier, Shillong will host the birthday celebrations, with The Telegraph as a media partner.

Aimed at recollecting Dylan’s contribution, the 40th year of celebration is named Knocked Out and Loaded.

On May 24, 1972, singer Lou Majaw and a few others celebrated Dylan’s contribution in Shillong for the first time.

This year’s event, managed by the Centre Point Entertainment Network and IMAGENATION, a Shillong-based event management company, will be a three-day music and arts festival.

This will be followed by an acoustic music and poetry-reading event on Friday at Cafe Shillong, Laitumkhrah, featuring poet and writer Desmond Kharmawphlang, head of the department, cultural and creative studies, Nehu, Shillong, writer and poet Kynpham Sing Nongkynrih and others.

The celebration will culminate on Saturday at the scenic Orchid Lake Resort where Uday Benegal of Indus Creed fame and his band Whirling Kalapas will be the main act.

The organisers said tickets would be available at the venue.