Happy 70th, Bob / Bring It All Back Home , Lou !

Happy 70th to The Man. What could i say here that's not already been said ? Here's something more from the FT today though. Nice read. Well anyway it's not about the person anymore. Not even about his music by now i guess. Sure , there's a Don't Think Twice Its Alright , a Jokerman , an Oh Mercy to listen to on either side but Bob Dylan to me now is an abstraction , an idea - concrete and all too real but an idea nonetheless - that spans the 10 or so albums between 1965's Bringing It All Back Home and 1975's Desire. And a part of you that's always going be intact through everything.That stuff's so ingrained in who you are it becomes personal.You don't write about it.

So on Mr.Zim's birthday today i'll tip my hat instead to Mr.Lou Majaw and the remarkable Dylan birthday celebration concerts he's been doing every year since 1972 in my childhood town of Shillong in distant North Eastern India. 38 unbroken years ! For absolutely nothing but a love of the music. And trust me : 'nothing' is a lower amount around those parts than it is in Bombay, Delhi or Bangalore let alone the moolah economies Mr.Dylan and the rest belong to.

This video here is part of a docu film i found on You Tube on The Great Society , a cult Shillong band circa1970's-80's featuring Lou (among other solid musicians - like Rudy Wallang of Soulmate India's finest Blues band today)The whole docu is great , very nice film making i thought... But especially hear the man around 3:20 onwards on this video - around 4:50 about discovering Dylan and around 7:30 when he talks about growing up poor.

Just goes to show how this 24th May effort is just pure passion , commitment and loads of integrity. Hats off to a true legend. It's guys like these that keep it all afloat.

These concerts have started attracting more attention now (here's a 2006 BBC report). I hope they grow to be really big - and commercially successful. God knows the man deserves it. This year's edition will be a 10-hour marathon. I was thrilled to stumble upon this blog and learn that they're also planning an outdoor camp. Not sure if it's finally happening but either way wow , to be there man !

Happy birthday , Bob Dylan. Keep on keeping on , Lou. And stay Forever Young you both !