Grams found some neat pictures today. They’re almost 40 years old. When Grams was young she used to get around. In 1967 she went to the Monterey Pop Festival. It was supposed to the first one, but it ended up the last one. But these pictures weren’t from that.
A week or two later, she went to the Monterey Folk Festival. This was not the first one nor the last. Grams got some great photos of people, performers and banners. There were quite a few of some children. Looking at them she said, "Oh my, they'd be in their 40s now." She said it had been a sunny warm day. The Vietnam war was beginning to be recognized and protested, but there had been no hint of the tumult to follow the next year. And certainly this day was so very peaceful.
Joan Baez, of course, was there. Her sister, Mimi Farina was there too. That’s them in the third photo. Mimi had been married to Richard Farina who wrote, “Been down so long, it looks like up to me.” He had died in a motorcycle accident not long before that day.
Joan Baez went on to lead an activist’s life. Mimi went on to found “Bread and Roses.” This organization brings music to people who are institutionalised. Mimi died not long ago, but Bread and Roses lives on.
I asked Grams what she remembered most about that day. “It was warm, and the music was beautiful. It was very laid back, very different from the Pop Festival. I didn’t know anyone. There was no one to share it with. That’s what I remember.”
That got her a hug.
A dopo e Moochas smoochas,
Please give what you can to Médecins sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders).
Yes, I know the poster is from another year, but Grams hadn’t saved one. Now I have to get her to tell me about the Mothers of Invention.
Hi, I came across your photo of Mimi Farina and Joan Baez at the Monterey Folk Festival and I was wondering if you had any more photos of Mimi. Thanks,
Douglas Cooke
Rédigé par : Douglas Cooke | dimanche, 29 mai 2005 à 09:31