Bob Dylan at the Cuba Fototeca

Irina Pino

HAVANA TIMES — A collection of photos taken by Ted Russell, in tribute to the modern music icon, Bob Dylan, will be on show at the Fototeca de Cuba, in Old Havana, through April 24th.

The polaroids were taken in 1961, in Greenwich Village, New York, when his first album still hadn’t been released, and afterwards his career up until 1964, the year he composed some of his most important songs like Blowin’ in the Wind, Masters of War and The Times They Are A-Changin’.

The singer-songwriter, who revolutionized US pop music, is shown in intimate scenes, in his study, in front of his typewriter, surrounded by pieces of paper, with his then girlfriend, Suze Rotolo, the girl who is holding onto his arm on the Freewheelin album cover, at the Emergency Civil Liberties Union’s (E.C.L.U.) annual Bill of Rights dinner, along with James Baldwin; and in different photos, smiling or pensive.

Classical guitarist Luis Manuel Molina and Chris Murray

Russell is a well-known photographer and photo-journalist and his pictures have been on the cover of Life, Time, Newseek and New Yorker magazine. He has also written the book “Bob Dylan NYC, 1961-1964” (Renzoli 2014).

During the inauguration, Chris Murray, curator of the exhibition and co-author of this book, gave his thanks in name of the artist for the collaboration between Govinda Gallery and Fototeca de Cuba.

The night ended with the classic guitar player Luis Manuel Molina, and Eddy Escobar’s rock band, who sang Knockin´on Heaven´s Door, Like a Rolling Stone, and Mr Tambourine Man,  some of the most famous songs in Bob Dylan’s repertoire.

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