Jimi Hendrix guitar solo during the Woodstock Festival of 1969,would give a eye opening view of how America was changing in the late 20th century. It was as if guitar strings were screaming social change. Walter Benjamin stated that any sort of reproduction loses it value and its aura. The actually drawing can never be reproduced as the original, in this case the concert can never be experienced like if you actually physically there at the time. I will analyze the short video of Jimi Hendrix playing, "The Star Spangle Banner" compare it Benjamin's text and see it Benjamin's theory is credible when put into action. I believe that first experiences can never be reproduced you can only create new ones as to come back expose yourself again to that art piece, song, movie, etc.
History Behind Jimi Hendrix and Woodstock
Jimi Hendrix was a famous African American Guitarist that was well known in the the the 1960's until he died in 1970. He was a very well known music artist he was very influential in the rock community. He would end up performing for the Woodstock concert. Woodstock was a festival which lasted for three whole days was a place were people gathered together to listen to all the popular bands of the time. It was held in Bethel, New York on August 18 of 1969. There modo was peace and music. Many of people that came to the event were advocates of Anti-War movements, and civil rights. A month before this event in Vietnam the Tet Offensive had just occurred. It had been a offensive attack from Northern Vietnamese troops, it would be a huge demoralizer to America. Jimi Hendrix had openly expressed his thought towards conflicts like the Vietnam one great example would be his song "Machine Gun". This particular song expressed negativity towards the war.Yet still respected the soldiers who served mostly due to the fact that he also served in the military. So this is why Jimi Hendrix was a perfect candidate to perform in Woodstock Festival.
The Unique Aura
In Benjamin's famous essay "Work of Art in the Ages of Mechanical Reproduction", he advocates that aura can only happen once; it that first reaction to a new experience. Well on that summer of 1969 in Bethel, New York as Jimi Hendrix played the national anthem with his electrical guitar,that can never be recreated. It occurred in a time when America was in the break of drastic changed and it could clearly be seen as Jimi Hendrix played each chord. America was have not only a external fight with the world for example the Vietnam War, but also internally. American's were advocating equal rights at the time when the south was raging with violence a protests because blacks were fight oppression from whites. In the West you had the gay rights movements and also the feminist movements. Here was a black man playing the electrical guitar which symbolized radicalism and to top it off he is playing the "Star Spangle Banner". It seems to send a message to not only America but the whole world that this is a new rebirth of a new America. One that promote equality peace, and change. There must of been a certain nostalgia in air as the festival occurred it was probably very much unique, only the people that were physically there can explain it, its not the same as watching it on a video. These elements just make it more unique and makes it a great example for aura, a experience that can never be replicated.
Personal Experience With Aura
My personal first experience with this piece was music took place in my Music 105 class. My professor had showed is the video of Jimi Hendrix, I was fascinated, I had never seen some one play the electrical to the Star Spangle Banner. I felts as the surround sound system exploded the songs of the electrical guitar into the room and sink into the ears of ever student sitting in the classroom. I felts my raise up as he flicked the strings with his fingers and screech out of the speakers. That first it really did hit me but not to the point that I would move my head the rhythm maybe because I was in the classroom with other students.
After the piece finished my professor was quick to explained to us the background story of the piece and the significance that it had during its time period. Due to the fact that there were certain important events going on. After knowing the facts of the time period that this piece was performed I then heard song the privacy of room with earphones on. As I heard the guitar start play and the occasional drums in the backgrounds I started to ponder how it must of felt if I had been there. I didn't relive the aura of my first experience but rather experienced a new one. Then I realized that when you learn more information about something you get a whole complete new experience or aura.
Conclusion
Yes it is true you are never able to recreate aura, but you can create new experiences. You can't recreate the past but you can shape the future. Looking at the video for the first time was completely different than the first time.But the second time was a new experience in itself. The reason for this was because I gained new knowledge that I hadn't obtained in the first time. It seems that Benjamin's theory actually stands the test time at least for his theory of aura.
Jimi Hendrix was a famous African American Guitarist that was well known in the the the 1960's until he died in 1970. He was a very well known music artist he was very influential in the rock community. He would end up performing for the Woodstock concert. Woodstock was a festival which lasted for three whole days was a place were people gathered together to listen to all the popular bands of the time. It was held in Bethel, New York on August 18 of 1969. There modo was peace and music. Many of people that came to the event were advocates of Anti-War movements, and civil rights. A month before this event in Vietnam the Tet Offensive had just occurred. It had been a offensive attack from Northern Vietnamese troops, it would be a huge demoralizer to America. Jimi Hendrix had openly expressed his thought towards conflicts like the Vietnam one great example would be his song "Machine Gun". This particular song expressed negativity towards the war.Yet still respected the soldiers who served mostly due to the fact that he also served in the military. So this is why Jimi Hendrix was a perfect candidate to perform in Woodstock Festival.
The Unique Aura
In Benjamin's famous essay "Work of Art in the Ages of Mechanical Reproduction", he advocates that aura can only happen once; it that first reaction to a new experience. Well on that summer of 1969 in Bethel, New York as Jimi Hendrix played the national anthem with his electrical guitar,that can never be recreated. It occurred in a time when America was in the break of drastic changed and it could clearly be seen as Jimi Hendrix played each chord. America was have not only a external fight with the world for example the Vietnam War, but also internally. American's were advocating equal rights at the time when the south was raging with violence a protests because blacks were fight oppression from whites. In the West you had the gay rights movements and also the feminist movements. Here was a black man playing the electrical guitar which symbolized radicalism and to top it off he is playing the "Star Spangle Banner". It seems to send a message to not only America but the whole world that this is a new rebirth of a new America. One that promote equality peace, and change. There must of been a certain nostalgia in air as the festival occurred it was probably very much unique, only the people that were physically there can explain it, its not the same as watching it on a video. These elements just make it more unique and makes it a great example for aura, a experience that can never be replicated.
Personal Experience With Aura
My personal first experience with this piece was music took place in my Music 105 class. My professor had showed is the video of Jimi Hendrix, I was fascinated, I had never seen some one play the electrical to the Star Spangle Banner. I felts as the surround sound system exploded the songs of the electrical guitar into the room and sink into the ears of ever student sitting in the classroom. I felts my raise up as he flicked the strings with his fingers and screech out of the speakers. That first it really did hit me but not to the point that I would move my head the rhythm maybe because I was in the classroom with other students.
After the piece finished my professor was quick to explained to us the background story of the piece and the significance that it had during its time period. Due to the fact that there were certain important events going on. After knowing the facts of the time period that this piece was performed I then heard song the privacy of room with earphones on. As I heard the guitar start play and the occasional drums in the backgrounds I started to ponder how it must of felt if I had been there. I didn't relive the aura of my first experience but rather experienced a new one. Then I realized that when you learn more information about something you get a whole complete new experience or aura.
Conclusion
Yes it is true you are never able to recreate aura, but you can create new experiences. You can't recreate the past but you can shape the future. Looking at the video for the first time was completely different than the first time.But the second time was a new experience in itself. The reason for this was because I gained new knowledge that I hadn't obtained in the first time. It seems that Benjamin's theory actually stands the test time at least for his theory of aura.
Martin Vargas Vazquez is currently a freshman at California State University Northridge. He is majoring in History, and is planning to become a Military Historian in the future.