Tibetan freedom concert 1996

Update, Feb. He had recently converted to Buddhism after years of studying the religion and Tibetan culture. Yauch had attended lessons by the Dalai Lama and spent time with the monk Palden Gyatsowho tibetan freedom concert 1996 survived torture and imprisonment in Chinese camps for 33 years. As Yauch embraced Tibetan ideologies, he felt compelled to do something to help the people of the region who had been living under Chinese occupation since

The story of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts traces back to a fortunate encounter in , when Erin Potts, a year-old activist devoted to aiding Tibetan refugees, found herself at a party in Kathmandu, Nepal, alongside Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch. Surprisingly, Potts discovered a shared passion for Tibet, and her impression of Yauch shifted. As Yauch left Nepal, Potts became his eyes on the ground, updating him on Tibetan activism and sending photos from demonstrations. The idea to merge activism with music materialized gradually. Potts ensured that the concerts conveyed the Tibetan cause authentically.

Tibetan freedom concert 1996

Over , people attended the concert. The greatest manifestation of that were the Tibetan Freedom Concerts. From until , the concerts brought in millions of dollars in donations and received international attention through broadcasts online and on MTV. But that never would have happened if year-old Erin Potts hadn't found herself at the same party as Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch one night in Kathmandu, Nepal, in Potts had moved to Kathmandu after studying Tibetan language and culture in college, and had devoted herself to helping refugees. The two found a connection when the topic turned to Tibet. Yauch met a few Tibetan refugees earlier in his trip and that piqued his interest. Potts told Yauch about her work and later took him around Kathmandu to show him different parts of Tibetan life in exile. Yauch left Nepal the next day, but the two stayed in touch. Potts became his eyes on the ground, sending him photos from demonstrations in Tibet and keeping him informed of news from the activist community. Within a few years, Yauch decided he wanted to do something to help. And as to how, the answer was pretty clear, according to Potts.

She also created packages to brief the musicians on the cause. Enjoyable as some of those daytime acts were, it was the big guns that received the most fervent audience reception. This is the good one.

By Steven Stolder. Tibet was invaded in by the Chinese government, which has since pursued a policy of cultural genocide and human-rights violations, destroying monasteries, resettling Chinese citizens in the region and brutalizing the Tibetans who remained there. In the 46 years since the invasion, an estimated 1 million Tibetans have been killed and hundreds of thousands imprisoned. The concerts, which were alcohol-free, came off without any major disturbances, although incongruities abounded. The monks and nuns in attendance were essentially guests of honor at an event that attracted alternative-rock fans mostly in their teens and early 20s. Each day, the shows were opened and closed with a chanted prayer by the Buddhist monks, who waved and smiled as they strolled between a tent set up as a makeshift monastery and the backstage area, where a slew of celebrities, including Tom Waits , Krist Novoselic, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell, mingled with the performers. A surplus of onstage anomalies occurred as the bill mixed generations and genres with impunity.

By Steven Stolder. Tibet was invaded in by the Chinese government, which has since pursued a policy of cultural genocide and human-rights violations, destroying monasteries, resettling Chinese citizens in the region and brutalizing the Tibetans who remained there. In the 46 years since the invasion, an estimated 1 million Tibetans have been killed and hundreds of thousands imprisoned. The concerts, which were alcohol-free, came off without any major disturbances, although incongruities abounded. The monks and nuns in attendance were essentially guests of honor at an event that attracted alternative-rock fans mostly in their teens and early 20s.

Tibetan freedom concert 1996

By the mids, the Beastie Boys had grown from New York City hip-hop scamps into alternative icons. Their concerns were growing in scope, too. But Yauch and Potts always wanted to organize a concert of their own. In , they got their chance. The message was loud and clear, too, with speeches, Tibetan flags, monks chanting, a performance by local Tibetan music and arts troupe Chaksam-pa, and a purpose-built temple called a stupa at the center of the grounds. Another 36, people watched the concert on the internet, the first-ever online broadcast of such scale. But the rise in public attention in the U. The Free Tibet concert film remains fairly obscure: no high-definition version of the movie exists on streaming platforms, and a grainy transfer on YouTube has fewer than 4, views. Tragically, Yauch, who died in at age 47, never did get to visit the free Tibet he rapped about on Ill Communication. To hear the performers and organizers tell it, it was also a ton of fun.

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This is the good one. August 8, Foreign Policy. Rolling Stone. You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes , like us on Facebook , talk to us on Twitter , and join to our weekly newsletter for updates. Tibet was invaded in by the Chinese government, which has since pursued a policy of cultural genocide and human-rights violations, destroying monasteries, resettling Chinese citizens in the region and brutalizing the Tibetans who remained there. As Yauch embraced Tibetan ideologies, he felt compelled to do something to help the people of the region who had been living under Chinese occupation since Potts had moved to Kathmandu after studying Tibetan language and culture in college, and had devoted herself to helping refugees. Save Article Save Article. The Telegraph. Date December 28 Twelve people were injured; four critically.

Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of socio-political music festivals held in North America , Europe and Asia from onwards to support the cause of Tibetan independence.

The story of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts traces back to a fortunate encounter in , when Erin Potts, a year-old activist devoted to aiding Tibetan refugees, found herself at a party in Kathmandu, Nepal, alongside Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch. We love working with you. When you put the two together, what do you get? You can subscribe to our podcast on iTunes , like us on Facebook , talk to us on Twitter , and join to our weekly newsletter for updates. But the film does preserve footage from a significant day in San Francisco music history. Within a few years, Yauch decided he wanted to do something to help. The concerts, which were alcohol-free, came off without any major disturbances, although incongruities abounded. One moment the year-old bluesman Hooker led a cranked-up band through his trademark electric boogie; the next, A Tribe Called Quest were rolling out the funk. Culture Council. For assistance, contact your corporate administrator. As Herbie Hancock took the stage during the Washington, D. Tweet Like Pin Post Plus. The shows were a huge deal at the time, and two years later resulted in a concert documentary directed by Sarah Pirozek titled Free Tibet. She also created packages to brief the musicians on the cause.