A short story… The Chinese invaded the peaceful country of Tibet in 1950. Since then they have been under Chinese communist rule. The Chinese have killed over 1.2 million Tibetans and destroyed 6,000 monastaries. The Tibetans are a peaceful people led by the Dalai Lama and resist the Chinese rule without violence.
Tibetan Freedom Concert is the name given to a series of rock music festivals held in North America, Europe and Asia between 1996 and 2001 to support the cause of Tibetan independence. The concerts were organized by the Beastie Boys and the Milarepa Fund.
The Milarepa Fund initially created to disburse royalties to Tibetan monks sampled on the group's 1994 album Ill Communication. The Milarepa Fund's co-founders were Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys and social activist Erin Potts, then in her early twenties, whom Yauch had met on a trip to Nepal.
The idea for a Live Aid-style concert for Tibet was conveived by members of the group during the 1994 Lollapalooza Tour.
Organized in June 1996, the first concert was held in San Francisco and featured acts such as Smashing Pumpkins, Cibo Matto, Rage Against the Machine and De La Soul. It drew 100,000 people and raised over $800,000 for Tibetan and social justice causes. Additional concerts were held until 2001, generating public awareness about the Tibetan plight, particularly amongst young people. The concerts helped spur the growth of Students for a Free Tibet worldwide.
From left to right:
Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys), Patti Smith and Michael Stipe (R.E.M.)
Tibetan Freedom Concerts at a Glance (just some artists)
San Francisco
Polo Fields, Golden Gate Park June 15th & 16th 1996 $800 000 raised 100 000 Attendees
The Smashing Pumpkins, Beastie Boys, Pavement, John Lee Hooker, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rage Against the Machine, Sonic Youth, Beck, Björk, De La Soul, Fugees, Yoko Ono/Ima…
New York City
Downing Stadium, Randall's Island June 7th & 8th 1997 $250 000 raised over 50 000 Attendees
Foo Fighters, U2, Sonic Youth, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith, The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Radiohead, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Beastie Boys, Björk, Blur, Michael Stipe & Mike Mills, De La Soul, Noel Gallagher…
Washington D.C.
RFK Stadium June 13th & June 14th 1998 $1.2 Million raised over 120 000 Attendees
Beastie Boys, Radiohead, Sean Lennon, Dave Matthews Band, Sonic Youth, Wyclef Jean, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pulp, Kraftwerk, Beck…
There were also concerts in Amsterdam, Wisconsin, Sydney and Tokyo for Free Tibet '99.
