Rockbites: Neil Young signs on to Rock In Rio-For A Better World

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Neil Young signs on to Rock In Rio-For A Better World
11 October 2000

The third edition of Latin America’s largest festival, the occassional Rock In Rio—For A Better World, takes place next year 12-14 and 18-21 January in Rock City/Barra da Tijuca in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The For A Better World project, in collaboration with America Online Brazil and UNESCO, expects to donate $R12 million (US$6.5 million) raised by the event to educate at-risk Brazillian teenagers.
    Organizers have just announced that Neil Young has confirmed. Promoter Roberto Medino says “It’s a dream come true.” He’s been working since 1991 to get Young, who’s never visited Brazil. Young performs during Rock In Rio’s second weekend on 20 January.
    Young is widely know for aiding good causes through his annual Farm Aid Benefits held each September near Washington, DC, and for his Bridge School Benefits held each October in northern California.
    Also confirmed for Rock In Rio are Beck, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers. Iron Maiden, also playing, plan to tape their show for a live album. Overall 98 bands will perform on 2 stages and in 3 music tents, with many shows to be broadcast globally.
    The first edition of Rock In Rio in 1985 attracted over 1.3 million concertgoers. The second edition was held in an enormous stadium specially built for the event that held 700,000 people. Rock In Rio III returns to the multi-stage format of the original because, according to Medino, “...people missed the great party that was the first festival in Rock City. There, everybody lived together in harmony for 10 days, and it was a mark for that whole generation. This time, the party will be even larger, because we have the know-how of the previous versions.”
    Rock In Rio - For A Better World will begin with three minutes of silence throughout Brazil starting at 7 pm (10 pm GMT) on 12 January, during which each citizen can “reflect about what he or she can do to improve the world.” Then the Brazillian Symphonic Orchestra will open the festival with John Lennon’s Imagine.
    Tickets cost R$34 (US$18.50) per day, with ordering info available on the festival’s Web site. | Billboard story | | Rock In Rio | | top of page |

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