After studying Tibetan in Nepal and meeting Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys in Kathmandu, Erin Potts travels inside Tibet for the first time. In Lhasa, she and Sam Chapin leave their government-assigned tour, move into the Tibetan part of the city, and come face to face with life under Chinese occupation. When they witness a protest, tear gas, gunfire, and a violent police crackdown, they are left holding proof the world needs to see.
Note: This episode includes discussion of a violent response to a peaceful protest, plus a cuss word or two.
In This Episode:
- The night Erin met MCA, Adam Yauch of the Beastie Boys, at a party in Kathmandu, why she almost refused to talk to him, and how they ultimately became friends
- What it was like to travel inside Tibet under Chinese occupation in 1993, and how Erin and Sam ditched their government-assigned tour to make their way into the Tibetan part of Lhasa
- How Tibetans in Lhasa risked everything to speak with Westerners about freedom
- Witnessing a protest in Lhasa, then tear gas, gunfire, and a violent police crackdown
- How Erin and Sam secretly photographed the protest, evaded arrest, and hid the film
- The race to get the photos out of Tibet so the world could see what happened
Voices in This Episode (In order of appearance):
- Erin Potts — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and the Milarepa Fund, expert on music and activism, and executive producer of Freedom Needs a Soundtrack.
- Sam Chapin — Erin’s longtime friend and early collaborator, who was with her in Nepal and Tibet, and when she first met Adam Yauch. Sam was involved in the first Tibet work with Adam and the Beastie Boys, including all of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts.
- Adam Yauch — co-founder of the Tibetan Freedom Concerts and Milarepa Fund, member of the Beastie Boys, heard through archival audio.
Learn more:
https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/
https://www.freedomneedsasoundtrack.com/
https://www.youtube.com/@freedomneedsasoundtrack
https://www.facebook.com/FreedomNeedsASoundtrack
https://www.instagram.com/freedomneedsasoundtrack
This series is a Rangzen production produced by Adonde Media and distributed in partnership with KALW Public Media in San Francisco.