For the first time, The Concert for Bangladesh, the GRAMMY Award-winning album from George Harrison, Ravi Shankar & friends, is now available for streaming across all major digital music providers worldwide.
The Concert for Bangladesh was the first major music benefit of its kind. Two sold out concerts at New York’s Madison Square Garden brought together an extraordinary assemblage of major artists collaborating for a common humanitarian goal – setting the precedent that music could be used to serve a higher cause.
With its triple album boxset and feature film, The Concert for Bangladesh has generated millions of dollars for UNICEF and raised awareness for the organization around the world. To quote the former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, “George and his friends were pioneers.”
By August 1971, when George Harrison, Ravi Shankar & friends took the stage to play The Concert for Bangladesh, 10 million East Pakistani refugees had fled over the border into India, facing significant challenges, including the threat of hunger and disease. Up to that point, little public attention had been drawn to the crisis in East Pakistan/Bangladesh. Few people outside the region were aware of what was happening to these refugees or how to help those affected.
George organized the two groundbreaking concerts to direct global attention to the unfolding humanitarian crisis and raise funds for UNICEF’s work with the refugees. He assembled an all-star line-up of fellow artists including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, Billy Preston, and, of course, Ravi Shankar:
“The musicians were great. I mean they completely put down their own egos to play together and to do something because the whole vibe of that concert was that it was something bigger than the lot of us.” – George Harrison
Now, over 50 years later, children in Bangladesh continue to face risks from ongoing violence and unrest. But UNICEF’s presence remains – ensuring every child is healthy and protected – and The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF continues the concert’s legacy by providing support for critical UNICEF programs not only in Bangladesh, but anywhere children are in need.
The album is packed with astonishing performances and makes for a rousing listening experience. The historic collection, now celebrating over 50 years, also contains a bonus track – the original studio version of George’s song “Bangla Desh”, released as a single in July 1971.
All net proceeds (after taxes), will be donated to the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. For more information visit www.georgeharrisonfundforunicef.org.
