Pavarotti & Friends was a series ofbenefit concerts hosted by Italian operatictenorLuciano Pavarotti between 1992 and 2003 in his home town ofModena, Italy. Proceeds from the events were donated to humanitarian causes including the international aid agencyWar Child[1] and theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.[2] The concerts featured Pavarotti performing with special musical guests[3] and each concert was released as a compilation album and DVD underLondon Records/Decca Records.
Ten benefit concerts were held between 1992 and 2003. The concerts have been broadcast in various countries and each concert was released as a compilation album and DVD underLondon Records/Decca Records.The Pavarotti & Friends Collection: The Complete Concerts, 1992–2000, a DVD featuring the first eight concerts, was released in November 2002 under Decca.[4]
The first Pavarotti & Friends concert was held on September 27, 1992, featuring guest starsSting,Bob Geldof,Brian May andMike Oldfield. A compilation album and DVD was released under Decca Records.[5] The compilation album sold 120,000 units in the US[6] and around 1.5 million units worldwide.[1]
Pavarotti & Friends 2 took place on September 13, 1994, and featured guest performances byBryan Adams,Andreas Vollenweider,Nancy Gustafson,Giorgia andAndrea Bocelli. A compilation album and DVD was released underLondon Records (now Decca Records) and sold around 1 million copies worldwide.[6][1]
Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Bosnia took place on September 12, 1995 in support of the War Child charity, specifically to benefit war-tornBosnia.[1] The concert featured guest performances byBono,Meat Loaf,Simon Le Bon,Michael Bolton,The Edge,Brian Eno andDolores O'Riordan.[7][8] The concert was broadcast onPBS[1] and a compilation album and DVD was released underLondon Records (now Decca Records).[9]
The Pavarotti & Friends for War Child concert was held on June 20, 1996. Proceeds from the concert were donated to the international aid agency,War Child, specifically in aid of children inBosnia. The concert featured guest performances byElton John,Sheryl Crow,Eric Clapton,Liza Minnelli andJoan Osborne.[10][11] The compilation arrived at position 19 in Danish Chart.[12]
The Pavarotti & Friends for the Children of Liberia was held on June 9, 1998 in support of the War Child charity, specifically to benefit the orphans of war-tornLiberia.[13] The concert was directed bySpike Lee and featured guest performances byStevie Wonder,Celine Dion,Jon Bon Jovi,Spice Girls,Trisha Yearwood,Natalie Cole andThe Corrs. The concert was broadcast onBBC andPBS,[14] and onsyndication in the US,[15][16] and also released as a compilation album and DVD.[17]
The Pavarotti & Friends forGuatemala andKosovo concert was held on June 1, 1999, and raised $1 million for War Child programs to aid young refugees from Kosovo and Guatemala.[18][19] The concert featured guest performances byMariah Carey,Ricky Martin,B.B. King,Joe Cocker,Boyzone,Lionel Richie,Gianni Morandi,Renato Zero andGloria Estefan.[20] The concert was released as a compilation DVD and album.[21]
The Pavarotti & Friends for Cambodia and Tibet concert took place on June 6, 2000 in support of a number of charities to benefit children inCambodia andTibet. The concert featured guest performers includingGeorge Michael,Eurythmics,Aqua,Enrique Iglesias,Monica Naranjo,Darren Hayes,Caetano Veloso,Tracy Chapman,Irene Grandi andSkunk Anansie.[22] Special guests included theDalai Lama who opened the event.[23]
The Pavarotti & Friends for Afghanistan concert took place on May 29, 2001 to raise money for Afghanistan refugees through theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) programme. The concert featured guest performances byTom Jones,Barry White,George Benson,Anastacia,Deep Purple,Bond andMorcheeba, as well as guest appearances by actorsMichael Douglas andCatherine Zeta-Jones and designerDonatella Versace.[24][3] The concert raised $3.3 million for its cause.[18]
The Pavarotti & Friends for Angola benefit concert took place on May 28, 2002 to raise money for Angolan refugees through the UNHCR programme. Guest performers includedAndrea Bocelli,James Brown,Elisa,Grace Jones,Gino Paoli,Sting andLou Reed.[25]
The Pavarotti & Friends for SOS Iraq concert was held on May 27, 2003 to raise money for Iraqi refugees in Iran through the UNHCR programme. The concert featured guest performances byBono,Queen,Eric Clapton,Deep Purple,Ricky Martin,Andrea Bocelli,Lionel Richie,Laura Pausini,Zucchero andManá, and raised over €2 million for the UNHCR cause.[2][18]
There was some criticism with regards to Pavarotti, a classically-trained opera singer, performing pop songs with pop stars at his charity concerts. Pavarotti responded to the critics saying: "Some say the word pop is a derogatory word to say 'not important'—I do not accept that. If the word classic is the word to say 'boring,' I do not accept. There is good and bad music."[26]
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