PR Newswire

Yanni | The Forbidden City & Taj Mahal | 1997 | Rare Concert Rockumentary

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• published: 07 Oct 2016
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Amazing TV Documentary, 'Forbidden Cities', following the incredible New Age Musician, Yanni, during his legendary, history making shows. The Forbidden City, China, and the Taj Mahal, India. -Pre concert announcement article: prnewswire.co.uk YANNI: THE FIRST WESTERN ARTIST TO PERFORM AT INDIA'S TAJ MAHAL AND CHINA'S FORBIDDEN CITY Los Angeles, February 3, 1997 - Having achieved a personal triumph in 1994 with his historic performance at the 2,000-year-old Herod Atticus Theatre at the Acropolis, internationally acclaimed composer and performer Yanni will attain two more cultural milestones in 1997, becoming the first ever western artist granted permission to perform in concert at the Taj Mahal in India, and at the Forbidden City in China. The announcement comes together with Yanni's move to Virgin Records, who will release his next album and video in October, 1997. Yanni's first Virgin release will be comprised of new material recorded at his upcoming events. Details of these Global Music Events, and Yanni's new record deal with Virgin, will be previewed at a press conference with Yanni and Ken Berry, Chairman and CEO of Virgin Music Group Worldwide, to be held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills on February 3 at 6:00 PM. On March 20 and 21, Yanni and his 45-piece symphony orchestra will perform two concerts at the Taj Mahal as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of India's independence. Yanni will donate all the proceeds of ticket sales to the Government of Uttar Pradesh to ensure the maintenance, restoration, and preservation of the Taj Mahal and its surrounding environs. Yanni's concerts at the Taj will also be televised live throughout India on Doordarshan Television. In order to accommodate an audience of 7,500 for each show, a special concert site is being created adjacent to the Taj Mahal. The Government of UP and Yanni have jointly committed to building a new road and a bridge across the River Yamuna to facilitate access to the concert site. Officials from the Indian Government will be in attendance at the press conference. "The Taj is one of the most beautiful and inspiring structures in the world, " said Yanni recently, during his first visit to India. "I had always wanted to see the Taj Mahal and when I went there it took my breath away. It is a magical place." On May 30 and 31, Yanni will achieve another cultural milestone when he becomes the first western artist to perform in concert at the Forbidden City in Beijing, China. Yanni and his symphony orchestra will perform two shows at the historic and very ancient Working People's Cultural Palace at the Forbidden City, regarded by many as one of the world's most incredible and epic architectural achievements. Yanni was invited to perform in China by the China National Culture and Art Corporation, in an effort to further develop cultural exchanges between China and the United States. Yanni will be undertaking a more extensive China Tour at a later date, with additional concerts in other major cities including Shanghai and Guangzhou. Yanni's historic Forbidden City concerts will be broadcast by CCTV, and will be seen on television in millions of homes throughout China, as well as many other countries in Asia. Officials from the Chinese Government will also be in attendance at the press conference. During a recent visit to Beijing, Yanni said "My goal is to connect with people emotionally all over the world. I take life's experiences and translate them into music - music that hopefully creates an impact on the listener." Clearly, Yanni has made an impact on Chinese listeners, as "Yanni Live At The Acropolis" is currently one of the best-selling foreign artists in China. "Yanni Live At The Acropolis" premiered nationwide in the US in March, 1994 on PBS Television, and was seen in over 20 million homes raising more than 12 million dollars to date -- making it one of the biggest fund-raisers ever for Public Television. Following the success of "Yanni Live At the Acropolis" on their stations, PBS has just announced they have concluded an agreement with Yanni (which will be their biggest to date) to air Yanni's next video on PBS, premiering on December 2, 1997, following the release of his new album and video on Virgin Records in late 1997. A Yanni spokesman classified the Global Music Event plan as "monumental," particularly in view of the size and scope of the project, and the logistics. "Yanni Live At The Acropolis" has continually remained on the charts in the US since its release in 1994, and it has achieved gold and platinum status in numerous countries around the world. Having sold over 7 million copies of the album worldwide, "Yanni Live At The Acropolis" has also become one of the best-selling music videos of all time. The concert has been seen by more than half a billion people in 65 countries worldwide. Yanni's last US tour in 1995 encompassed 50 cities and was one of the top ten highest grossing concert tours of the year.