On Monday 11 October, a captivated crowd got together in Brighton for “Rangzen”, an awareness-raising concert calling once again for a Free Tibet. On an ecstatic October night, Students for a Free Tibet
(SFT) brought together some of the most revered bands from the Brighton scene in a call for Tibetan independence. Opening act Bare Skin Rugs delivered a composed performance of bluesy and contemplative melodies, followed by Kovak’s intense guitars and unique synths. Alaska concluded a rapturous night with tunes at once violent, melancholic and entrancing.
Rangzen (Tibetan for “freedom”) stems from a collaboration between Students for a Free Tibet UK and The Tibet Society. Through music, we intend to raise awareness on human rights abuses, the quest for independence and other Tibet-related issues. In a continuous search for engaging, non-violent forms of struggle; we value the organisation of musical events as an extremely powerful, yet peaceful manifestation of our concerns.
Organiser, Ivan Costantino commented: “As a student organisation we aimed at reaching out to a young and vibrant target. Music is one of the vehicles we found most appropriate. That is how we came to call on up-and-coming bands from the Brighton scene for an event that surely has brought students and the local community closer to the Tibetan people”. Highlighting the visibility the event gave to pressing issues and current international campaigns, SFT board member Alice Speller said “Less than two months before the scheduled execution of respected Tibetan scholar Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, this event has once again allowed us to bring up his case to the general public”.
