'Brazil's Woodstock' Kicks Off

Jan. 13 -- There's a party going on down there— down in Rio de Janeiro, that is.

Rock in Rio, the seven-day music festival dubbed "Brazil's Woodstock," started Friday with three minutes of silence to contemplate peace, but cranked up the volume when legendary rocker Sting took thestage a few hours before sunrise.

Thousands of fans converged on the specially built City ofRock in western Rio waving white handkerchiefs and singingalong as the Brazilian Symphony Orchestra played "Imagine" byJohn Lennon.

Now, imagine the profits this concert is reeling in.

The feel-good marketing and a lineup that includes some of theworld's hottest recording artists are expected to draw some 1.5million fans from across South America to the $36 million showcalled "Rock in Rio for a Better World," making it the biggestpaying music festival ever.

Of the proceeds, organizers say they will donate 5 percent of sales to aBrazilian anti-violence group and U.N.-sponsored projects.'N Sync, Spears Top Sellers

Promoters booked 139 bands, including 38 major national andinternational acts, for the festival. The event is sponsored byAmerica Online and will be aired on satellite broadcaster DirecTV and on Warner Bros. channels.

Teen sensations 'N Sync and Spears, scheduled for nextThursday, have been the star sellers, followed by Red Hot ChiliPeppers.

The festival runs from Jan. 12-14 and from Jan. 18-21 and features a wide range of musical genres and a diverse group ofacts, also including Neil Young, Oasis, R.E.M., and Iron Maiden.Only 450,000 at Woodstock

Some 16 years ago, the first Rock in Rio set a record with1.38 million people. Only about 450,000 fans flocked toWoodstock, New York, in 1969.

On Friday, popular Brazilian singers Gilberto Gil, MiltonNascimento and Daniela Mercury started the public rocking, butveteran Sting, 49, stole the spotlight when he closed theshow.

"Mr. Rock in Rio," as the local press has dubbed Sting,greeted the audience in Portuguese before breaking into oldfavorites like "Roxanne" and "Set Them Free" to wild applause.