Backlash over 'patronising' Band Aid: Latest single accused of continuing negative stereotypes about Africa including poverty and disease
Critics including African academics say Christmas song ignores
fact that ebola has struck largely Muslim countries such as Liberia
where most don't celebrate December 25,
Backlash over 'patronising' Band Aid: Latest single accused of continuing negative stereotypes about Africa including poverty and disease
- Critics say Christmas song ignores fact ebola largely hit Muslim countries
- Point out most in virus-stricken areas don't even celebrate December 25
- Sir Bob Geldof 'undermined' African singers with similar charity songs
- Rapper Fuse ODG pulled out of project because he disagreed with lyrics
It has already raised millions for ebola victims and is set to go to number one in the charts.
But
the latest Band Aid single was yesterday branded ‘patronising’ by
African academics and a rapper revealed he pulled out of the recording
in protest.
Some
said the revised lyrics of Do They Know It’s Christmas? perpetuate
‘negative stereotypes’ about Africa, and claimed it ignores the fact
ebola has struck largely Muslim countries where most people do not
celebrate December 25.
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Sir Bob Geldof appeared on Sky News
and said the concerns of critics, who have described the Band Aid ebola
fundraiser single as perpetuating 'negative stereotypes' about Africa,
were a ‘complete load of b*******’
Others
criticised organisers Sir Bob Geldof and Midge Ure for undermining
African singers who have released similar charity songs.
Meanwhile
British-Ghanaian rapper Fuse ODG revealed he pulled out of the project
last weekend because he disagreed with the lyrics, which have been
revised since the first Band Aid track in 1984.
Writing
on Twitter, the 26-year-old said he felt the message of the song was
‘not in line’ with his own thoughts on how to help Africa. Sir Bob
supported his decision, adding: ‘He said he just felt awkward’.
But
the Boomtown Rats star, 63, responded furiously to his other critics.
Appearing on Sky News he said their concerns were a ‘complete load of
b*******’.
The
song, recorded by singers including One Direction and Ed Sheeran, is
favourite to become Christmas Number One, having topped the iTunes
charts already and become the fastest selling record of the year with
206,000 sales since it was released on Monday.
The song, recorded by singers
including One Direction and Ed Sheeran, pictured, is a favourite to
become Christmas Number One. It became the fastest selling record of the
year with 206,000 sales since Monday
But
Liberian academic Robtel Pailey, 32, who studies at the School of
Oriental and African Studies in London, said the lyrics are ‘incredibly
patronising and problematic’.
She
told Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘It paints the continent as unchanging
and frozen in time. If you look at the revised lyrics, there are
references to ‘them’ versus ‘us’.
‘And
the fact of the matter is, if you look at countries that have been most
affected by Ebola, the vast majority of the population in Sierra Leone
is Muslim, the vast majority of the population in Guinea is Muslim. Yes,
we know it is Christmas, but not all of us celebrate Christmas.’
British-Ghanaian rapper Fuse ODG
revealed he pulled out of the project last weekend because he disagreed
with the lyrics of the Band Aid single
When
it was first released in 1984, the Do They Know It’s Christmas? came
under fire for perceived inaccuracies and offensive lyrics.
At
the time, the line ‘There won’t be snow in Africa’ was criticised by
those who pointed out there is snow in some parts of the continent.
U2
singer Bono – who also recorded the latest version – later admitted he
‘loathed’ another line which said: ‘Well tonight thank God it’s them
instead of you.’
This
year, it was replaced with the words ‘Well tonight we’re reaching out
and touching you’, while the line ‘Where the only water flowing is the
bitter sting of tears’ was replaced with ‘Where a kiss of love can kill
you and there’s death in every tear.’
However,
Miss Pauley said it was wrong to suggest that every person infected
with Ebola would die, adding: ‘Death, doom and destruction. It is
insulting.’
Others
were equally scathing. Speaking to Al Jazeera news, Chitra Nagarajan,
31, a human rights activist from Nigeria, said she objected to
‘celebrities swooping in to “save” the people of Africa.’
She added: ‘It perpetuates stereotypes of conflict, poverty and disease as the single story of the continent.’
Abdullahi
Halakhe, 31, a policy analyst from Kenya, said he thought the lyrics
were ‘grotesque’, adding: ‘It was awful 30 years ago, and it’s awful
today.’
Dawit
Gebreselassie, 26, a financial analyst from Ethiopia said: ‘I would ask
does Geldof know when it’s Christmas time in Ethiopia? As perhaps the
fact that we celebrate Christmas a few weeks later on the 7th of January
could have misled him into thinking we don’t know when it is.
‘Reassure him from us that, after his last three reminders, we are well aware and don’t need any more prompting.’
Miss
Pauley said Band Aid should have supported African artists, such as
Liberian musicians D12 and Kuzzy, who have released similar tracks to
raise money for Ebola.
But
producer Harvey Goldsmith, who helped create the original Band Aid and
who produced the Live Aid concerts, said her concerns were ‘ridiculous’.
He
told Today: ‘I think it’s disingenuous for people to turn round and say
we shouldn’t do anything or sit back and watch it all happen or wait
for all those countries that pledged aid and refused to give it so far.’
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