Bob Geldof has defended the revival of Band-Aid 40 after backlash from critics who claim the ‘colonial’ Christmas single perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Africa.
Ed Sheeran and Fuse ODG are among those who have criticised the song ‘Do They Know It’s Christmas? which has been condemned for fuelling pity rather than partnership.
London-born Ghanaian English rapper Fuse ODG spoke out, as he released a response called “We Know It’s Christmas” and urged the BBC not to promote the song.
He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain that treating the 1984 famine in Ethiopia – which originally inspired Band-Aid – as an Africa-wide issue would be similar to labelling all of Europe war-stricken due to the conflict in Ukraine.
It follows Sheeran’s admission that he would have politely refused to allow the charity hit to feature his voice, while other detractors have included Damon Albarn and Lily Allen.
But Bob Geldof hit back, saying: ‘It’s a pop song ffs. There IS endemic hunger due to the unforgiving soil conditions. Water IS scarce save for a scattering of unreliable wells. Rain IS increasingly unreliable.
‘These are not ‘colonial tropes’ they are empirical facts… Climate change affects the poorest first and worst. War exacerbates these conditions. Xmas IS celebrated throughout Ethiopia according to their own calendar i.e. two weeks after our holiday.’
‘This little pop song has kept hundreds of thousands if not millions of people alive. Just today Band-Aid has given hundreds of thousands of pounds to help those running from the mass slaughter in Sudan and enough cash to feed a further 8,000 children in the same affected areas of Ethiopia as 1984.’
Alongside artists like Sting and Harry Styles, the 33-year-old singer first appeared on the 2014 version of the song, which was led by Geldof and Midge Ure and was intended to generate money for the Ebola relief efforts.
However, in the lead-up to the 2024 Ultimate Mix of the song’s 40th anniversary, Ed has stated that if he had been asked to contribute his voice to the new version, he would have refused.
Taking to his Instagram stories on Sunday, Sheeran: ‘My approval wasn’t sought on this new Band Aid 40 release and had I had the choice I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals.
‘A decade on and my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg. This is just my personal stance, I’m hoping it’s a forward-looking one. Love to all x.’
An invitation to participate in the 2014 version of Do They Know It’s Christmas, which had revised lyrics addressing the Ebola outbreak that was then plaguing West African nations, was turned down by Fuse ODG himself.
He has now written on his Facebook page: ‘Ten years ago today, I said NO to Bob Geldof’s Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas project due to the fact it’s a campaign that dehumanises Africans and destroys our pride and identity in the name of ‘charity’.
This should probably be put to bed. We must support our own Bob, therefore it’s time to perform a song for the homeless, aged, and other impoverished people in the UK.
Although millions have been pushed into Africa, their birth rate has been rising daily, and they are no better off than they were forty years ago.
Charity begins at home.
However, if people want to give their money to charities that is up to them, it’s their money, and I do take my hat off to Geldof, at least he tried to do something and raise awareness of what was going on.
THE MONTHLY MOSQUITO 