By Samina Speirs
We’re 40 years on from the ‘biblical’ Ethiopian famine, the charity landscape has changed, and dominant portrayals of Africa as a continent plagued by disease and poverty have been challenged. Considering this, the decision to bring back Band Aid in 2024 has understandably raised eyebrows.
Many of the latest lyrics remain consistent with the original version, positioning Europe as a “world of plenty” and Africa as a “world of dread and fear”. The classic line “feed the world” comes across as ironic during the cost-of-living crisis, when the number of Brits turning to food banks is at an all-time high [1].
The subsequent discussion about the track calls into question how much perceptions and representations of the African continent have really changed since 1985.
The Debate.
The artist, Fuse ODG, has crucially called out Band Aid 2024 as “not just inaccurate but damaging” and having done “more long-term harm than good” [2]. Off the back of this, Ed Sheeran publicly voiced his opposition to the number and wishes that his vocals weren’t used. He points to the song’s impact in “stifling economic growth, investment and tourism” in the continent [3].
The defensive reactions from the original Band Aid 1985 promoters, Bob Geldof and Harvey Goldsmith, are telling. “This little pop song has kept thousands if not millions alive” said Geldof, whilst Goldsmith responded with “we wanted to do something to help, let these busybodies and woke people and do-gooders who know everything, let them get out and do something” [4]. The insinuation that the African diaspora is not supporting its people highlights their ignorance of the full context.
More worryingly however, is the lack of introspection and awareness from Geldof and Goldsmith. As public perception is ever-evolving, it’s important that we’re able to discuss these issues in a new light. People don’t need to hold the same opinion forever and are free to say something is problematic, even if it was held up as something great before. This is especially important as traditionally underrepresented voices are now contributing to global discussions more than ever.
Elevating the perspectives of African people is an important starting point. For many Ethiopians, the song was originally a source of strength, and pride that the world was uniting in support. However, 5 to 10 to 40 years later, and that pride has been replaced with annoyance and embarrassment [5]. The title of the song – “Do They Know It’s Christmas” – has drawn particular controversy because of Ethiopia having been a majority Christian country since the 4th century, before Britain.
Kenyan people living in Kibera also shared insightful perspectives – “it’s nice that people want to give a helping hand, but it makes me feel that Africa can only be seen through a lens of poverty and suffering” and “we are not only sitting back with our hands open waiting for hand-outs”. These portrayals are undoubtedly reminiscent of colonial-era stereotypes and further drive home the need to “create music that celebrates our strengths” [6].
Our Take.
The purpose of this piece is not to guilt-trip or shame anyone for charitable giving. Rather, it is to recognise that there is room to improve. Through this, we can ensure that there is a space to critically examine, evaluate and act in the best interests of those who need support. It is not an ‘either-or’ situation, and there is certainly scope for the charity sector to confront and counter white saviourism – as has been done in many cases.
The reality is that many of the issues faced have been created and exacerbated by neocolonial institutions and government policies. For example, the current conflict and instability in the Democratic Republic of the Congo – which has costed millions of lives – is indirectly funded by nations such as the UK, US, France and Belgium. Alternatively, International Monetary Fund (IMF) loans to Africa are presented as improving livelihoods and reducing inequalities, yet the subsequent interest payments on debts have paradoxically consumed an enormous amount of annual revenue (e.g. 38% in Kenya according to the World Bank) [7].
Whilst, on the one hand, it may be argued that this is a Christmas song and ‘isn’t that deep’, the historical context of where these stereotypical narratives about the African continent come from do in fact make it ‘deep’. Especially considering the real-world impacts that these beliefs can have on actions. Just cast your mind back to 2021, when 40% of the countries listed on the UK’s COVID-19 ‘red list’ were in Sub-Saharan Africa [8]. This was despite many of these nations having acted swiftly in response to the pandemic, and most having a lower COVID case rate than the UK [9].
Looking ahead.
Ultimately, this feels like a missed opportunity. At a time when African creative industries, such as the Afrobeats and Amapiano music and dance scenes, are thriving, Band Aid 2024 could have challenged and reframed dominant narratives. We’ve seen a growing number of musical collaborations between African and non-African artists (e.g. Ayra Starr and Coldplay, Diamond Platnumz and Jason Derulo, Burna Boy and Khalid, Fireboy DML and Ed Sheeran, Rema and Selena Gomez, Asake and Gunna). Charitable efforts would also benefit from reflecting these two-way partnerships, as they offer an exciting opportunity to reimagine the meaning of international development, aid and charity – in a way that uplifts, rather than disempowers people. More broadly speaking, Band Aid 2024 is a stark example of why it’s so important that people are allowed to tell their own stories.
References
[1] Trussell. 2024. End of year stats. Available here: https://www.trussell.org.uk/news-and-research/latest-stats/end-of-year-stats
[2] Fuse ODG. 2024. My criticism of the Band Aid charity single caused a storm. Now let’s talk about the way forward for Africa. The Guardian. Available here: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/dec/03/criticism-bob-geldof-band-aid-charity-single-africa-caused-storm-fuse-odg
[3] Ed Sheeran. 2024. Ed Sheeran wishes he wasn’t on the new Band Aid song. BBC News. Available from: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c2k03qz5jqno
[4] Harvey Goldsmith. 2024. Live Aid promoter dismisses ‘woke do-gooders’ questioning Band Aid after Ed Sheeran statement. The Independent. Available here: https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/ed-sheeran-band-aid-2024-bob-geldof-africa-b2653170.html
[5] Chris Osuh. 2024. ‘Everyone was happy, but it became annoying’: Ethiopians look back on Band Aid. The Guardian. Available from: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2024/nov/26/everyone-was-happy-but-it-became-annoying-ethiopians-look-back-on-band-aid
[6] Josephine Alam, Francis Malloba. 2024. Ed Sheeran and Fuse ODG rebuke Band Aid charity song. We ask Kenyans to weigh in. NPR. Available from: https://www.npr.org/sections/goats-and-soda/2024/11/25/g-s1-35709/ed-sheeran-fuse-odg-band-aid-do-they-know-its-christmas-africa
[7] Andres Schipani, Aanu Adeoye. 2024. Kenya’s mass protests expose African fury with IMF. Financial Times. Available from: https://www.ft.com/content/0e1be993-90e1-4477-9c29-41400c0d1c98.
[8] Anonymous. 2021. A granular look at UK’s COVID-19 ‘red list’ shows why it’s deeply flawed. The Conversation. Available from: https://theconversation.com/a-granular-look-at-uks-covid-19-red-list-shows-why-its-deeply-flawed-168615
[9] Oliver Smith. 2021. Countries on UK travel ‘red list’ have ten times lower Covid case rates than Britain. The Telegraph. Available from: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/news/countries-uk-travel-red-list-have-ten-times-lower-covid-case/