“These initiatives harm Africa.” Ed Sheeran is lapidary in criticizing the initiative of the supergroup Band Aid 40 which created a new version of “Do They Know It's Christmas?”, the famous charity song recorded by Band Aid in 1984 to support the fight against hunger in Ethiopia. “I was not asked for permission to participate in the Band Aid 40 single. If I had the opportunity, I would not have allowed the use of my voice,” the singer declared via a story on his Instagram profile.
The new version of the famous song, scheduled for the next few weeks, will be a mega-mix that will include the voices of the artists involved in the 1984, 2004 and 2014 editions. Among the prominent names include Sting, Phil Collins, Damon Albarn, Boy George , Sam Smith, Thom Yorke, George Michael, Harry Styles, Chris Martin, Paul Weller, Sugababes, Bananarama, Seal, Sinéad O'Connor, Rita Ora, Robbie Williams, Kool and the Gang and many more.
Sheeran justified his position by quoting Fuse ODG, a British musician of Ghanaian origins, who had already spoken out against these initiatives, arguing that similar campaigns, despite being born with good intentions, perpetuate harmful stereotypes for the African continent. “These projects destroy Africa's dignity, pride and identity, costing the continent trillions of dollars in investment and tourism. By portraying a dehumanized image, they fuel pity rather than collaboration, discouraging concrete commitments,” he said.
Sheeran's support for Fuse ODG's words reflects an evolution in his understanding of the topic: “Ten years on, my perception of the narrative surrounding these initiatives has changed.”
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Meanwhile, on December 1st, an unreleased clip from the recording of “Do They Know It's Christmas?” will be broadcast for the first time.
In Great Britain, the BBC will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the historic song, recorded on 25 November 1984, with a series of special programmes. Zoe Ball will host the BBC Radio 2 documentary entitled “Do They Know It's Christmas?: The Song That Changed The World”, enriched by the stories of artists such as Bob Geldof, Midge Ure, Bono, Sting and other protagonists.
Additionally, BBC Four and BBC iPlayer will broadcast an exclusive 75-minute documentary, 'The Making of Do They Know It's Christmas?', which includes original footage shot by director Nigel Dick at the recently restored and digitized SARM Studios in Notting Hill.
“Through rare and previously unseen footage, we will see stars such as Bananarama, Bono, Boy George, Duran Duran, George Michael, Glenn Gregory of Heaven 17, Paul Young, Phil Collins, Spandau Ballet and Sting during rehearsals, recordings and moments of interaction in 24 hours that left a mark in the history of pop music”, declares BBC in a note, while Jonathan Rothery, head of BBC Pop Music TV, underlined the importance of the event: “The birth of the supergroup Band Aid and the publication of 'Do They Know It's Christmas?' represent a crucial point in the history of pop music. BC TV will celebrate the 40th anniversary of this recording and its incredible legacy that continues today.”
Bob Geldof, promoter of the project that led to Live Aid in July 1985, added: “It was, if not 'the shot that went around the world', it certainly became, even if unintentionally, 'the cry that spread globally', culminating twenty years later with the G8 in Gleneagles in 2005 thanks to Live8″.
In the wake of the success of “Do They Know It's Christmas?”, “We Are The World” was then released on the other side of the ocean, the charity song written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and performed by a supergroup of name USA for Africa, made up of 45 big names in the music scene, coordinated by the late Quincy Jones, who raised funds to alleviate the famine in Ethiopia.
Antonio Santini for SANREMO.FM
