The New Zealand Herald
November 25, 2014
Celebrities, MPs and charities have joined the backlash against the latest Band Aid single, claiming it “patronises” Africa.
As the new version of Do They Know It’s Christmas? reached number one in the UK charts, the furore over its controversial lyrics grew.
Lily Allen and Emeli Sande are the latest musicians to criticise the song, which aims to raise millions of dollars to help fight the ebola crisis in West Africa.
Some say the lyrics are outdated and perpetuate negative stereotypes of African countries which could harm their world image.
Sande, who was one of only three black musicians to take part in the new single, praised the sentiment behind the project but said “a whole new” song was needed.