BRITISH-GHANAIAN musician Fuse ODG has called on fellow artists to follow Ed Sheeran’s lead and speak out against the iconic Band Aid song Do They Know It’s Christmas?, claiming it perpetuates harmful stereotypes about Africa.
Speaking in an interview, Fuse ODG, known for hits like Antenna and Dangerous Love, said, ‘Everyone’s journey is different, but it would be great if artists use their platform to effect change. I would urge other artists to take the step and speak up.’
The 1984 song, written by British rock stars Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia, has faced ongoing criticism for lyrics describing Africa as a ‘world of dread and fear’ where ‘nothing ever grows.’ While the track raised millions for famine relief, critics argue that it paints a distorted and overly negative image of the continent.
Defending the song, Geldof stated that it saved countless lives, insisting the depiction of hunger and water scarcity reflected the crisis at the time rather than colonial tropes.
The song has since seen multiple re-releases, including a 40th-anniversary remix featuring past contributors like Ed Sheeran, One Direction, and Rita Ora. However, Sheeran publicly disapproved of the new version, writing on Instagram: ‘Had I had the choice, I would have respectfully declined the use of my vocals. A decade on, my understanding of the narrative associated with this has changed.’
Fuse ODG revealed he was invited to participate in the 2014 re-recording but declined, feeling the song and its accompanying imagery ‘dehumanises Africans.’
‘On the surface, it looks like it’s raising money to help a crisis, but in the long run, it’s destroying our collective identity as Africans, and that needs to change,’ Reuters quoted him as saying. Fuse ODG argued that the negative portrayal could discourage investors and tourists, ultimately harming African economies.
While acknowledging the good intentions behind Band Aid, he criticised the initiative for being rooted in colonial and slavery-era narratives. ‘The world has a view of us that’s so distorted and negative that it validates certain actions,’ he said. ‘There’s a lot of unlearning and undoing that needs to be done to really address this.’
Fuse ODG’s comments highlight a broader call for a shift in how Africa is represented in global narratives. He urged artists to leverage their influence to challenge stereotypes and promote a more balanced, dignified image of the continent.
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