Singer Fuse ODG releases Band Aid Rebel music video.

“A decade later and my understanding of the associated narrative has changed, eloquently explained by @fuseodg,” Sheeran said.

Fuse ODG had posted: “I refused to participate in the Band-Aid because I recognized actions that harmed Africa.

“While they may generate sympathy and donations, they perpetuate harmful stereotypes that inhibit Africa’s economic growth, tourism and investment, ultimately costing the continent trillions and its dignity, pride and identity. has to be destroyed.”

Fuse ODG’s latest video features some of the continent’s most beautiful waterfalls, oceans and bustling cities, as well as famous black people including former Ghanaian president Kwame Nkrumah. Leaders are shown nodding.

Speaking about We Know It’s Christmas (A Band Aid Reply), Fuse ODG said it was intended as a reflection of “where we’ve come from and where we’re going”.

“Ten years ago, I took a stand because I believed it was time for Africans to tell their stories and retell the narrative,” he said.

“This song is a celebration of that change. We are no longer waiting for charity; we are building our own future,” he added.

“It’s about empowerment, pride and showing the world that Africa’s story is much more than poverty and aid.”

The music video is an audiovisual response to the latest incarnation of Do They Know It’s Christmas? – A charity song first written in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Urie to raise money for a famine in Ethiopia.

The new “ultimate mix” of the Band-Aid single combines vocals from several versions of the charity single that have been recorded over the years, including George Michael’s duet with Harry Styles, and Chris Martin’s harmonies with the Sugababes.

Spanish ballet singer Tony Hadley, who also sang on the original, told BBC Radio 2 That critics like Sheeran should “shut up, honestly.”

“If you take that route, nobody does anything to help anybody, so it’s just nonsense…

“Everybody is doing their bit to try and support different charities and we were doing our bit, innocently, to support what’s going on in Ethiopia… so What do we do? Do we sit back and do nothing?”

Speaking to BBC Breakfast last month, Fuse ODG commented that while the original Band-Aid project was “touching” and well-intentioned, the lyrics and associated images are now having a damaging effect. And stopping people from visiting Africa.

He said, “It’s heartwarming to see the efforts that were made in the beginning, the British public and various celebrities coming together to support a good cause, because there was a crisis at the time in which they Participation was required.”

“I don’t have a problem with it, I think it was great, and even looking back on it, I’m getting emotional.”

“But in this act of kindness, in this act of trying to help the crisis, we created another identity crisis,” he continued.

“As a child who now grew up in an era of images like this, Band-Aid and initiatives like that made Africa a place of famine, a place of poverty, a place full of disease.

“It took away our pride and our collective sense of identity. So in the middle of trying to solve a temporary crisis, we created another dangerous crisis, an identity crisis for the entire continent.”

He told BBC Africa that despite initially being “thrilled” to be invited to take part in the latest rendition of the star-studded charity track, his overarching “mission” as an artist It was about “how the world sees Africa and how Africans feel about themselves”.

“It struck me that the images presented by the Band-Aid Project were not in line with our mission to present Africa in a positive light.”

Speaking about the debate, Midge Ure recently acknowledged criticism of the Band-Aid approach in the modern climate, saying it was “unfortunate” that Sheeran had not been approached about the 2024 mix. done

“I understand the whole ‘white savior complex’ thing,” he told Radio 2’s Jeremy Vine. “It’s nothing new. It’s been thrown at us for 40 years.”

However, he said that the song was not about portraying Africa in a negative light, but was trying to show the real-life consequences of “famine, war, conflict”.

“And the result is kids who need food, who need medicine, who need education, and that’s what we deal with.”

The Fuse ODG noted: “There are also starving children in the UK.”