Not sure what to make of this, so I just state the facts: an African-American record producer arranged to have well-known African singers do U2 songs for this album. U2 obviously had to sign off on an album in which Africa thanks U2 with U2 songs, due to copyright laws, and in fact the producer thanks U2 band members.
One African who is not celebrating U2 these days is Dambisa Moyo (who is speaking at NYU tomorrow night), author of the new book Dead Aid, in which she says:
Scarcely does one see Africa’s (elected) officials or … African policymakers… offer an opinion on what should be done, or what might actually work to save the continent from its regression. This very important responsibility has, for all intents and purposes, and to the bewilderment of many an African, been left to musicians who reside outside Africa.
What do you think?
The...
18 Comments
I imagine the members of U2 were very flattered and happy to grant copyright permission… and, er, that’s it. I think the idea that U2 had Africa celebrate U2 is a pretty nasty implication. Some African might actually appreciate Bono, even if you think they ought not to.
I know you agree with Dambisa Moyo about the value of musicians speaking for Africa, but do you agree with her that, for instance, aid should be phased out within 5 years? If you had to estimate the short-run deaths that would result from cutting off aid to Africa within 5 years (potentially a negative number) how would you do it?
Personally I think you make too much of U2 and other celebrities – celebrities agitate for perceived good causes, sometimes they talk rubbish. Get over it.
“What do you think?”
I think you should find something more sensible to write about. If African musicians want to cover U2 songs what the hell has that got to do with aid?
That said, I hadn’t heard of the album before but as a fan of both African music and U2 I might buy it – so thanks for the link I suppose.
Whenever I hear Bono speaking I just ask myself: “When did I elected this guy to beg in my name outside my continent? I thought I voted for Abdoulaye Wade to do so!”
It is kind of depressing to see a rock star thinking he have the right to define us and to do what is best for us. But it’s even more depressing to realize that he is taken seriously by African politicians.
The rock stars are problemtatic not becuase they talk rubbish, but becuase they have an influence. So it is difficult to merely “get over.” Sadly, folks at the Bank and other institutions feel a need to include them and make a place for them at the table. Bono seems to have had an influence on the UK gov’ts debt relief policy! So it is quite serious stuff. When will Bono et al start shooting venom at the leaders of the countries who actually are directly responsible for the welfare of their citizens.
I would imagine many Africans and others find the attention patronizing….
It is possible for rock stars to have too much influence and for Mr Easterly to make too much of it.
If the UK govt did let Bono influence its debt relief strategy, so much the worse for the UK govt. What is it that you think the UK did because of Bono that they would not have otherwise done?
You might have noticed that politicians are also influenced by the media. I’ve come across the odd journalist talking rubbish yet having influence. I think I’d advise somebody to get over that too, if they got in a tizz about that.
This goes hand in hand with the following posting I made some time ago.
What impact on development could the asymmetry between NGOs have?
Is the asymmetry between the developing and the developed countries made worse because of the asymmetry between the weak and often subordinated NGO’s from developing countries and the strong and often in command NGO’s from the developed countries?
I say this because I have often found it so hard for activists from developing countries to understand that the stability they look for in their natural desire to keep all that they have gained under their belt, has nothing to do with the risk-taking a developing country needs in order to place at least something under its belt.
I have also often found that some agendas of the NGOs of developed countries, though most often certainly representing worthy causes, not only differ but can also turn into outright distractions from the more practical development agendas that NGOs from developing countries would wish to pursue, if on their own.
There are currently many discussions about much needed governance reforms at the International Finance Institutions, the IFIs. Please remember that those reforms might also have to include their relations with the NGOs.
I would be much more interested in a musical album along the lines of: African Artists Celebrate African Artists.
As stated above and most likely strongly expressed by Ms. Moyo, I would imagine that African activists would be quite patronized by the album. I personally find U2s music (and more specifically the front-man) patronizing by itself; when coupled to the image of African aid or progress, it appears self- (i.e. U2-) serving– whether a passive or active act.
I wonder where the album sale profits will go to. How much to the (African) musicians? Also, maybe any public figure (Bono included) for Africa is better than none at all; more of the world knows Bono than Ms. Moyo, I’d be willing to bet. Can one harness his publicity advantage? To do more than sell records, I mean.
I don’t mind the idea. It certainly gets my attention (Google will get you to their website). There are a few very well-respected African artists on this album and some that I may decide to discover further thanks to this album. I an hardly imagine that U2 will benefit more than the African artists.
Christina: there are tens of these African albums out there. To answer your question, part (?) of the proceedings of this U2 album go to the Global Fund.
Roodman on Moyo
I see Luis Enrique beat me to it. Roodman is unimpressed by Moyo, to put it mildly: “sporadically footnoted, selective in its use of facts, sloppy, simplistic, illogical, and stunningly naive”. You have to wonder whether those promoting Moyo have actually subjected her work to consistent standards of scrutiny, or whether they’re more interested in her because she is photogenic, ‘authentic’ and says what they want to hear. Which would be rather patronising in itself, wouldn’t it?
(African) musicians who reside outside Africa could be compared to (African) economists who reside outside Africa. Moyo clearly gives encouragement to her educated compatriot to live elsewhere. She describes her home country is a place of “seemingly never-ending cycle of corruption, disease, poverty, and aid-dependency.” So why should musicians live there more than anyone else?
On a different note, I think Moyo describes the cycle of aid well in Dead Aid: perception becomes reality becomes perception. If we perceive Africa as needy, then we give aid to help, which encourages Africans to be needy, and so on.
The question is, does this album help change that perception or reality? My opinion is that it does neither, but rather, perpetuates the perception of neediness.
I think it’s pathetically self indulgent for the U2s of this world to gloss over the issues facing Africa, to glorify themselves and pretend to be making any sort of a difference. Aid has not been working for decades and there are many reasons for it. Bono was not an economist last time I checked, but he knows that being the poster child for Aid to Africa has revamped his popularity as a pseudo mother Teresa of the popular media, and now he’s taken it even father with this new album of African singers doing U2 songs in commemoration of their valiant efforts. I think I’m going to be sick.
I think it’s pathetically self indulgent for the U2s of this world to gloss over the issues facing Africa, to glorify themselves and pretend to be making any sort of a difference. Aid has not been working for decades and there are many reasons for it. Bono was not an economist last time I checked, but he knows that being the poster child for Aid to Africa has revamped his popularity as a pseudo mother Teresa of the popular media, and now he’s taken it even father with this new album of African singers doing U2 songs in commemoration of their valiant efforts. I think I’m going to be sick.
nice information thank you,
In response to Holli and others who have commented on similar lines:
Since when does someone need to be an economist to understand the workings of the world and to take an active interest in the welfare of other nations?
There is an apparent mix of snobbery / defensiveness/ territoriality here — as if you need to have a PhD to be an expert, or to have the RIGHT to have and voice your opinion. This segregation between experts and non-experts is false and dangerous, for two reasons:
1) it leads us to believe that only “experts” (those who have the right degrees and worked at the right institutions) have the answers and are *necessarily* more qualified
and
2) it discourages action and involvement, and a moral and civic spirit, which drives the concern for global welfare, and is at root an expression of humanity.
I think we should stop using the term ‘Africa’…given the diversity of countries, cultures, problems and opportunities it is a pretty shallow designator. The problems in Liberia bear no relation to the problems in Eritrea except at the highest levels of generalization. Bono is a ‘useful idiot’ in the fight against poverty. Leave him alone for God’s sake and pick on someone really evil…and, btw,celebrity economists are no better than celebrity rock-stars. You and Sachs are like Lucy and Desi…although I think you’re smarter but Sachs is funnier.
Clearly the debate is complicated. Are more people aware of the crisis of global poverty because of Bono, etc.’s efforts? Yes. Are the poor better off because of that awareness-raising? I think most of us would agree that it’s questionable, and that a direct causal relationship would be difficult to prove.
But I’ve been listening to that album for nearly a year now, and as far as the music goes, it’s undeniably fantastic.
Really, What is wrong with Bono taking a stand and trying to help?? I find it preposterous that people are ACTUALLY criticizing someone for trying to bring attention to the issues across African countries. If he’s bringing press and attention to the problems facing African countries, which might I add, those elected to solve these problems have not, how can anyone sit there and lambast him?? I find it ridiculous that anyone would attack him on the basis that he is a rockstar. Since when did making music mean your brain is mush?? If he was an uninformed rockstar bringing more pity to our continent, then of course I would heartily object. But he is anything but! What we need now is more people like him bringing these issues to the forefront of everyday people because they are the ones who will write letters to their governments demanding policy changes. Someone actually tries to use their pull in the world to do good and he is criticized, Imagine!