UGANDAN musicians
have welcomed the efforts by international musicians, football stars, celebrities,
international health organisations and corporations that have joined hands to
deter the spread of Ebola in West Africa.
The 2014 Ebola
epidemic is the largest in history, infecting over 27,273
people with more than 11,173 deaths
to date, according to the World Health Organisation. The
worst-hit countries are Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
West African
communities are being crippled by the disease as a result of already-strained
healthcare systems, mistrust of healthcare workers and fear and stigmatization
of those infected.
Twelve prominent
African musicians have now released a charity song as part of their effort to
raise awareness of the deadly Ebola and how people can guard themselves from the
disease.
A collective of
African musicians who have come together to record the single, titled “Africa Stop Ebola,” features the Malian
musicians Amadou and Mariam, Salif Keita, Oumou Sangaré and Kandia Kouyaté, the
Guinean singers Mory Kante and Sia Tolno, the Ivorian reggae star Tiken Jah
Fakoly, the Congolese vocalist Barbara Kanam, the Senegalese rapper Didier
Awadi, Konko Malela (aka Marcus) from Guinea and Mokobe from Mali.
The musicians say the
song is a message to citizens about what they can do to help stop the spread of
Ebola in Africa. The song is performed in French and vernacular languages
widely spoken across the region to ensure that the message is understood
regardless of the level of literacy and education of the population.
“Africa
Stop Ebola” is a blend of African
music and reggae. Its lyrics, which were written by the musicians and Carlos
Chirinos – provide clear advice on protection and hope. People are advised to
trust doctors, not to touch sick or dead people, and stick to proper sanitation
and hygiene.
“Ebola,
Ebola/Invisible enemy/Dear parents/Follow the advice of medical
authorities/Ebola came to hurt us/Respect their advice.”
“Ebola
is a problem for us/We cannot greet someone/You cannot kiss someone/It does not
mean that person makes you ashamed/It’s just a reality,” the song
goes in part.
Chirinos told the Guardian newspaper in England that the
lyrics were developed to be as clear as possible and to dispel the myths
surrounding the disease. “We hope that the song will do two things,” he said.
“First, that it will rebuild people’s trust in the health services in their
countries. There’s been a total lack of trust because of all the misinformation
and a lot of cases of people going to churches and local healers to try to get Ebola
medicine.”
The second aim, he
said, was to spread hope: “We’re trying to send the message that this situation
can be overcome. We’re using the fame and reputations of these well-established
artists to reassure listeners about what they should be doing.”
“Africa
Stop Ebola” will be distributed to radio stations across Africa with
support from the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters. An
accompanying video will be broadcast on television stations in Europe and
across Africa.
The Ugandan musician
and producer, Kaz Kasozi acknowledges the role of artists in such catastrophes,
arguing: “Artists, particularly those who are already prominent within the
public always have an obligation to highlight issues that are pertinent to
society at large. It is not necessarily an artist's vocation to do so but a
certain responsibility goes with the field. However, it should be issues that a
given artist is actually truly concerned about rather than one jumping upon
every single issue of import that comes along.”
“Artistes have a very
important role to play in such catastrophes because they command a big
following and the public trusts them. In the African setting actually artistes
are multi-faced, they are teachers, doctors, counselors and politicians, among
others. Hence, getting them to do such a song was a quick way of reaching the
masses especially in West Africa. A man like Tiken Jah Fakoly commands a huge
following all over West Africa. The same applies to the other artistes like
Salif Keita, Mory Kante and Didier Awadi,” another Ugandan musician, Joel
Sebujo, observes.
As to whether he
supports the artist’s efforts in the fight against Ebola, Kasozi’s replies:
“Yes and no. …one should take this effort from a genuine desire rather than
jumping onto band wagons of issues. It’s unfortunate but true that a larger
majority of musicians who do charity tunes tend to do them to further their own
brand and marketability rather than for the real cause at hand. Having said
that, for whoever is spearheading any charity song, the primary goal is to have
the widest reach possible regardless of the particular aims of the individual
participants.”
“So if some are doing
it for more selfish reasons but their presence hugely benefits the cause at
hand then it might not necessarily be a bad idea to have them on board. The
simple reason is that music disseminates information faster and to a wider
audience than speeches and plain adverts. It is also more enduring and so can
last even decades as a reminder of the cause not to mention making hard topics
palatable,” Kasozi adds.
A number of other musicians
have recorded singles related to Ebola. Among these are: “Ebola in Town” by the Liberian music producers Samuel “Shadow”
Morgan and Edwin “D-12” Tweh; “Ebola=Outbreak
in West Africa” by Liberia’s international reggae star Black Diamond; and “No Ebola” by soca artists Rodney Benji
and Tichard “Screws” Barrington from Trinidad and Tobago.
Bob Geldof and Midge
Ure have also pulled together a host of music stars in
London to create the fourth incarnation of the Band Aid charity single “Do They Know It's Christmas.”
The money raised will
go towards the fight against Ebola in numerous West African countries, which
Geldof called a “filthy little virus” which renders its victims “untouchable.”
Geldof and Ure first
gathered a group of musicians together in 1984, to record “Do They Know It's Christmas.” It sold 3.7 million copies and
raised £8 million for famine relief in Ethiopia.
U2's Bono, Chris
Martin of Coldplay, Emeli Sande, Underworld, Sinead O'Connor, Paloma Faith,
Foals, Bastille, One Direction, Ed Sheeran and Elbow are among the acts who have taken part in Band Aid 30’s fourth version of “Do They Know It's Christmas.”
According to Geldof
and Ure the song's lyrics have been changed to reflect the Ebola crisis.
Geldof said that
changes to the lyrics include “burning suns,” due to the fertile landscape of
West Africa compared to drought-stricken Ethiopia of 1984. But the African musicians involved in Band Aid 30 like Angelique Kidjo
and Emeli Sande are lamenting that their changes to the lyrics were omitted.
This gives credence
to Kasozi’s
skepticism over Geldof’s motives
contending that they are patronising. “I respect Bob Geldof but the one thing
to note about his efforts and others like it is that it has a patronising tone
in regard to Africa. Africa is always being depicted as the needy beggar with
hands held out waiting for the white saviour. This image does more damage than
good in the long run and its detriments are too deep and far reaching to
dissect here.”
“There is always
misrepresentation both in the music and in the video promo clips that escort
such songs. It’s a cliché by now but African solutions for African problems
would be best. For example, the latest installment which was generated from
Geldof's 80s Christmas charity song I find sickly sweet and insulting form me
as an African,” Kasozi adds.
On his part Sebujo
argues: “First and foremost, it was a very brilliant idea that these 12 African
artists came out to sensitize the public about Ebola. The Africa stop Ebola
project was a timely release it came at the right moment, when the world had
challenged Bob Geldof and Band Aid Project "Do
They Know That It’s Christmas?" The Africa Stop Ebola song was actually the perfect answer to the
common question: "Can’t Africans solve their own problems?" Thus,
this time round we saw prominent African voices tackling an African problem.”
At the official draw
for the just concluded 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations in December 2014 in
Equatorial Guinea’s capital, Malabo, the Confederation of African Football
(CAF) joined football stars, celebrities, international health organizations
and corporations to announce the launch of ‘Africa United,’ a global health
communications campaign aimed at preventing the spread of Ebola in West Africa.
The campaign, which
is supported by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Foundation and driven creatively by British actor Idris Elba, is designed to
recognize the vital role of frontline healthcare workers, as well as to provide
critical education and resources for the people of West Africa. Educational
messages will be delivered on local and national radio and television,
billboards and by SMS to audiences in Liberia, Guinea, Sierra Leone and
neighboring countries.
In one of the
television spots titled “We’ve Got Your Back,” Elba and a group of football
players committed to the fight against Ebola in West Africa, including Yaya
Touré, Carlton Cole, Kei Kamara, Patrick Vieira, Fabrice Muamba and Andros
Townsend, are voicing their solidarity with the healthcare workers who are
risking their lives every day to fight Ebola. In the video, the players
acknowledge that, although fans regard them as heroes, healthcare workers
tackling Ebola are the true heroes. Each player wears the name of a healthcare
worker on his back as a symbol of respect for “the world’s most important
team.”
“For me the battle
against Ebola is a personal one. To see those amazing countries in West Africa
where my father grew up and my parents married being ravaged by this disease is
painful and horrific. Imagine having to sit down and tell your family that you
were going to fight this disease. That conversation is happening across West
Africa and around the world every day,” Elba says.
“I am in awe of the
bravery of these health workers, who put their lives at risk day in and out to
stop the spread of this terrible disease. My hope is that, in some small way,
through the development of these PSAs and the creation of the Africa United
campaign, we can ensure that these workers get the support they need and that
health messages are delivered to people on the ground to help them in their
fight…,” Elba adds.
“Private and public
partnerships like ‘Africa United’ are critical to aligning organizations
fighting Ebola and to ensuring quick, effective responses to changing
circumstances and needs,” said Charles Stokes, president and CEO of the CDC
Foundation. “The CDC Foundation remains committed to advancing response efforts
in West Africa through public education and resources for use on the front
lines of the Ebola battle.”
Ends
