Band Aid pushback? West African stars sing their own tune on Ebola.
| Paris
After you hear it, you might find yourself singing it 鈥� with the words 鈥淓bola,聽Ebola鈥� rolling off your tongue. It might seem strange to hum about one of the world鈥檚 most pressing health crises, especially to such an upbeat refrain.
But that鈥檚 exactly the point of a new creation by a collective of West African artists, called Africa Stop Ebola. They鈥檝e set five minutes of what is essentially a public service announcement to pop and reggae in an effort to dispel myths and stereotypes about the virus and get Africans to do all that they can to prevent it.
Their song has come out as Band Aid has released its own song to raise funds to fight聽Ebola, a remake of 鈥淒o they know it鈥檚 Christmas Time?鈥� Organized by Irish singer Bob Geldof, it has topped UK charts. But it鈥檚 also been slammed for stigmatizing Africa with lyrics that perpetuate fear, sung by a line-up of famous artists that include only one African.
Africa Stop Ebola, on the other hand, is sung by the artists whom many West Africans know well, and its lyrics, in seven languages, are as straightforward as the group鈥檚 name. 鈥淵ou cannot kiss someone,鈥� belts out the Guinean artist聽Mory Kant茅.聽聽鈥淚t鈥檚 just the reality.鈥� Other lyrics include: 鈥淭ake Ebola聽seriously,鈥� 鈥渨ash your hands, and 鈥渁void shaking hands of others.鈥�
鈥淲e chose to sing because we need to talk about聽Ebola,鈥� says Barbara Kanam, a well-known Congolese singer, in a bright royal-blue blouse at the Paris offices of M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res (MSF), which benefits from the song's proceeds 鈥淭he message is easier to hear in a song than what a doctor says to you. Through song, people can understand that it exists, but that it can be overcome.鈥�
MSF, or Doctors Without Borders, has been on the frontlines of the fight against聽Ebola聽in West Africa. But the group is the first to admit that when it comes to prevention, it is the musical stars, including reggae artist Tiken Jah Fakoly and pop-singer Salif Keita, not the nurses and doctors, who can spread prevention advice fastest.
鈥淭hese people are very popular musicians, everyone wants to listen to their music,鈥� says Becky Oba, a nurse for MSF from Nigeria who works in Liberia. 鈥淧eople hearing these popular artists singing, passing this information, is going a long way in spreading awareness.鈥�
The song, produced by Carlos Chirinos, a music and development expert at the University of London, was written specifically for the radio because it鈥檚 how most Africans receive their information. 鈥淩adio is still the medium that is closest to the community,鈥� says Mr. Chirinos. 鈥淭he power that radio has is that it can reach those houses that are the most isolated.鈥�
The Band Aid song has a different audience and plays a role in awareness that is important 聽But Chirinos聽agrees with some of the criticism of lyrics that make it seem that聽Ebola聽is a continent-wide problem and stereotype Africa as place to fear. 鈥淗ere a kiss of love can kill you 鈥� and there鈥檚 death in every tear,鈥� the lyrics read.聽鈥淎nd the Christmas bells聽that聽ring there 鈥� are the clanging chimes of doom.鈥�
聽鈥淭hat has a knock-on effect on trade and investment ... and a knock-on effect on tourism,鈥� he says. 鈥淲ho is going to Africa next year for their holidays?鈥�
Africa Stop聽Ebola, on the other hand,聽relays specific health advice and tries to instill public trust in health authorities. But at its core is a message of hope for the people directly affected, says Chirinos.
鈥淚t sends a message that this can be overcome,鈥� he says.
[Editor's note: The original version misnamed the anti-Ebola song.]
