A campaign group has called the Live 8 London concert "hideously white" for not having enough black performers.

Superstar Mariah Carey is almost the only ethnic minority performer at Hyde Park on 2 July, one of five global Live 8 concerts that day.

London-based group Black Information Link said organisers had "handpicked a virtually all-white line-up".

The concerts aim to raise pressure on world leaders to fight poverty in Africa, echoing Bob Geldof's Live Aid concerts 20 years ago.

But Patrick Augustus, a black musician and author of BBC drama Babyfather, said black artists had been "totally excluded" from the London concert.

"It seems like the great white man has come to rescue us while the freedom fighters never get a mention," he wrote on the Black Information Link website.

He said Live 8 organisers "need to engage British, African and Jamaican artists who have been dealing with these subjects for a while".

He added: "Where are the reggae artists that have been campaigning for truth and justice over all these years?"

Justin Onyeka, entertainment editor at black newspaper New Nation, said he was surprised Band Aid 20 performers Dizzie Rascal, Ms Dynamite, Jamelia and Beverley Knight were not included in the line-up.

"It was the same problem 20 years ago when major black artists were backing singers to other acts," he said. "It's time they learnt from previous experience."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4602763.stm

One or two black acts out of 20 for an aid concert for Africa?? Mariah Carey is not African, she's from New York. Wow. Unbelievable. It should just be cancelled.

Bob Geldof is not racist. For the last 20 years he has being fighting against poverty in Africa and guess what there are a lot of black people there, if he had white supremacist ideas he was working with the wrong people. Maybe more mainstream artists are being picked to appeal to a target audience, the target audience of this set of concerts is the West not Africa.

He added: "Where are the reggae artists that have been campaigning for truth and justice over all these years?"


Rastafarianism has extremely racist roots, though I believe a lot of Rastafarian groups have quietly dropped this tenet. "Quietly" in the sense that I've never heard any of them say their founders were wrong.

I knew a Rasta who told me there was a hidden facet of the religion that wishes death to all white people, but that may have just been his delusion.

Bob Geldof is not racist. For the last 20 years he has being fighting against poverty in Africa and guess what there are a lot of black people there, if he had white supremacist ideas he was working with the wrong people. Maybe more mainstream artists are being picked to appeal to a target audience, the target audience of this set of concerts is the West not Africa.
- I agree with your assessment, but he could have diversified the lineup at least a little. He certainly did with Live Aid.

He's a P-I-G Pig!

Geldoff also kicked the Spice Girls off the line-up. He's including Eminem but the Spice Girls aren't serious enough.

The poll is inadequate. I wouldn't go see any of these Live Aid type of concerts. Very little of the money ends up helping anyone. They are mainly to feed the egos of celebrities.

Helen Fielding, the author of "Bridget Jones Diary", wrote an excellent book called "Cause Celeb" on this topic. It is a funny and touching account of famine relief efforts in Africa - and the celebrities that exploit them.

He did his best to help with USA for Africa, but his efforts came to nothing, because it's not a situation you can improve simply by throwing money at it.

It was a hot summer day when i saw Live Aid on tv in London and my elder girl was 5......... jesus times flown!
I miss London sometimes :hmm:

Christ, I was 25!

I don't think he's racist....maybe he's just trying to choose a lineup that will be more marketable, and therefore raise more money. It's not a showcase of African music, but a benefit for African relief.
And aren't the Spice Girls has-beens?

I don't think he's racist....maybe he's just trying to choose a lineup that will be more marketable, and therefore raise more money. It's not a showcase of African music, but a benefit for African relief.
And aren't the Spice Girls has-beens?

So is Bob Geldof but that has hardly stopped him.

Difference is: Geldolf is promoter, and not the star.

CP it was only yesterday...........

You see, Anrora, every year goes faster, because every year is a smaller and smaller fraction of your life...

ps i know......... :(

Difference is: Geldolf is promoter, and not the star.

There's a difference?

Uh, yes - Geldof can BE a has-been, and still get people to buy tickets to the show.

That's not true if has-beens like the Spice Girls star on the bill.

will smith, 50 cent, and stevie wonder are all playing the philly show

Uh, yes - Geldof can BE a has-been, and still get people to buy tickets to the show.

That's not true if has-beens like the Spice Girls star on the bill.

I am not arguing that the spice girls should be included, my point is that Saint Bob only appears with these things once his fame is on the wane.

In other words the starving of Africa are not his only motivation.

Not what I mean at all, although it may well be true. The Boomtown Rats don't even seem to be the subjects of any noticeable nostalgia, either.

"Where are the reggae artists... ?"

Still sucking I suppose.

They are a little on the repetitive side.

I think Reggae musicians smoke so much pot they have not yet realized they have all been playing the same song for the last 25 or 30 years.

they should gt destinys child and a bunch of them gansta urban nutcases and ashanti , it will sell like nothing else. who cares about the spice giurls?

I think Geldof in his time had lots more talent than the Spice Girls (probably not that difficult a task though). I don't think he is doing this for self promotion though being highly visible helps his cause (it is bad PR to turn him down). He probably is more liberal than conservative but has no problem talking to Bush in order to get more money/aid/economic boosts for Africa. His desire to help Africa transcends political ideology.

I knew a Rasta who told me there was a hidden facet of the religion that wishes death to all white people, but that may have just been his delusion.

I saw a documentary about the Rastafarians in which they stated their belief that the pope was the antichrist, and while they would never consider violence against him, they do continually meditate about his demise.

We dance de reggae, mon...smoke de dope,
and in our minds, we kill de pope.

I am not arguing that the spice girls should be included, my point is that Saint Bob only appears with these things once his fame is on the wane.

In other words the starving of Africa are not his only motivation.

The Boomtown Rats were never a supergroup, but they were a valid, original act, unlike the prefab schlock of the Spice Girls. But to me, Geldof will always be the star of Pink Floyd's The Wall, and what an incredible performance that was.
Geldof's musical career is largely behind him, but that has nothing to do with his abilities as a promoter of benefits; certainly he has been very successful in getting other acts on board for these honorable projects. It's a snotty thing to say that he is exploiting the suffering of others for his own popularity while he IS getting help to them, and I am unaware of any personal musical projects he's trying to market that's tied in to his charity work.
And when not all of the funds raised get to the intended recipients, usually that is the fault of the financial administrators, not the fundraisers, and such a failure is common among large-scale charities. Look at the Red Cross diverting much of the monies raised for families of the 9/11 victims to their other pet projects.
So here's a salute to Sir Bob, and a single finger for his detractors.

I was at the first one here, and I will be at this one also.

I think Reggae musicians smoke so much pot they have not yet realized they have all been playing the same song for the last 25 or 30 years.
- Pretty good song, though.

But to me, Geldof will always be the star of Pink Floyd's The Wall, and what an incredible performance that was.
- I keep forgetting about that. It was actually the very first VHS videotape I ever rented, in fact (about 1984.)

Geldof's musical career is largely behind him, but that has nothing to do with his abilities as a promoter of benefits; certainly he has been very successful in getting other acts on board for these honorable projects. It's a snotty thing to say that he is exploiting the suffering of others for his own popularity while he IS getting help to them, and I am unaware of any personal musical projects he's trying to market that's tied in to his charity work.
- Very true, but I think it's disingenuous to claim that Geldof's not doing it to keep his face in front of the public, at least in part. I'm not denying that his motives are also philanthropic at the same time.

So here's a salute to Sir Bob, and a single finger for his detractors.
- Hear, hear!

I am not arguing that the spice girls should be included, my point is that Saint Bob only appears with these things once his fame is on the wane.

In other words the starving of Africa are not his only motivation.
Ummmm, Bob Gelfdof hasn't seen fame for so long I doubt thats his motivation.

Let's all crap on someone for doing something good for people...'mkay?

they should gt destinys child and a bunch of them gansta urban nutcases and ashanti , it will sell like nothing else. who cares about the spice giurls?


I do believe Destiny's Child is performing. But you are misunderestimating the Spice Girls. They totally ROCK fer shur! At least as much, if not more, than that old skank Madonna (who is on the bill).

Apparently, Will Smith is as well, whom I understand is black.

And apparently, this thread's title and its poll are nonsense.

Rastafarianism has extremely racist roots, though I believe a lot of Rastafarian groups have quietly dropped this tenet. "Quietly" in the sense that I've never heard any of them say their founders were wrong.

The early movement was based on black supremacy, but that was a fairly understandable reaction to social conditions of the time.

I knew a Rasta who told me there was a hidden facet of the religion that wishes death to all white people, but that may have just been his delusion.

The early movement could be pretty vitriolic in their rhetoric, but again, considering that the movement began in Jamaica in the 1930's, where intense racial subjugation of blacks was still flourishing, that's not entirely puzzling.

In practice the religion of Ras Tafari has always been inclusive towards all races.


I think Reggae musicians smoke so much pot they have not yet realized they have all been playing the same song for the last 25 or 30 years.

They are a little on the repetitive side.

:rolleyes: As opposed to the always-fresh-and-original musical innovations of, say, the American Top Forty or contemporary Christian rock scenes.

There's good reggae and dub still being made, but you have to actually find it, it's not gonna get played on your Z100 FM Morning Zoo show, guys.

So if there was an aid concert in eastern europe it would be ok to have only white acts because Europe is white? What does skin color matter? Maybe the real racists are the ones screaming about color all the time.

50 cents, jaz-z, prince, usher... some of teh new names, all black.

will smith, p-diddy, lauren hill , craig david,.....

btw these shows are gonna kick ass.

......btw these shows are gonna kick ass.

My sentiments exactly.

Why is it, when somebody sets out to do something for the greater good of mankind, they get jumped on and kicked to the ground, who gives a damn what artists are playing, so long as the end result benefits those who really need it. There is a song by rare bird that springs to mind,

Half the world hates the other half
and half the world has all the food
and half the world lies down and quietly starves
coz theres not enough love to go round

How true those words are, this shouldn't be about race, this should be about people wanting to help their fellow man, we are all human beings, we should be helping each other instead of whining.

50 cents
Talentless crap
, jaz-z,
Talentless crap.
prince
Talented but still crap.

usher

Moderately talented crap.

will smith
Definition of talentless crap.

p-diddy,

Talentless pedophile crap.

lauren hill , craig david,....
Indifferent.

You would have to pay me a fortune to attend one of these craptastic events.

when did p-diddy become a pedophile?

50 cents
Talentless crap
, jaz-z,
Talentless crap.
prince
Talented but still crap.

usher

Moderately talented crap.

will smith
Definition of talentless crap.

p-diddy,

Talentless pedophile crap.

lauren hill , craig david,....
Indifferent.

You would have to pay me a fortune to attend one of these craptastic events.
they are black though...

:rolleyes: As opposed to the always-fresh-and-original musical innovations of, say, the American Top Forty or contemporary Christian rock scenes.

- At least that derivative stuff doesn't all sound like the same SONG!

p-diddy,

Talentless pedophile crap.


youre mixing him up with that other guy, r-kelly, who sings "I believe I can fly" thats not p-diddy. p-diddy is just normal talentless crap.

i think having 50 Cent jigabooing with his platinum jewelry and 'spinners' rapping about pimping hoes and being a ***** wouldn't exactly be the right fit for a concert trying to shine a light on poverty in Africa.