A little debate with Frode last night about the BBC's discrimination against the Paris and Rome Live8 Concerts raises some minor but mentionable ironies.
The 'invisibility' of local artists derives from the same cultural and economic factors that make the world's poor invisible, and helps a small minority accumulate the lion's share of the available goodies.
The concert in Cornwall was thrown together at the last minute in recognition of the fact that Africa's talented but under-affluent musicians deserved a share of the exposure. (Youssou N'Dour had to spread himself a bit, appearing in London, Cornwall and Paris during the day.)
The music industry has been the most media-vociferous in its determination to preserve the inequalities of wealth distribution amongst its artists.
Reading Don Quijote has lately reminded me that "famous" originally meant being worthy of fame. Many of the biggest name artists in world music are indeed worthy of fame, but the industry as a whole today promotes many who are not, and the effect of this is that even the worthy ones habitually stoop to the methods of the unworthy for the expansion or preservation of their own celebrity. (How much of Snoop Dog's mate David Beckham's fame is worthy fame?)
This was a celebration of connectedness on behalf of the unconnected.
On another note, the story of hope that Birhan embodies does indeed indicate to the doubters that disaster or famine relief generally does work. What is does not show is that long-term international aid can make poverty history (or even address Africa's even more acute curse - disease).
Yes governance is an issue across Africa, but it is also a Western one. The commitment of the US Government to overseas assistance is amongst the lowest in relative terms amongst the G8 and has always been strongly tied to strategic interest.
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