Live 8 Concerts
Diane said: “I felt I wanted to put down a motion on the Live 8 concert because I am very impressed with the Make Poverty History campaign and welcome the Live 8 concert to take place in Hyde Park. However, I think it is regrettable that the concert, aimed at raising awareness of poverty in Africa by showcasing the cream of musical talent, has so far failed to include a single Black British, African or Caribbean artist.”
Diane added: “There are so many African acts with a global following and it is unfortunate that none of them have been asked to take part in this otherwise commendable campaign. I worry about the symbolism of an all with line up. It risks reinforcing the image of Africa as a mere ‘charity-case’ - that’s the wrong imagery to be reinforcing. There are plenty of black artists amongst the most amazing acts in the world and I am puzzled that they were not invited to take part.”
Diane continued: “Black artists can certainly pull big crowds and I believe a gig such as the Live 8 needs to pull in as big and diverse an audience as possible in order to raise awareness of world poverty. I urge the Live 8 organisers to engage a more diverse range or artists in order to reflect London's diverse communities and to include in their effort those very people the campaign is meant to help.”
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