Schnee auf dem Kilimandscharo

Nach 20 Jahren ist Band Aid wieder aktiv und hat den 1984er Hit "Do They Know It's Christmas?" upgedatet und "rerecorded" - diesmal zugunsten der Opfer des Genozids in Darfur/Sudan.

Die löbliche Absicht macht freilich die Musik nicht besser und der Text bleibt "absolutely idiotic" (Christianity Today).

"There won't be snow in Africa this Christmastime
The greatest gift they'll get this year is life
Where nothing ever grows
No rain or rivers flow
Do they know it's Christmastime at all?"

Noch einmal Christianity Today:

"Well, it's true that there won't be much snowfall in Africa this Christmas. But given that the only part of the continent in the northern hemisphere is also in the tropics, that's hardly surprising. There won't be snow in Australia this Christmas time, either. In winter, South Africa does get some snow. And of course Tanzania's Mount Kilimanjaro is perpetually covered in snow and ice.

Things do actually grow there, including coffee, cotton, and cocoa. In fact, most Africans work in agriculture. That's partly because of the rain and rivers that flow there.

Oh, and as for them knowing whether it's Christmas — 'Millions of devout African Christians celebrate Christmas with a zeal unmatched by its often commercialized version in the rich world,' reports Reuters. 'Countless churches have sprung up across the continent and Africans are even exporting missionaries to the West who might ask if Europeans 'know it's Christmas.''

Indeed. Do they even know where Africa is?"