War: When Music Was The Intervention

Is it me or the global music space is slow in responding to humanitarian crises occasioned by war? I really hate to be the only one who is trapped in the 80s or something. But it is just not easy to forget how the USA for Africa created a masterpiece to tackle hunger and poverty.

The project was the brainchild of the UK American entertainer and social activist Harry Belafonte who had the idea to organise the recording of a song which featured the generation’s best-known music artists. He planned to have the proceeds donated to the organisation called United Support of Artists for Africa (USA for Africa).

That led to the making of “We Are the World” a charity single originally recorded by USA for Africa in 1985. Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie, the song was produced by the legendary music director and grammy-winning producer, Quincy Jones and Michael Omartian for the album “We Are the World.” With sales in excess of 20 million copies, the song which was conceived as famine relief remains the eighth-best-selling single of all time.

The pop icon, Michael Jackson was a critical figure in history as regards promoting peace-themed songs that advance humanity. Remember songs like “Heal The World,” “Lost Children” “Earth Song” and “They Don’t Really Care About Us,” they are all tied to affirming love for humanity.

Fast forward to January 2010, a magnitude 7.0 M earthquake devastated Haiti. Wyclef Jean and Lionel Richie alongside an all-star cast did a remake of the song. Titled “We Are the World 25 for Haiti”, it was released as a single on February 12, 2010 while the proceeds from the record aided survivors in the impoverished country.

Long before this intervention was a popular global hit song by the former Beatles singers.
Titled “Give Peace a Chance,” this anti-war song written by John Lennon (originally credited to Lennon–McCartney) was recorded in company of a group of friends including Yoko Ono in a hotel room in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Little did they know that they were making history. Every year, this song becomes relevant as nations rise against nations. Released as a single in July 1969 by the Plastic Ono Band on Apple Records, it is the first solo single issued by Lennon, released while he was still a member of the Beatles, and became an anthem of the American anti-war movement during the 1970s. It peaked at number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 2 on the British singles chart.

To give it proper context, the song was made in response to the Vietnam war. The United States entered Vietnam with the principal purpose of preventing a communist takeover of the region. While the war was officially fought between North Vietnam and South Vietnam, the north was supported by the Soviet Union, China, and other communist states, while the south was supported by the United States and other anti-communist allies, making the war a proxy war between the United States and the Soviet Union.

“Give Peace A Chance” thus became the anthem of the anti Vietnam-war and counterculture movements; sung by half a million demonstrators who marched on Washington, D.C on Vietnam Moratorium Day, on November 15, 1969.

Can we recall the biggest hit of Edwin Starr’s career, namely the Vietnam War protest song “War” released in 1970? The Motown star created a number one chart success, which spent three weeks in the top position in the U.S. Billboard charts. The song “War” also became an anthem for the antiwar movement and cultural milestone which sold over three million copies, and was awarded a gold disc. Interestingly, Starr himself was in the army and made only one tour before quitting. He definitely has insight into what war was and sang from the depth of his heart a song that was also performed by The Temptations.

A war of any kind often triggers humanitarian crises. Food shortages, hunger, health care crisis and loss of lives, homes and properties are the likely consequences of wars. Although musicians are essentially entertainers, history has foisted a certain degree of moral responsibility on them to use their voices to sue for peace across the globe.

At the moment, Israel and Palestine are at war. The casualties of wars are usually the innocent bystanders like the children, infirm ones and the elderly amongst other non-partisan civilians. This is why music once again should be the intervention. Music is the timeless peace offering- the only weapon is the combination of the voices and the words they deliver.

It provokes this question: Why are today’s musicians more concerned about impressing their followers with material acquisitions- when all these mean nothing in the event of a war?

There have been stand-alone anti-war songs in the 90s and 2000s. From the Cranberries to the Eminems, unusual songs have shaped the more recent decades in calling for peace and resisting war.

In Africa, the likes of Miriam Makeba, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Onyeka Onwenu, Lucky Dude and Majek Fashek were intentional in singing songs about non-romantic love, peace and humanity.

In 1997, the International Committee of the Red Cross in Nigeria brought together six of Africa’s top musicians on a music project calling for peace on the continent.

This project birthed the song “So Why?” featuring African music legends such as Papa Wemba, Jabu Bayete, Lourdes Van-Dunem, Youssou N’dour and Lagbaja. Proceeds of the project Y to victims of armed conflict.

Lagbaja, born Bisade Ologunde, was particularly keen on writing and performing songs that preach peace. A song like “Coolu Temper” – written in English and pidgin English- promotes virtues of unity and peace. 2Baba sang “One Love”

The current headliners in the African music landscape are hardly producing songs that will be global or continental hits of a lifetime with peace as theme. Yet, Africa is rich with premium artists like Burna Boy, Busiswa, Yemi Alade, Tiwa Savage, Davido, Fireboy DML, Rema, Oxlade, Asake, Tems, Omah Lay and Wizkid but poor in producing global hit songs that condemn war and other forms of violence.

Perhaps between clout chasing and self-adulation, we might just find the one percent who truly care about humanity; not just jumping on trends for trends’ sake.

Written by Yinka Olatunbosun, a culture journalist.