I had not ever heard about Bob Geldof before I came to Ireland. When I was in Library, I used to see his book about Africa and wonder what kind of book it would be. The cover was a picture with a weird long-haired person with stripped shirt, sunglasses and outdoor boots. It was not that attractive. Despite the fact I find the theme of Africa very interesting, I was afraid of that the book would be silly. It looked to me a complete waste of time – how I was wrong. One day I decided give it a chance and took the book to home. For my astonishing I was took by surprise and since I began to read it I could not stop until the end. This book in my opinion was written by inspiration. It is brilliant.
Bob Geldof is a Irish musician and activist and very recognized for his anti-poverty efforts. He initiated Band Aid in 1984, a record for the victims of famine in Africa, and since there he has made many efforts in name of charity. He has influenced a generation of artists, including Irish humanitarian Bono Voz, for fighting for a better tomorrow in poor countries.
The book 'Geldof in Africa' is the snapshot of his mind, as the author called in its foreword. It is his personal diary while he was visiting thirteen countries in the Luminous Continent (how Geldolf calls Africa) and it is illustrated by his own photographs. The author describes situations, gives sense of place, talks about culture, religions and politics. Many chapters begin with lose weird news taken by locals newspapers and he finds where put his ideas and poetry.
There are some points he talks I had not seen before as he puts them. Things like the the realistic vision of the cruelty of AIDS, the cyclical poverty, the difference between cultures inside Africa and the synchronism that happen with believes. He puts 'Like everywhere else in the world . Religion in Africa is a great new political force again. Islam, paid for by fundamentalists Saudis, in the north; evangelical Christianity, with links to the American Pentecostalists, in the centre and the south; and an unprecedented rise in the old traditional religions. People [in Africa] say, 'We're 60 per cent Muslin, 40 per cent Christian and 100 per cent Voodoo'. And that's true of Africa – the assimilation of new ideas and bolting them on to the old'.
He tells us 'the complex, unexpected story of slavery' showing that before the Portuguese, the Arabs and Chinese had been visiting the east coast of Africa for hundreds of years looking for Gold, frankincense, ivory and slaves. He shows his vision and understanding in why slavery became something integrated to the continent.
Some unexpected aspects are shown as well like his description of the Africa's smell. He notes that no one before had written about how Africa smells. For him, it smells so weirdly that this theme deserves a chapter in the book with a touch of poetry. He describes the landscape and talks about how it is hot by the sun; and how the sand is everywhere.
The author finish the book writing about his vision and what he thinks it is good for Africa. He shows what has already being done and what should be done more strongly. The last part is a very exciting part showing the preparations of an musical event to collect funds to charity. The whole book shows how Geldof is involved and really honest about his activism. The book give us the notion that it is possible to change and help Africa and more than this, it shows how think towards Africa is, actually, needed.
He says that go to Africa fells like... going home, and I really felt, at the end of the book, like getting there one day.
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