Whenever pop stars turn stages into soapboxes, it is difficult not to view their words with a hefty dose of cynicism. That is not the case, though, when it comes to Irish rock singer Bob Geldof, who is known less for his music than his wish to improve the lives of poverty-stricken Africans.
Geldof's pop stardom was brief, but his campaign to bring Africa's plight to the attention of the widest possible audience has already spanned two decades. His latest bid to raise international awareness, through five star-filled concerts on July 2, hopes to draw a record two billion television viewers.
The shows are timed to be clarion calls for help to the leaders of the world's eight most powerful nations, who meet days later in Scotland for an annual summit. Geldof wants them to double African aid, write off billions of dollars of debt and allow fair trade.
That seems unlikely, given that only Britain seems truly dedicated to such a strategy - Germany and Italy have offered half-hearted support, while the United States, Japan and France claim to have their own plans.
Much of the problem for the so-called G8 nations is that over the decades they have given African nations hundreds of billions of dollars, yet the continent remains by far the world's least developed. Corruption, mismanagement, conflicts and disease have ensured that Africans are the only people in the world getting poorer. Transparency and accountability may be a problem for many African governments, but they are also at the mercy of the developed world. Rich countries have been eager to take their natural resources, but not so keen about allowing open-door policies on trade as they do with one another.
Generous US subsidies to American cotton growers, for example, have created a difficult environment for African farmers. Globalisation has filled the coffers of wealthy American and European corporations but given increasingly smaller benefits to the developing world.