Adele defended over ‘cultural appropriation’
Adele was defended by Naomi Campbell and David Lammy yesterday after becoming embroiled in a “cultural appropriation” row. The singer came in for criticism after she wore her hair tied in Bantu knots – a traditional African hairstyle – to mark the annual Notting Hill Carnival.
ADELE was defended by Naomi Campbell and David Lammy yesterday after becoming embroiled in a “cultural appropriation” row.
The singer, who was born in Tottenham, north London, shared a photograph of herself on Instagam wearing a bikini printed with the Jamaican flag and her hair tied in Bantu knots – a traditional African hairstyle – to mark the annual Notting Hill Carnival, which is being held online this year due to the pandemic.
She added the caption: “Happy what would be Notting Hill Carnival, my beloved London.”
However, the post sparked a bitter row as hundreds of people accused the 32-year-old star – whose albums have sold more than 120 million copies worldwide – of insensitivity and cultural appropriation on social media after the photograph went viral.
One user wrote: “Black women are discriminated against for wearing cultural hairstyles like Bantu knots... but white people are not, that’s not fair and that’s why people are p----d off.”
Another wrote on Twitter that Bantu knots were “a protective style created by and for black women,” adding that “black women are ostracised for their natural hair but Adele wearing this is okay?”.
Ernest Owens, an American journalist, added: “If 2020 couldn’t get anymore bizarre, Adele is giving us Bantu knots and cultural appropriation that nobody asked for. This officially marks all of the top white women in pop as problematic. Hate to see it.” However, others, many of them Jamaican, defended the singer, insisting that there was a difference between cultural appropriation and cultural celebration. David Lammy, the Labour
MP for Tottenham said the criticism of Adele was “poppycock.”
He wrote on Twitter: “This humbug totally misses the spirit of Notting Hill
Carnival and the tradition of ‘dress up’ or ‘masquerade’. Adele was born and raised in Tottenham she gets it more than most. Thank you Adele. Forget the haters.” Naomi Campbell, the British supermodel, whose mother was born in Jamaica, posted two heart emojis alongside two Jamaican flags
Another follower wrote: “I am Jamaican and I don’t mind this at all. We have bigger things to worry about.”
One supporter pointed out that Adele was simply paying tribute to an event “which is a celebration of West Indies heritage in London/uk.” They added: “Adele grew up in Tottenham, one of the largest Jamaican diasporas in the UK.”
Alexandra Burke, the former X Factor singer, told BBC Radio 1Xtra yesterday: “I see the pic. She looks hot. She’s obviously been working on her body, that for me is a big deal. She’s looking good.
“As a Jamaican girl myself, my girl has grown up in black culture. People forget she’s from Tottenham. She probably eats jerk chicken all the time like all of us.”
The Notting Hill Carnival was held online this year due to the coronavirus crisis. The event, which usually attracts millions of spectators, was instead celebrated with live-streamed and pre-recorded performances from the musicians, dancers and DJS who would normally have performed at the world-famous event.
‘This humbug totally misses the spirit of Notting Hill Carnival and the tradition of dress up or masquerade’