Their music may be independent, but awareness has long been part of Coldplay’s brand core. With their CO2-friendly concerts, they are a role model for the entire industry. They achieve international understanding without any problems with a mix of modern world music and friendly words.
However, at their second gig of the “Music Of The Spheres” tour in India at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday (January 19th), the band brought a political message that rather caused irritation among the listeners.
Between two songs, Chris Martin took a moment to give a little history lecture. As part of the apparently improvised speech, the singer thanked Indians for “forgiving” the “bad things” the British Empire did in the past – including colonizing the country.
Coldplay singer Chris Martin irritates Indian audiences
After thanking the audience for turning out in such large numbers, Martin specifically said: “Thank you for welcoming us, even though we are from Great Britain. Thank you for forgiving us for all the bad things Britain has done.”
Astonished questions then circulated online on social networks. “What the hell was going on?” asked one user. Another made fun of Martin acting as a “compensation boss” who actually didn’t do anything himself. There was no strong criticism of the Coldplay frontman’s statement. More like malice. “The man apologizes for his forefathers,” wrote one amused. Another said: “That was so unnecessary. He’s just supposed to entertain us.”
Another user noted with amusement that Martin didn’t actually ask for an apology. “He thanked us for forgiving them. That’s something completely different.” For this reason, another resident of India also wrote: “Have we really forgiven them?”
India’s colonial history is complicated
Of course, the historical facts cannot be eliminated. The British presence in India began in the 17th century with the founding of the East India Company (EIC), a trading company that received a royal charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1600. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, the EIC used military strength and diplomatic intrigue to take control of much of India.
In 1857 there was an Indian revolt. The British brutally defeated him, but this marked the end of the EIC. In 1858, India was officially placed under the control of the British Crown. British policies destroyed many traditional industries in India, particularly the textile industry. The country became a supplier of raw materials (such as cotton and opium) and a market for British manufactured goods. India only became independent on August 15, 1947, but the country was divided into two states: India and Pakistan (later East Pakistan, i.e. Bangladesh).
Coldplay have not commented further on the criticism online. The third concert in the cricket stadium follows on Tuesday (January 21st).