New Delhi: Irish rocker and anti-poverty campaigner Bob Geldof admitted that charity music concerts romanticise the real purpose they are launched with, but said he does not mind since it brings in stars who manage to draw crowds.

Geldof, who was in Delhi last week, admitted that linking art with aid is not so easy, but said it had begun to show results and many countries had come forward to help the third world, particularly Africa. Noting that the `lingua franca of many countries is rock music, Geldof quipped, "I have taken advantage of this to draw their attention to aid."

The singer, songwriter and activist added that there were very few artistes who were prepared to devote their whole life to charity concerts or philanthropy to help fellow human beings. He particularly mentioned Bob Dylan and George Clooney among those who regularly continue charity work. Sir Geldof, who was in the capital to participate in the two-day Hindustan Times Leadership Summit on `Imagine the India that Can Be`, addressed the meet on "Can Awareness change Policy?" (Band-aid - Using Culture to Influence Global Priorities). Speaking on how artistes can draw crowds that can help charitable work, he told a press meet that getting together members of the Pink Floyd who cannot even see eye to eye today was an achievement in that it pulled in large crowds. Geldof is best known for organising the 2005 Live 8 concert to draw the attention of the G8 countries to the urgency of aid to African countries. He also organized the 1985 Live Aid Benefit concerts. He is currently involved in Make Poverty History Campaign against third world poverty. He was recognised by Time Magazine as one of the 2005 European Heroes and made the front cover of their European edition in October that year. Beginning his career as a journalist, he founded the rock band Boomtown Rats. His life changed as he became involved with the Live Aid concerts. He returned to Ethiopia in 2004 with UNICEF. He won the Nobel Man of Peace Award in 2005 and the MTV Free Your Mind Award and was a Nobel Prize nominee in 2005. Referring to India, Geldof expressed surprise that the whole of Africa was absolutely crazy about Bollywood films - perhaps because of the similarity of cultures - and that, India was yet doing very little in terms of aid in that continent. In fact, he said that both China and India were now joining the world community in exploiting that continent and India had recently become Nigeria`s largest trading partner, but all this spelt trouble for that continent. `Poverty has to be at the centre of policy and not just be used as a phrase for a feel good policy`, said Geldof.