Paul Simon’s Graceland Reconsidered

Paul Simon's Graceland album and tour defied the cultural boycott, yet some argue it positively influenced South African music and politics in the late 1980s.

The cover of "Graceland," first released in 1986.

Last year, 2011, marked the 25th anniversary of Paul Simon’s “Graceland.” The album’s significance hardly needs reminding. It revived Simon’s career, became the first “World Music” crossover hit, won him a Grammy, and sold millions. As usual, celebratory articles appeared in late August, marking the album’s original 1985 release. I was even interviewed for one such retrospective by the news agency, AFP.

“Graceland” certainly warrants a proper retrospective, not just because of its commercial success, but also due to the controversy surrounding its creation: Simon defied the cultural boycott and sanctions; Linda Ronstadt, who defied the Sun City boycott, appeared on the album; critics claimed Simon appropriated local musical styles without proper credit; and Simon has said that Harry Belafonte and Quincy Jones helped set up the trip to South Africa.

The subsequent tour revitalized the careers of Hugh Masekela and Miriam Makeba, whose careers had suffered due to her marriage to Kwame Toure. It also turned Ladysmith Black Mambazo into international superstars and launched the careers of several other musicians, including Tony Cedras, Morris Goldberg, and Bakithi Khumalo. “Graceland” is notable for blending South African music with sounds from different parts of the continent and American styles. For example, Youssou N’Dour and Demola Adepoju played percussion on the album. At the heart of the Graceland debate lies the morally questionable context in which it emerged, resulting in an extraordinary transnational artistic collaboration.

We’re excited to hear about “Under African Skies,” a new film by American director Joe Berlinger, which has its world premiere at Sundance later tonight. Berlinger has said the film is not a hagiography: “I’m not interested in making a Paul Simon puff piece … Paul was a great collaborator, but I made the film I wanted to make. … They knew who they were hiring.” Unfortunately, none of us will be at Sundance. We’ll reach out to those who attended to hear what they thought, and perhaps Tambay Obenson at Shadow and Act will blog about its screening. Otherwise, we’ll wait for a screening copy or until it reaches one of the cities where AIAC bloggers live.

Here‘s the trailer for the film.

Further Reading

Energy for whom?

Behind the fanfare of the Africa Climate Summit, the East African Crude Oil Pipeline shows how neocolonial extraction still drives Africa’s energy future.

The sound of revolt

On his third album, Afro-Portuguese artist Scúru Fitchádu fuses ancestral wisdom with urban revolt, turning memory and militancy into a soundtrack for resistance.

O som da revolta

No seu terceiro álbum, o artista afro-português Scúru Fitchádu funde a sabedoria ancestral com a revolta urbana, transformando memória e militância em uma trilha sonora para a resistência.

Biya forever

As Cameroon nears its presidential elections, a disintegrated opposition paves the way for the world’s oldest leader to claim a fresh mandate.

From Cornell to conscience

Hounded out of the United States for his pro-Palestine activism, Momodou Taal insists that the struggle is global, drawing strength from Malcolm X, faith, and solidarity across borders.

After the uprising

Following two years of mass protest, Kenya stands at a crossroads. A new generation of organizers is confronting an old question: how do you turn revolt into lasting change? Sungu Oyoo joins the AIAC podcast to discuss the vision of Kenya’s radical left.

Redrawing liberation

From Gaza to Africa, colonial cartography has turned land into property and people into populations to be managed. True liberation means dismantling this order, not redrawing its lines.

Who deserves the city?

Colonial urbanism cast African neighborhoods as chaotic, unplanned, and undesirable. In postcolonial Dar es Salaam, that legacy still shapes who builds, who belongs, and what the middle class fears the city becoming.