Paul Simon's Graceland: the Acclaim and the Outrage

Paul Simon's Graceland album turned 30 years old in 2016 and is regarded as one of the more controversial albums in rock & roll history. The album was recorded in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1986, at a time when country was still under the Apartheid regime, and under a United Nations (UN) sanctioned cultural boycott. Paul Simon who had interest in South African a capella vocal music like mbube and isicathamiya, went to the country to collaborate with fellow musicians, including Joseph Shabala and his band Ladysmith Black Mambazo. As a result of crossing the UN cultural boycott, Simon received criticism from organizations like the African National Congress and Artists Against Apartheid, even though he was collaborating with black musicians. Some accused Simon of using South African musicians for his own personal gain. Legendary South African jazz musician Jonas Gwangwa responded to the idea that Simon was helping to spread South African music by saying So, it has taken another white man to discover my people? while Jerry Dammers, a musician who held a prominent role in the Artists Against Apartheid Movement, said: Who does he think he is? He’s helping maybe 30 people and he’s damaging solidarity over sanctions. He thinks he’s helping the cause of freedom, but he’s naive. He’s doing far more harm than good. Paul Simon has stood firm about his work in South Africa saying he has no regrets, insisting that he was focused on dealing with artists rather than politicians saying: I’m with the artists. I didn’t ask the permission of the ANC. I didn’t ask permission of Buthelezi, or Desmond Tutu, or the Pretoria government. And to tell you the truth, I have a feeling that when there are radical transfers of power on either the left or the right, the artists always get screwed. Hugh Masekela and other prominent black South African musicians praised Simon for his work, and freely chose to collaborate with him. Masekela has said that the widespread attention South African music gained from Graceland was very valuable in allowing the music to grow. Please read the short article titled "Paul Simon's Graceland: the Acclaim and the Outrage" by Robin Denslow which does an effective job of summarizing the different points of view on this topic. Then respond to the following two discussion prompts Minimum 300 words. After reading the article, was Paul Simon right to cross the U.N boycott line? Explain. Even if some musicians benefited from his collaboration, was he risking something bigger by ignoring the boycott? • What are the potential positives, and the dangers or liabilities of Western musicians who take on the role and responsibility of addressing such complex social and political issues when they involve other cultures and races, in this case a prominent white American musician involved in Black South African music and social issues.    

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