“Nearly forty years ago, Paul Simon built a bridge with Graceland, introducing Western ears to South African rhythm”
By Clayton “Tiger” Hulin, photo of Paul Simon by Raj Rama
Back in 1986, Paul Simon hauled a bag of microphones and curiosity to South Africa and cut Graceland. He borrowed township rhythms, guitar licks that danced like sunlight, and voices that carried a weight older than America itself. For a generation of American listeners, it was their first taste of African sound, filtered through a familiar…
