Paul Simon brings Graceland back to London, 25 years after apartheid boycott row

[xchrom]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/mar/16/paul-simon-graceland-london

MIFF12 - UNDER AFRICAN SKIES - TRAILER

It was one of the most divisive shows in British pop history. On 7 April 1987, Paul Simon brought his best-selling Graceland project to the Royal Albert Hall in London for the first of six sold-out concerts.

On stage, he was joined by the cream of South African musicians, including Hugh Masekela, Miriam Makeba and Ladysmith Black Mambazo, but outside, leading British musicians joined people protesting that Simon had broken the ANC's cultural boycott of apartheid-era South Africa.

They included Billy Bragg, Paul Weller and Jerry Dammers, famous for writing one of the great anti-apartheid anthems, Nelson Mandela. They had delivered an angry letter to Simon, asking him to apologise.

Now, 25 years on, the Guardian can reveal that Paul Simon is reviving Graceland and returning to London for a concert in Hyde Park on 15 July as part of the Hard Rock Calling festival.

[Bluenorthwest]

1. I saw one of the original Graceland shows and it was one of the most amazing nights

of my life.
learned so much from the grace, the carriage, the work and the songs of all of the musicians who were on stage with Simon. For all time, I am thankful to all of them for those shows. Ms Makeba, an example to us all. Ladysmith, my God they were amazing, just amazing. Masekela. Just that. Masekela.
It was musically magical, and magically musical. One of the finest shows I will see in this lifetime, no matter how long I manage to hang around. It was a grin on the face and a tear in the eye. It was a slice of the future with the sweetest guitars....

[Happyhippychick]

2. I saw them at Jones Beach (ny) and could not agree more. It was and is the best concert I have ever

Seen bar none.