It may have broken a cultural boycott, but Paul Simon's Graceland probably helped hasten the end of apartheid by presenting black South Africans as other than faceless victims.
The character of the base music here is overwhelming: complex, ebullient and life-affirming, and in yoking this intricate dance music to his sophisticated New Yorker sensibility, Simon created a transatlantic bridge that neither pandered to nor patronised either culture. This 25th Anniversary Edition includes outtakes and demos, along with Joe Berlinger's wonderful film about the project, Under African Skies.
Download: The Boy in the Bubble; Graceland; Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies