In the Summer of 1984, Paul Simon is given a cassette of South African township music called Gumboots: Accordion Jive Hits, Volume II. He is taken by the music, hearing an affinity with "'50s rock'n'roll out of the Atlantic Records school of simple three-chord pop hits... very up, very happy music--familiar and foreign-sounding at the same time." Simon begins to write lyrics to the tune "Gumboots" and decides to travel to South Africa in 1985 to record with South African musicians, which inspires a new world musical fusion and groundbreaking album that is Graceland.
Comments