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Paul Simon’s ‘Graceland’ marks 40th anniversary
The album ‘Graceland’ by Paul Simon marks its 40th anniversary, celebrating a milestone in pop music history that was born out of significant political controversy. Released on August 12, 1986, the album was inspired by a bootleg cassette of South African street music, leading Simon to record in Johannesburg with local musicians such as Bakithi Kumalo and Ray Phiri.
While the album became a massive commercial success, selling an estimated 16 million copies and winning the 1987 Grammy for Album of the Year, its production was fraught with danger. By collaborating with South African artists, Simon bypassed the international cultural boycott against the apartheid regime, which resulted in him being placed on a death list by a militant splinter group.
The project eventually featured additional contributions from American artists including Linda Ronstadt and the Everly Brothers.
Entities
Bakithi Kumalo · Grammy Awards · Johannesburg · Paul Simon · Ray Phiri
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 4 SOURCES] The album won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year in 1987. www.fehmarn24.de · www.hna.de · www.merkur.de · www.tz.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The creation of the album involved breaking the international cultural boycott against the South African apartheid regime. www.fehmarn24.de · www.hna.de · www.merkur.de · www.tz.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] The album ‘Graceland’ has sold an estimated 16 million copies. www.fehmarn24.de · www.hna.de · www.merkur.de · www.tz.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Paul Simon received death threats from a militant splinter group due to the album. www.fehmarn24.de · www.hna.de · www.merkur.de · www.tz.de
- [● 4 SOURCES] Paul Simon released the album ‘Graceland’ on August 12, 1986. www.fehmarn24.de · www.hna.de · www.merkur.de · www.tz.de