Sunday Vinyl Session No.12 - Graceland

Our twelfth session in March comes courtesy of one of our biggest supporters since Session No.1, Matt. Yes, it's another Sessioneers takeover! Matt has picked for us Paul Simon's 1986 album Graceland.
Controversial on release as Simon was accused of breaking the cultural boycott of South Africa by travelling to the country, still under the horrific grip of apartheid, to record the music of artists who are now internationally known such as Ladysmith Black Mambazo as well as the Senegalese singer Youssou N'Dour. He became fascinated by the music of South African townships after he was given a bootleg tape recording of it smuggled out of the country in the early '80s. The album went on to win Album of the Year at the 1987 Grammy Awards, has sold over 16 million copies and has been included in to the United States National Recording Registry as being "culturally important". Graceland revitalised Simon's faltering solo career and is an intriguing mix of pop, rock, a cappella, zydeco and what we came to call 'world music'. It also includes the worldwide smash hit single, You Can Call Me Al.