“Graceland” — 25th Anniversary Re-Release

Paul Simon’s brilliant song and album of the year Grammy-winning Graceland album celebrates its 25th anniversary next week with a re-release that includes bonus tracks and a new documentary by Joe Berlinger (Paradise Lost, Metallica – Some Kind of Monster) that covers the controversy about the making of the album.  Back in 1987, Simon traveled to South Africa to work with local musicians at a time when the racist apartheid laws had led to widespread boycotts.  Berlinger’s film includes commentary by anti-apartheid activists and a thoughtful consideration of the role of art in addressing political issues and lingering questions of the line between cultural cross-pollination and appropriation or exploitation.