For many people around in the ’80s and early ’90s, chances are Paul Simon’s masterpiece Graceland (1986) will have been a part of your life.

Until recently, we didn’t know of the February 1987 live tour he did in Harare, Zimbabwe. The concert was released as a DVD in 1999, but is now available on YouTube. We’re celebrating it all here today as, bloody hell, we all need our spirits lifting in these oppressive times.

The Joys of Graceland: The Zimbabwe Concert

That sets the scene right there, opening the concert with The Boy in the Bubble. Although he wrote most of the songs, he had a group of South African musicians contributing.

This was very much a collaborative effort and you can see some world class musicians there, including:

• Ray Phiri on guitar and vocals
• Isaac Mtshali on drums
• Tony Cedras on accordion, harmonium, and keyboards
• Bakithi Kumalo on bass
• Hugh Masekela on trumpet

There was an ensemble of 24 top South African musicians, highlighting the brilliance of the album and what it represents—a merger of cultures for a fantastic end result.

Many musical genres are covered across the songs, including pop, rock, a cappella, zydeco, isicathamiya, and mbaqanga. There’s also Mbaqanga, which originated as street music from the township of Soweto.

Simon had just gone through a difficult divorce from actress Carrie Fisher and quite a few of the songs reference this. However, it’s an uplifting album—Simon was mid-40s here and in high spirits. His fast-paced lyrics on Call Me Al is a real highlight from the show.

Note on the crowd, too, this is one of the most lively and engaged audiences we’ve ever seen.

Plus, the South African musicians are just awesome. Bass, drums, guitar—all three players fantastic. For Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes there’s a full group on hand to perform chants and traditional dance.

It’s performed by the male choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo, who are, happily, still performing today.

Plus, there’s a fantabulous performance of Under African Skies with singer, songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist Miriam Makeba (who unfortunately passed away in 2008).

She was one of the first African musicians to receive global recognition for her work in the ’60s onward.

Glorious stuff. Fantastic album, performed just as well (if not better) live. And this show from almost 40 years ago has a particular resonance now, showcasing the best of humanity and what we can achieve.

We should also note the longevity of Paul Simon’s work.

Although he’s suffering hearing loss issues in older age, he’s touring right now and has a show… tonight! As at the time of typing this out (24/05/2025). If you’re in Chicago, doors at the Symphony Center open at 7pm. Head on down if you can.

Notes on the Graceland Album and Concert

Graceland is accepted as a classic now, but back in 1986 the album was controversial. Paul Simon was criticised as he recorded with South African musicians at a time of international boycotting due to the apartheid regime.

In other words, Simon was accused of legitimising apartheid… which is ridiculous. As you can see with the above musicians involved discussing the project, it was more a celebration of culture.

But there were safety concerns for the gigs, so the Zimbabwe army provided security.

For the record, Simon took no pay for the tour to ensure the South African musicians would receive as much as possible. As covered in a contemporary feature in Rolling Stone magazine: Paul Simon’s Amazing Graceland Tour.

“The charge of exploiting the South African musicians especially irritates Simon. Not only did he pay the South African musicians on Graceland the equivalent of the triple union scale commanded by New York studio vets, but he is not accepting any payment for his Graceland concert performances to ensure the two dozen members of his road band get maximum paychecks.

‘The show breaks even as long as I don’t get paid. Everybody gets paid and makes his or her money. I’m working essentially for free.'”

And we think that’s a fitting tribute to the man, now 83 and approaching the end of his long music career, and what he achieved with this classic album.