By the mid-1980s, apartheid-era South Africa was subject to a global cultural boycott, strongly advocated by the African National Congress (ANC) and supported by the United Nations. Musicians were explicitly asked not to perform, record, or collaborate in South Africa, regardless of intent. In 1984–85, Paul Simon traveled to South Africa to record with Black South African musicians, including members of Ladysmith Black Mambazo. He did not seek ANC approval beforehand and broke the cultural boycott in the process. But was it worth it? Did Simon accomplish anything creatively or culturally worth his bold contravention of the global attitude toward the South African regime?

The only way to find out is to turn on, tune in, and call me Al.

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