Under African Skies Politics in Music

What was apartheid, and what does it translate as?

Apartheid was a system of segregation and discrimination on

grounds of race that took place in South Africa between 1948 and
1994 after legislation the National Party put in place. It meant
black people had to live separately on land appointed to them by
the government away from the main cities. They were also made
to work the hard labour jobs for unfair pay.

Who were/are the ANC?

The African National Congress (ANC) is a national liberation
movement that was formed in 1912 to oppose the struggles that
the African people were facing regarding equality at the time.

What was the boycott the ANC and Artists Against Apartheid
wanted enforced?

The ANC and Artis Against Apartheid wanted a cultural

sanction/boycott to be put in place and followed. They feared
that if pop stars kept coming over to perform for the white people

then it would look like there was less of a problem. However, if

they were banned from doing so then it might have an influence
on the government about ending apartheid. Though a boycott was
put in place it wasn't followed by everyone and some concerts
still went ahead as well as of course Paul Simon traveling to South
Africa to record Graceland.

What were some opportunities for employment in South Africa for

the black population during apartheid? How successful do you
think black musicians could become?

Employment in South Africa for the black population was very

bad. They had the option of working on farms on the 7.5% of land
that was set aside for black people, but that wouldn't often earn
enough money so they were forced to go and work in mines or in
the city as cheap labour. The issue of migrant labour was a large
one but there was nothing the black population could do as the
government had put the legislation in place and had raised taxes
for black people.

Being able to work as a black musician wasn't impossible but was

incredibly unlikely. Some black bands were successful recording
artists within South Africa, however they were sometimes hunted
down by police and arrested such as Stimela and Ladysmith Black
Mambazo. They were seen to be going against the government
with their songs and this made it tricky to stay safe as well as
keep the small money you'd earn if you were a black musician.

What opportunities did Paul Simon offer the musicians he worked

with on the album?

Paul Simon offered the musicians he met in South Africa the

chance to travel to New York and London to record the album as
well as the rest of the world to perform the album to people at live
concerts. They also got the opportunity to perform on TV with
Saturday Night Live as well as giving many of them the chance to
see another side of life where black people aren't segregated
under apartheid and how bad the places they lived in South Africa
were.

Why do you think the ANC wanted the black South African
musicians to go home during the Graceland tour?

After the ANC and Artists Against Apartheid had fought so hard to
get a cultural boycott in place, it would look bad and not help
their cause in any way if South Africans themselves were the ones
breaking the boycott by performing outside of the territory. Not
only that but they were working with Paul Simon, a man who the
ANC were already unhappy with for coming into South Africa
without their knowledge and breaking the boycott himself. This
would make the ANC extremely unhappy with the musicians
involved as it looks like they are totally against the cause.

What are Paul Simons views on when politics and music clash?
He was of the belief that politicians shouldn't be able to interfere
with musicians and their ability to create music. It's why he went
to South Africa to begin with, he was asked to go by African
musicians to go and even though he knew about the cultural
boycott and many of the implications that were involved in going,
he still went and recorded many parts of Graceland as well as
bringing many of the musicians back with him. He believed it
didnt mater if there was good music to be made.

Do you think the Graceland concert in Zimbabwe proved that the

making of the album was a good thing or should Paul Simon still
not have gone to South Africa?

Who was Dali Tambo and what was his overall opinion of Paul
Simon recording Graceland?
Dali Tambo is the founder of Artists Against Apartheid, son of
Oliver Tambo who had a central position in the ANC. He was
against Paul Simon coming over to South Africa and recording
Graceland. As one of the biggest activists working to get the
cultural boycott put in place, Dali felt that Paul was working
against the cause for ending apartheid even if they weren't Paul's
intentions. He saw it that anyone that was willing to break the

boycott was coming in to support apartheid by showing that it's

okay to associate yourself with the South African government.

The album introduced South African music to many other

countries, was this a good thing for the anti-apartheid movement?

In my opinion I believe it was a good thing for the anti-apartheid

movement. It turned the people of the world onto how much good
as well as bad was happening in South Africa. The bad was of
course the apartheid which no doubt received far more attention
after the major success and controversy surrounding the album,
leading more people to raise their voices and try and get
something done to help the people of South Africa.

I also feel it helped show that even though South Africa was a bad
place due to the government and apartheid, there was still a lot of
good about it culturally and that we shouldn't have to worry about
disassociating ourselves from these people just because of what
their government is doing to them.

Should Paul Simon have gone to South Africa to record the album
Graceland?

I believe he should have, even though he really should have made

clear with the ANC his intentions and what he planned to do prior

to traveling over. I don't believe Graceland was the 'turning point'

for South Africans, but it definitely played a major role in changing
things, especially for those musicians involved with the recording
and performance of the album and that without it it may have
taken a bit more time to end apartheid.