Watched a 2 hour-long documentary on Paul Simon and the making of "Graceland" on the "Great Performances" series of PBS. I remember at the time that album came out, there was much criticism bandied about in the US, that he had "exploited" the South Africans involved in the album. But it seems that the issue was far greater than that, and learning about it was well worth watching the show - I recommend it.
The "exploitation" criticism was the stuff being discussed in the US at the time. I'm not saying we were ignorant of the other piece - just that for some reason, it was not the matter being discussed so much. Or perhaps it was over my head, and I didn't pick up on it. Paul Simon was accused of violating the U.N. cultural boycott of South Africa, in the efforts to end apartheid.
Though he was advised to seek the approval of the African National Congress before commencing with his recording sessions over there, he deliberately skipped that step, and maintained from start to finish that art should not serve politics. Considering the violence that was ongoing in South Africa at the time, this was a bold stance, and really, it's a wonder he got out of there safely.
When Nelson Mandela got out of prison, he invited the Graceland Tour to perform in South Africa. The nearest the Tour had gotten to South Africa before this occasion was Zimbabwe. At Mandela's invitation, many fences were mended. But it was apparent that the fervor of the disapproval against P.S. has only recently finally died down.
Paul Simon holds his stance to this day that artists collaborate with each other, transcendent to race and creed. And, while he didn't say it per se, that music is the universal language.
Hope you get to see this program.
