But the album’s companion piece — a concert film titled — is equally legendary. Recorded in Harare, Zimbabwe, on February 14 and 15, 1987, it captured a historic moment: the first major rock concert on African soil featuring a multinational, integrated band during the height of apartheid in neighboring South Africa.
The setlist was definitive, the mood ecstatic. Backed by a 30-plus-member band (including Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Miriam Makeba, Hugh Masekela, the Everly Brothers-style duo Stimela, and guitarist Ray Phiri), Simon performed nearly all of Graceland , plus classics like “The Sound of Silence” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Paul Simon Graceland The African Concert Torrent
For music lovers, ethnomusicologists, and fans of 1980s pop, the concert is an essential artifact. The sight of thousands of Zimbabweans dancing to “I Know What I Know” (a song driven by a simple guitar riff and a call-and-response chorus) is as uplifting today as it was 36 years ago. Searching for a torrent of Paul Simon Graceland The African Concert is understandable given the rarity of physical copies. But the best way to honor the music — and the musicians who lived under apartheid and fought for freedom — is to access it legally. Streaming, buying a used DVD, or renting the HD digital version supports the artists and ensures the concert remains available for future generations. But the album’s companion piece — a concert