Nobody expected Paul Simon to release the best album of his career in 1986. Up until that point his only projects of the decade had been a disastrous movie (One Trick Pony), a cash-in oldies tour with Art Garfunkel and two poorly received studio albums (the soundtrack to One Trick Pony and 1983’s Hearts and Bones). When he headed down to Apartheid-era South Africa to record Graceland with local musicians he was called both a cultural imperialist and a political scoundrel for violating the boycott. When people actually heard the album — which combined American pop with Isicathamiya (South African a cappella) — it became abundantly clear that Simon had brilliantly bridged the cultures and taken a musical quantum leap forward.

(Check out more photos from Paul Simon’s “Under African Skies” concert.)

He hasn’t been able to duplicate its commercial success or creativity in the years since (though he came close with 1991’s Latin America-infused Rhythm of the Saints). These two albums were celebrated by Simon and guests on Saturday night, the fourth of a five night Under African Skies concert series at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. (more…)