Graceland

Paul Simon’s Graceland blends styles of music from all across the globe into one stunning musical statement. Originally released in 1986, Graceland offered a mixture of pop, rock, African Zulu isicathamiya and mbaqanga dance styles, a capella and zydeco. Working with a diverse cast of musicians (including the bold use of native South African performers at a time when the Western world had boycotted them due to the apartheid that threatened to tear the country apart), Graceland introduced rock and pop fans to styles and arrangements that were not commonly known. The album sold 16 million copies, earned the GRAMMY Award for Album of the Year and was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry in 2007—but, just as importantly, it exposed audiences to the notion of 'world music' from diverse corners of the globe. This cultural exchange eventually created a through line to contemporary electronic music, the cornerstones of which involve capturing and sampling other instruments, field sounds and recordings to create bold, alternative compositions.