Why Paul Simon’s “Graceland” Made Music History

Ashley Kahn (0:00)

Bakithi's moment on the album is definitely the break. And you can call me out.

Jack Coyne (0:14)

Can you basically speak to what we're hearing and what this is?

Bakithi Kumalo (0:22)

This is Boyoyo Boys, and then the groove of this is called Umpakanga.

SPEAKER_4 (0:27)

What does that mean?

Bakithi Kumalo (0:28)

Umpakanga, it's like the rhythm that was given to us by Polish, uh, poker, because the groove is like, umpa, umpa, that's poker. But in South Africa, they call it Umpakanga, because nobody knew how to say poker back in the day. They're like, uh, Umpakanga, and they play the penny whistle on top of that, and it became in the jive.

Jack Coyne (0:49)

Just introduce yourselves.

Bakithi Kumalo (0:50)

My name is Bakithi Kumalo.

Ashley Kahn (1:00)

And I'm a journalist, I'm an author, and I'm someone who came out of working with the whole Graceland phenomena on the road, including with this very esteemed gentleman here, who brought his sound and his mark to that incredible piece of music with Paul Simon. Doing great.

Jack Coyne (1:21)

How are you guys?

Ashley Kahn (1:22)

Doing great. Jack, thanks for having us on.

Jack Coyne (1:25)

I'm very excited to have you here. I've been looking forward to this for a long time because I got this book that you wrote a couple months ago, and it was a joy to read because it's about Graceland, which keeps coming back to me as one of my favorite albums of all time.

Ashley Kahn (1:49)

Thank you, Jack.

It was a real honor to be able to write this, to remember this album and to remember everything that was happening in the world at that time. Because it was certainly an album that had as much to do with the spirit of the 80s as it was, kind of, you know, as it has transcended it. Yeah. And become a sort of timeless, you know, piece of music in its own right.

Jack Coyne (2:16)

It's 40 years.

SPEAKER_4 (2:17)

40 years.

Jack Coyne (2:20)

The thing that always stands out to me, listening to this at least once a week, I listen to pieces of this record for years, it doesn't sound like any particular time.

When you think about 80s music, you think about a very particular, like, synthesizer driven thing. This doesn't sound like that. This sounds different.

Ashley Kahn (2:38)

I think that's as good a definition of timeless music.

Bakithi Kumalo (2:42)

It is.

Ashley Kahn (2:43)

And of like a classic album as anything else, that it continues to talk to you and bring you inspiration no matter, you know, how long it's been out there.

Jack Coyne (2:52)

So my goal today is to dig into this record, the backstory, a little bit of the history, learn about you guys, how you know each other, your background and listen to some music.

Bakithi Kumalo (3:03)

That's right. I love it.

Jack Coyne (3:05)

Can you tell me a little bit about the background and specifically what you were doing and when you two first encountered each other?

Bakithi Kumalo (3:11)

Well, you know, I recorded with Paul in 1985, the album, which is like earlier. I didn't know who Paul Simon was. When I got a call that my boss tell me Paul Simon sings this song, that's on this song, Mother and Child Union. And I said, oh, he's a rasta. And he says, he's not a rasta, you know, but he's from Jamaica, but he never said Queens. He said Queens later, Jamaica Queens. And I'm like, Jamaica Queens? Yeah, he must be a rasta. He says, no, Jamaica Queens, New York. Then I said, I don't care. Then he gave me the money. I take the train and I get on the train. And when I get to the studio, you know, when I show up in the studio, Paul was sitting down on the floor with a bunch of kids. And I said, what the hell? Is this a daycare or something? I mean, my boss, maybe he didn't understand it really. But Paul, he bought the toys for the musicians that they were recording with them, because the General Amchurinda people, because they come to the studio with the wives and children when we record.

And so I just hang out there until my name was called. And I couldn't even speak with Paul, because I didn't speak English.

But we had a producer, Koloilibone, a blind producer. He will tell me what Paul says. He loves my playing. Then I say, I'm excited. I'm happy. But we never talked to Paul until really later on, you know, once we start the Graceland tour. Because I was just nervous. I never speak English, even my boss, when he was telling me about Paul.