Great job, Paul (77)!

Thanks to my favorite magazine ever (Entertainment Weekly), I became aware of this great performance: „Stephen Colbert joins Paul Simon for rousing rendition of ‚That Was Your Mother'“


I met Paul Simon for interviews at least twice – at his Manhattan office, and during the rehearsal for his Graceland tour in London. I blogged about the latter: „R.I.P., Ray Phiri! (My ‚Graceland‘ memories)“

I never talked to Ray Phiri in person. But I must have seen him when visiting a rehearsal of the „Graceland“ tour in London for an interview with Paul Simon. He and his collaborators caught a lot of flak back then because they were accused of violating the cultural boycott against South Africa’s apartheid regime.

Before the interview, I was instructed not to bring up the boycott – if I did, they told me he’d break off the interview and leave the room immediately. I talked around the issue by asking Paul whether it bothered him that the issues surrounding „Graceland“ caught more attention than the music itself.

Apparently, this hit a nerve. Not only did he provide an extensive answer, he also took me backstage because he wanted me to get Miriam Makeba’s and Hugh Masekela’s perspective as well. So I ended up getting three interviews for the price of one, and I was very glad to provide some first-hand commentaries to the on-going debate.

Peter Jebsen