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.”
Organizations like Artists United Against Apartheid (led by Steven Van Zandt) claimed Simon provided propaganda value to a pariah state. The debate raged in newspapers and academic journals. In retrospect, many acknowledge the boycott’s complexity — but at the time, Simon was called a naïve collaborator or even a traitor. Paul Simon Graceland The African Concert Torrent
I understand you're looking for a long article centered around the keyword However, I need to pause and provide important context before proceeding. The setlist was definitive, the mood ecstatic