European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 31, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Paul Simon out of Africa into South America by Robert Hilburn . Times Paul Simon s Graceland was one of the landmark pop works of the 80s, a collection that earned him a third album of the year grammy a Mark equated Only by Frank Sinatra and Stevie wonder. The 1986 album not Only included exquisite songs about the ironies and Joys of life in these Quot Days of Miracle and wonder Quot but also showcased the skills of some marvellously appealing South african musicians underscoring the value of broadening the cultural Range of mainstream pop in this country. Graceland which remained on the . Pop charts for almost two years had such a Strong Impact that it s easy to imagine even someone of Simon a stature being intimidated. The question for almost four years now has been How do you follow that album Simon finally returned with the rhythm of the saints an album whose inspirational spark was a visit to Brazil where the Singer songwriter became intrigued by the dynamics of some brazilian drum rhythms. The album is another ambitious Cross cultural feast in which Simon brings together musicians from Brazil Cameroon South Africa and the United states to add seasoning to songs touching on topics ranging from Urban crime and lost love to idealism and Faith. In san Francisco recently to preview the record Simon spoke about the Impact of Graceland and the making of the rhythm of the saints. Q were you intimidated by the enormous Success of Graceland a intimidated no i did no to feel intimidated by the Success of Graceland. I think i was More intimidated by the failure of hearts and Bones the album that preceded Graceland. Remember hearts and Bones came right after one trick Pony a soundtrack album that was also a commercial disappointment. I started thinking maybe people had just lost interest in me. I actually read a piece in billboard Magazine where the reporter was talking to radio programmers about what they were playing or what they were looking for. And someone said specifically Quot Well we won t be playing artists like Paul Simon  and i thought Quot wow they re saying they won t play what i am going to do in the future even though they Don t know what i am going to  so i tried to be philosophical about it. I told myself it happens in this business. I just assumed my career had left the phase of real intense popularity and moved into some other phase. Q Why do you think one trick Pony and hearts and Bones failed a the error of one trick Pony was that i wrote the music within two or three years after the still crazy after All these years album but i was having such a Good time with the screenplay for the one trick Pony movie that i let the music sit around until the movie was finished and that meant two extra years. If i had put out the album right after still crazy it would have done much better because in those five years from 1975 to 1980 a music changed. There was the clash the new wave movement a whole new Energy. A q but people think of you As a classic songwriter someone whose work and popularity Arentt affected by shifts in style. Isnit that True a no because there is a certain rhythm of interest that goes on in pop music that we All share. I would have written different music for the one trick Pony album if i had known it was going to take five years to finish the film. I was finishing ideas i started in still crazy which is How i Paul Simon travelled to Brazil for his new album. A the rhythm of the saints work. When i finish an album there Are usually some unfinished ends that interest me and set a direction for me next time. It q what unfinished ends were there from hearts and Bones when you started making Graceland a two things. First i noticed that i had started to write lyrics that combined conversational speech and imagery. I liked that. But i did no to like some of the tracks some of the arrangements and the actual playing on hearts and Bones. Things just did no to work in the studio. I was distracted. I was working on the reunion tour with Artie Art Garfunkel. I was getting married. But also i was very depressed after hearts and Bones. The marriage to actress Carrie Fisher ended As quickly As the record ended. And that Shook my Confidence a the marriage More than the record. I was building a House out on Long Island where Carrie and i were going to live. I would drive out there All the time after the breakup to watch the construction and id listen to this tape of this South african music on a cassette. It was like two or three months went by before i even noticed that i was always playing this same tape. That s eventually what led me to go to South Africa and make Graceland. Q did you have any idea How revolutionary that album was going to be a not really because i had been reaching out to other cultures in my music for a Long time. On Al Condor Pasa from the Bridge Over troubled water album for instance we actually bought the los incas track and Sang Over it. Rather than just sing Over another existing track it seemed better to go to the country and actually record with the musicians. That a what i did with Mother and child reunion. I heard a lot of ska music when i was living in England in the �?T60s, so i went to Jamaica to make a ska record. But when i not there they said they weren to playing ska anymore the were playing reggae. So that show it ended up re soap with the South african music however i got into it on a much deeper level. Q were you surprised when groups in England and in the . Accused you of violating a cultural Boycott against South Africa by recording with Black musicians in Johannesburg a its not pleasant to be criticized at All and it s certainly not pleasant to be criticized on racial issues i was terribly relieved when things finally worked out when my position got accepted by most people. In retrospect i feel what we did was overwhelmingly Correct i met Nelson and Winnie Mandela when they were in the . A few months ago and they both thanked me for helping. Q Why did you go to Brazil for your new album a two events that had a big effect. I did a duet with Milton Nascimento on his album in 1987 and he invited me to Brazil after the Graceland tour. The other thing was two statements about drumming. Quincy Jones said the great singers in Africa come from the South but the great drummers come from the West. Then Eddie Palmieri who i was working with on a Broadway musical said the great drummers of the world came out of West Africa from Brazil up to the Caribbean and on to Cuba. That was the Startina Point Brazil and drumming. Q what happened when you went to Brazil a i went into the studio with Milton a record producer and we recorded some drummers. I also went up to the North of Brazil and saw this phenomenal group of 14 drummers. Sakti. And did some More recording i had no idea where it was leading but then i thought id put some West african guitar on top of the brazilian drumming. After All the rhythms Are connected anyway just separated by 300 to 400 years. A then Hugh Masakela recommended a musician named Kofi electric who came in to play in the studio and he had Friend from Cameroon who was living in Washington Vincent Guini. I invited him up to new York and i asked him what he would play Over these drum rhythms and we started to work together to make up forms for the songs. Q there is a lot of disillusionment in a song like the Cool Cool River on the new album. Urban rage terrorism government deceit and the like. Yet you end up saying a i believe in the future we shall suffer no  How do you feel about the future Are you optimistic you have to believe that some of the problems can be fixed or you live in a state of such pessimism that you Are immobilized. But also the line goes on to say Quot maybe not in my lifetime but in  a written to my son Harper. That a the Hope of us All Isnit it if the problems seem impossible now Well maybe  be solved for the next generation. I also think that is the first time i Ever wrote in a song that in a going to die. I just noticed that the other Day. It s strange. In the Simon amp Garfunkel Days when i was the same generation As our audience i always Felt that whatever i was interested in was in perfect sync with Whai the mass audience was interested in. But i wondered what it would be like when you got older. The thing you learn is that you just keep writing about what concerns you and if the song is any Good people i still relate to  a singles 1. Ice ice baby Vanilla ice 2. Black cat a Janet Jackson 3. Love takes time a Marlah Carey 4. Giving you the Benefit pebbles 5.1 done to have the heart a James Ingram 6. Pray a . Hammer 7. Cant Stop after 7 8. More than words can say alias 9. Suicide blonde inns 10. Cherry pie a warrant pop a albums 1. Please Hammer done to Hurt pm . Hammer 2. To the extreme a Vanilla ice 3. The razors Edge acc 4. Mariah Carey a Marlah Carey 5. Listen without prejudice George Michael 6. X a inns 7. Wilson Phillips Wilson Phillips 8. Family style a Vaughan Brothers 9. Cherry pie a warrant 10. Poison a Bell big Devo country a singles 1. You be a Reba Mcentire 2. Home Joe off Fie 3. Friends in Low paces Garth Brooks 4. Too cold at Home Mark Chesnutt 6. Fool such As i a Baillie and the boys 6. You really had me going Holly Dunn 7. Feed this fire a Anne Murray 8. Back in my younger Days Don Williams 9. A few Ole country boys Randy Travis George Jones 10. Yet exile Lack a singles 1. So you Uke what you see Samuelle 2. Merry go round a Keith sweat 3. Love takes time a Mariah Carey 4. . I thought it was me Bell big Devos 5. Uvino in the ought Caron wheeler6. Ice ice baby a Vanilla ice 7. Pray a . Hammer 8. Misunderstanding a Aib. Sure 9. Slow motion Gerald Alston 10. Buck cat a Janet Jackson a . Cool j album a Rock for week ending oct. 20 1. Concrete and steel Zzz Tod 2. Suicide blonde inns 3. High enough a Damn Yankees a Sion on the Hill a Neil Young amp crazy horse 5. Thunderstruck acc 6. Type a using Colour 7. Cuffs of Dover a Eric Johnson 8. Tick Tock a Vaughan brother 9. Love is the ritual styx 10. Hard to handle the Black crowds a compiled by billboard Page 16 a a a the stars and stripes wednesday october 31,1990