[EP 427] Paul Simon’s Graceland: The Story Behind the Music and Controversy with Kalvin Schmidt-Rimpler Dinh

Booked On Rock with Eric Senich · Oct 25, 2026 · 39m · transcript

Paul Simon’s Graceland is one of the most celebrated albums of the 1980s, blending American songwriting with South African musical traditions. But behind the groundbreaking 1986 album are fascinating stories of creative reinvention, unlikely collaborations, political controversy, and disputes over songwriting credits and royalties.I

In this episode of Booked On Rock, I'm joined by Kalvin Schmidt-Rimpler Dinh, author of Paul Simon’s Graceland from Bloomsbury’s 33⅓ Africa series, to explore the making of this landmark album. Discover how a cassette of South African accordion music inspired…