Gumboots

The song Gumboots, included in the album Graceland, immerses us in a fusion of styles ranging from pop and rock to South African rhythms like isicathamiya and mbaqanga. Paul Simon himself handled the production, with Roy Halee on sound engineering, and the album was released on August 25, 1986. This work was conceived at a particular moment for Simon, following the deterioration of his musical relationship with Art Garfunkel and the end of his marriage to actress Carrie Fisher. His previous album, Hearts and Bones from 1983, had not achieved the expected success.

It was in 1984, after a period of discouragement, that Simon came across a tape of South African street music, mbaqanga. This influence led him to spend two weeks in Johannesburg with Halee, recording with local musicians. The recording of Gumboots, lasting 2 minutes and 45 seconds, also featured the participation of engineers Mark Cobrin and Peter Thwaites, in addition to the production by Paul Simon.