Homeless

The song *Homeless* was born from a fascinating cultural encounter. Paul Simon, seeking to expand his sonic palette for his album *Graceland*, traveled to South Africa in 1985. There he contacted Joseph Shabalala, leader of the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. After an enthusiastic conversation, the group traveled to London to collaborate. The first piece they recorded together was precisely *Homeless*. The musical structure and chorus were Simon's ideas, while Shabalala contributed the introduction and the main part in the Zulu language. The result is a 3-minute and 48-second piece that fuses styles such as pop, rock, and South African isicathamiya.

This project occurred at a particular personal and professional moment for Paul Simon. In the early 80s, his relationship with Art Garfunkel had deteriorated, and his marriage to Carrie Fisher had ended. His previous album, *Hearts and Bones* from 1983, did not achieve the expected success. After a period of decline, Simon was drawn to a tape of South African street music called mbaqanga. He and recording engineer Roy Halee spent two weeks in Johannesburg recording with local musicians. The album *Graceland*, released on August 25, 1986, by Warner Bros. Records, incorporated a rich variety of genres, including South African rhythms. Despite accusations of breaking the cultural boycott of South Africa, the album became a great success, selling millions of copies and catapulting the international image of Ladysmith Black Mambazo.