Proms on TV 2026
Celebrating Graceland at the Proms
Royal Albert Hall
It seems that 2026 is a year of many a milestone anniversary, and one such example is the fortieth of Paul Simon's Graceland album.
I have a certain level of affinity for the record, and in particular its titular track. Like Simon, I made the road trip to the Home of Elvis Presley in a state of contemplation; not knowing where life was taking me, save for the direction of the road. That was over ten years ago now, and I still haven't fully snapped out of that. When I had my non-stop oldies played on Radio 2 that same year (thanks again, Steve W), Paul Simon's Graceland appeared as the final track on the running order. Three years later, in 2018, I saw Paul Simon at BST Hyde Park, on his 'Homeward Bound' tour, where we, the vast audience, were treated to all the hit singles of the Graceland record, namely Graceland, You Can Call Me Al, and Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes.
Clive Myrie presents this celebration at the Royal Albert Hall, and on stage we have Ladysmith Black Mambazo, the ensemble who were on the original album. They are joined by contemporary pop stars such as James Bay, all offering their best impression of Paul Simon, with varying degrees of success.
While I knew this album had African influences in its music, I was previously unaware of the apartheid connotations at the time of its making. Simon collaborated on this album against the wishes of the anti-apartheid movement, who were otherwise making an effort to boycott the scene.
As Graceland [the song] begins, I can feel its bass line in the armrest of my settee. That, and the presentation of the undulating colours on stage, are testament to the fettle of my fifty inch. But I wish I could have been there, all the same.
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