When was the last time that you listened to Paul Simon's Graceland? I revisited it pretty recently, and god, what an album. Just an incredible collection of songs. Graceland was a critical and commercial smash when it came out in 1986. But at the time of its release, the record also existed within a thorny landscape of racial politics. Simon was inspired by the township music of apartheid-era South Africa, and re recorded it partially in South Africa, with the help of a number of South African musicians. Before making his trip, though, Simon did not consult with the leaders of the anti-apartheid movement, some of whom led a boycott of Simon in response. That's the story of an upcoming movie from the Oscar-winning Chicago and Dreamgirls director Bill Condon.
According to Variety, Johnny Flynn, a British actor and musician who was actually born in apartheid-era South Africa, will play Paul Simon in Condon's upcoming film The Road Home. But Simon won't be the main character, and the movie isn't about the making of the album. John Legend, the guy smiling at you from the top of this blog post, is in the film as the great entertainer and civil rights leader Harry Belafonte, but he's not the lead, either. Instead, it's about Hugh Masekela, the late South African jazz legend whose song "Grazing In The Grass" topped American charts in 1968, and his difficult decision to accept Simon's invitation to go on tour.
Hugh Masekela and fellow South African legend Miriam Makeba joined Paul Simon on his Graceland tour, which included a huge ensemble of South African musicians and which kicked off in Zimbabwe. The Long Road is about that tour, and it's got the South African actor Thabo Rametsi and Masekela and Cynthia Erivo as Makeba. Guy Pearce plays Archbishop Trevor Huddleston, the anti-apartheid leader who apparently urged Masekela to join the boycott. Variety reports that the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation brought the script idea to screenwriter Michael Bronner, best known for the 2021 Jodie Foster movie The Mauritanian.
Harry Belafonte figures into the Graceland story because Paul Simon asked him about visiting South Africa when the two of them worked on "We Are The World" together. My understanding is that Belafonte told him it would be fine, so Simon was surprised when other activists got mad at him. That's probably a simplification, though. It seems like Belafonte wouldn't play too big of a role in this story, and John Legend isn't primarily an actor, even though he's done some fine acting. So it's a little surprising that Legend's participation is what the trades are leading with, but that's what they're doing. Here's what Legend says about it:
I was honored to know Mr. Belafonte as my friend, mentor and collaborator in the struggle for justice. He was an incredible human being who lived a monumental, revolutionary life. He was the epitome of an artist and activist who set a standard for me and so many others who stand on his shoulders. I count it a privilege to be entrusted with the role of Harry Belafonte in this special film.
The Long Road is currently shooting in South Africa. Read our We've Got A File On You interview with John Legend here.
