Blog Post: 'Paul Simon's Graceland Journey: Under African Skies' Premieres on the A&E Network

Whether you are old enough or not to remember Paul Simon's landmark album Graceland, which debuted 25 years ago, this documentary brings Simon's work full circle. This critically acclaimed film premiered at the Sundance 2012 Festival and has garnered multiple awards on the festival circuit.

Its world television premiere is Friday night on the A&E Network at 10 p.m.

Directed by two-time Emmy and Peabody Award winner and Oscar-nominated filmmaker Joe Berlinger, the film travels with Paul Simon back to South Africa 25 years after his first visit, reuniting him with the original Graceland musicians for a reunion concert, while also exploring the story of the turbulent birth of the album.

Despite its huge success, and despite it being the first popular example of fusing American and African musical styles, Graceland was initially met with tremendous political crossfire as Simon was accused of breaking the UN cultural boycott of South Africa when he traveled there in 1985 to record with local artists. 

Simon revisits the simmering tensions and comes to some new revelations as his musical journey is explored. The film features interviews with key anti-apartheid activists of the time, Oprah Winfrey and such musical legends as Quincy Jones, Harry Belafonte, Paul McCartney, David Byrne and Peter Gabriel. The documentary is both an anatomy of a profound artistic achievement and a meditation on the role of the artist in society.

Sandi Berg is also a freelance journalist and writes about television for several magazines including "Written By" (Writer's Guild of America), "Life After 50" and "Whole Life Times Magazine."