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43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
IF YOU SEE ONE CONCERT -- SEE THIS ONE, June 2, 2003
This review is from: Paul Simon: Graceland - The African Concert (DVD)
This is one of the most amazing concerts ever! Not only is the music amazing, but the players are royalty. It is a powerful example of the potential music has to speak the truth and move the soul. Somebody complained about the quality of the sound or whatever -- but I don't understand how that can even be an issue you'd want discuss in the review of such a powerful piece of musical history. This concert is a celebration of freedom, and the music is a celebration of truth. It is a joy to watch, and even if you're not a Paul Simon fan, you probably still won't be able to keep yourself from being moved -- either figuratively or literally: my friend (who's not a big Paul fan) said she couldn't stop dancing. Miriam Makeba -- who had been in exile from her homeland for 27 years because of her political beliefs -- has an inspired presence, as does Hugh Masakela -- also a political exile. Ladysmith Black Mambazo is both a force to be reckoned with and a perfect example of gentle humility. All the "back-up" players are astounding, and Paul is as full of love and humility and sincerity as he could possibly be. I have watched this concert a dozen times, and look forward to the next dozen. It is a rare gem that I enjoy sharing with the people in my life I love the most. To sum it up? GET THIS CONCERT.
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25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Do I have the same DVD?, May 26, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Paul Simon: Graceland - The African Concert (DVD)
Lets keep a couple of things in mind here, people! First of all this was recorded in 1987, in Africa, in that time period BEFORE digital cameras. And secondly, digital audio (DAT and PCM) was still a maturing medium (still is as far as I'm concerned). The point of the concert was to go there and make a statement and entertain those people, not to put out a hi-fi, hi-res DVD 13 or 14 years later. I have a Sony Trinitron TV and a Sony DVD player, and I think it looks and sounds great, despite those afore-mentioned physical limitations. And what is reviewer #1 talking about? I don't have ANY interviews on my copy. I don't think he/she is reviewing the same thing we are. I have exactly what the description says- a live concert. The performance is fantastic. The sound is great, and the video quality is pretty darn good. If you like the Graceland CD, you will love this concert.
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30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic!, October 7, 2000
This review is from: Paul Simon: Graceland - The African Concert (DVD)
Simon's creativity is timeless. This concert is 13 years old, and the politics which lurked behind it have changed dramatically. But the music still moves me to tears and laughter. Very few American musicians (especially white ones) could blend their style with the exciting rhythms and language of the African culture the way Simon has. It has to be the music which makes this album great, since the production is simple enough to have been performed in a high school auditorium. Miriam Makeba and Hugh Masekela were long appreciated by me, but the Ladysmith Black Mambazo group was a delightful new find.
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