JH with Guru Kairikudi R Mani, his teacher in India, Paul Simon and guitarist Mark Stewart, NY 2010
You have recently accompanied Paul Simon
writing, the artists and musical elements that Paul
performing a Graceland tour in Europe. How do
weaves into his music – it is distinctively his. You
you see the contribution that he has made to
only need to look at the original music of any of the
bringing world music into popular culture?
collaborating artists to see how Paul’s writing is an
evolution. There may be one or two cases where his
Paul does what so many contemporary musician wish
music closely mirrors the style of a particular folk
they could do as well. He will go to any end to work
music, but that was before my time, and I am not
with people he likes, and most importantly he crafts
familiar with the details of those collaborations.
compositions using the elements at hand in ways we
Every one of the artists involved in this process
have never heard before. Because he is so successful
appear to me to be better off for the experience, in
he is singled out for taking advantage of his success,
my limited opinion. Paul has helped promote them
and incorporating these elements in his music. When
to a world stage.
you consider Paul’s poetry and his skill at song-