02/07/2025
Music Opinion

Why PJ Morton has to be commended for not going the Paul Simon route with his African-inspired album

One of the most problematic things about South African landscape art that dates back to the early 20th century is that it insinuates that the country was empty when the colonizers arrived here.

Works by artists such as Jacobus Hendrick Pierneef which were commissioned by the then government showed empty land, which in the mind of an observer looks like colonialists found land without inhabitants. It’s problematic.

So was Paul Simon’s Graceland album. “So, it has taken another white man to discover my people?” the great Jonas Gwangwa said criticizing the assertion that the US artist should be praised for ‘putting on’ abodarkie.

PJ with the people

“I saw the criticism Paul Simon got. He came and got the sauce and took it elsewhere and made a whole different thing. For me, I wanted to take it further and create entirely on the continent and write the songs entirely on the continent. Then it became this big idea, so I said I want to spend time there,” said award-winning US muso PJ Morton speaking to The Citizen

This year PJ released the nine-track album Cape Town To Cairo while on a 30-day trip across Africa.

The album was solely written and recorded on the continent, featuring artists from various African countries.

“It started off as a small idea to collaborate and maybe produce some African artists, but then they asked me if I wanted to do a project involved with African artists. Then I started looking at Graceland and how Paul Simon did it,” said PJ.

He has returned to South Africa to perform at Old Mutual’s Music in the Gardens in Sandton on Sunday.

“It is quite emotional and quite a full circle moment that less than a year ago, these songs didn’t even exist and they exist because of Africa. So now coming back to Africa and playing these songs that I created right there is like a beautiful story,” averred PJ.

PJ Morton served as Maroon 5’s full-time keyboardist for the past 14 years; he has collaborated with Stevie Wonder, Erykah Badu, Jon Batiste, Nas, Lil Wayne, JoJo, Yebba, Jill Scott and many others. The five-time Grammy winner has been nominated 20 times by the Academy.

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On the continent

PJ spent time in Cape Town, Johannesburg, Lagos in Nigeria, Accra in Ghana and Egypt’s Cairo. He said though he noticed the difference in the various cities across Africa, the common thread was how welcomed he felt.

“You notice the differences immediately. I landed in Cape Town first and everybody is so chilled and warm and so welcoming,” he said.

“As soon as we got to Lagos airport it’s like ‘move, go this way’ you know. But the people showed me the same amount of love, I felt as welcomed when I got to Nigeria, it was just shown in a different way.”

“We really delved into everything; we try to do as much as we can. We went to the clubs and saw all the DJs and felt that vibe, went [sic] to go to church and seen the vibes there.”

Some of the featured artists on this project include Nigerian singer-songwriter Fireboy DML, South Africa’s Ndabo Zulu Asa and Soweto Spiritual Singers.

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1 Comment

  • Malaikah 09/07/2024

    I’m so glad Tha Bravado is back! Bab’ Gwangwa was right. Our lives began way before colonisation, and we should protect ourselves from the white saviourship of our arts.

    I like PJ’s approach. The album doesn’t feel forced. He does a great job in how he includes
    African artists. Sure, there is that kumbaya sound, but it is more of a collaboration than him trying to give our artists “exposure.”

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