Paul Simon for Hurricane Katrina victims. The pair performed together in April 2010 in New Orleans at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. After Simon and Garfunkel split in 1970, Simon began writing and recording solo material again. His album "Paul Simon" was released in January 1972, preceded by his first experiment with world music, the Jamaican-inspired "Mother and Child Reunion". The single was a hit, reaching both the American and British Top 5. The album received universal acclaim, with critics praising the variety of styles and the confessional lyrics, reaching No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 1 in the
Mother and Child Reunion a connection between this death and Peggy and it was like Heaven, I don't know what the connection was," Simon told "Rolling Stone" in 1972. The song was recorded at Dynamic Sounds Studios at Torrington Bridge in Kingston, Jamaica, with Jimmy Cliff's backing group. Guitarist Huks ("Hux") Brown and bass guitarist Jackie Jackson were also long-time members of Toots & the Maytals. Cissy Houston sang background vocals on the recording. The song was recorded before writing lyrics, which was unusual for Simon. He had previously hoped to make "Why Don't You Write Me"— a song recorded with Art Garfunkel on