Though Simon described the recording sessions as "euphoric", he recalled "tension below the surface" due to the effects of apartheid. When recording sessions continued into the evening, the musicians would become tense, as they were not allowed to use public transportation or be on the streets after curfew. Simon recalled, "In the middle of the euphoric feeling in the studio, you would have reminders that you’re living in incredibly tense racial environment, where the law of the land was apartheid." At the end of the two-week trip, Simon found himself relieved of his former personal turmoil and with a revitalized passion for music.