Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela was a globally celebrated South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, composer, and vocalist whose music became a powerful soundtrack for the anti-apartheid struggle. Fusing jazz with indigenous South African styles like mbaqanga and marabi, his career spanned over six decades, marked by international hits and a sustained commitment to social justice. Forced into a three-decade exile by the apartheid regime, he used his platform to advocate for freedom, returning triumphantly after the fall of apartheid to become a revered elder statesman of African music.

Early life and education

Born in Witbank, his early musical passion was ignited after seeing the film Young Man with a Horn, leading Archbishop Trevor Huddleston to procure his first trumpet. He received foundational training at the St. Peter's Secondary School in Rosettenville, where he formed the Huddleston Jazz Band. His formative years were deeply influenced by the vibrant Sophiatown music scene and American jazz artists like Dizzy Gillespie and Miles Davis. He later studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London before moving to the United States on a scholarship sponsored by Miriam Makeba and Harry Belafonte to attend the Manhattan School of Music.

Musical career

Masekela rose to prominence in the late 1950s as a member of the groundbreaking Jazz Epistles, South Africa's first significant bebop orchestra. After relocating to New York City, he achieved international fame with the 1968 Grammy-nominated instrumental hit "Grazing in the Grass", which topped the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, he collaborated with a diverse array of artists including Fela Kuti, pioneering Afrobeat, and Paul Simon on the landmark ''Graceland'' tour. His work consistently blended jazz, funk, and traditional South African rhythms, producing seminal albums like Home Is Where the Music Is and Techno-Bush.

Activism and exile

His music and outspoken opposition to the National Party government led to his departure from South Africa in 1960 following the Sharpeville massacre. Living in exile primarily in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Botswana, his songs like "Bring Him Back Home (Nelson Mandela)" and "Stimela (Coal Train)" became anthems for the ANC-led liberation movement. He married fellow exile Miriam Makeba in 1964, and the couple became a potent symbolic force against apartheid. He also performed at historic events like the 1974 Rumble in the Jungle festival in Kinshasa and helped establish a mobile recording studio in Botswana for other exiled artists.

Later career and legacy

Following the end of apartheid, he returned to South Africa in 1990 and remained a prolific performer and composer. He founded the Hugh Masekela Heritage Foundation and curated major festivals, including the Mama Jazz Festival. His later works, such as the album Jabulani and the musical Songs of Migration, reflected on themes of home and diaspora. Honored with numerous awards, including the Order of Ikhamanga in Gold, his influence is heard in generations of musicians from Abdullah Ibrahim to Brenda Fassie. His autobiography, Still Grazing, was published in 2004.

Personal life

He was married several times, most notably to singer Miriam Makeba from 1964 to 1966. His later marriages included Chris Calloway and Elna Letebele. He was the father of television host Sal Masekela. He struggled publicly with alcoholism and underwent treatment in the 1990s. Diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2008, he continued to tour extensively until his death in Johannesburg in 2018 from complications related to the disease.

Category:South African jazz musicians Category:South African anti-apartheid activists Category:1939 births Category:2018 deaths