Hugh Masekela

Early Life

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela was born on April 4, 1939, in Witbank, South Africa, to Thomas Selema Masekela, a health inspector and sculptor, and Pauline Bowers Masekela, a social worker. Raised primarily by his grandmother, who ran an illegal bar for miners, Masekela was introduced to music at a young age. His passion for the trumpet ignited at 14 after watching the film "Young Man with a Horn," leading to his first trumpet, a gift from Archbishop Trevor Huddleston. Masekela quickly mastered the instrument and formed the Huddleston Jazz Band, South Africa's first youth orchestra, which caught the attention of jazz legend Louis Armstrong.

Career

Masekela's career took off in 1959 when he co-founded the Jazz Epistles, the first African jazz group to record an LP. Following the Sharpeville massacre in 1960, he left South Africa due to the oppressive apartheid regime and studied at the Guildhall School of Music in London and later at the Manhattan School of Music in New York. Masekela achieved international fame with hits like "Grazing in the Grass," which topped the US charts in 1968. He was known for his powerful anti-apartheid songs, including "Soweto Blues" and "Bring Him Back Home," and became a prominent figure in the global jazz scene.

Personal Life and Legacy

Masekela was married to singer Miriam Makeba from 1964 to 1966 and had several other relationships, including with Chris Calloway and Jabu Mbatha. He was the father of television host Selema Masekela and had a younger sister, Barbara, who is a poet and activist. Masekela passed away on January 23, 2018, from prostate cancer. His legacy continues to inspire, as evidenced by a Google Doodle celebrating his 80th birthday in 2019 and the opening of a nightclub named "Hugh's" in Johannesburg in 2026, dedicated to his memory.