Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela Ramopolo ( born April 4, 1939 in Witbank ) is a musician from South Africa. He is considered one of the top jazz and world music pioneers from South Africa. His lyrics are often socially critical.

Life and effect

Masekela sang as a child and played the piano. At fourteen, he moved to the trumpet after he had seen the Hollywood movie Young Man with a Horn with Kirk Douglas in the role of Bix Beiderbecke. Through the mediation of the British cleric and anti -apartheid activist Trevor Huddleston he learned from 1954 in which the instrument musician Uncle Saude and played in the Father Huddleston band Jive and other dance music. Because of his great talent, he received in 1956 a trumpet of Louis Armstrong. He then worked at Zacks Nkosi, before he was part of the ensemble of the musical King Kong, with whom he performed in London. With Kippie Moeketsi, Jonas Gwangwa, Dollar Brand, Johnny Gertze and Makaya Ntshoko 1959 he formed the Jazz Epistles, which successfully found a private South African access to the hard bop and the first modern jazz album of South Africa ( Verse 1 ) grossed. From 1961 he was in exile, first in London, where he studied at the Guildhall School of Music with support from Yehudi Menuhin and Johnny Dankworth, then in the United States. From 1964 to 1966 he was married to the singer Miriam Makeba. In 1967 he performed at the Monterey Pop Festival. He later lived in various African countries, there was active with Fela Kuti and the band Hedzoleh Soundz from 1973, but returned after the end of apartheid back to his homeland.

Since his album grrr he tried own fusion of Kwela and Mbaqanga music with jazz and soul music. In 1968 he landed his biggest hit with Grazing in the Grass ( on the album The Promise of a Future ). In pieces between fusion jazz, rhythm and blues, Afrobeat and township music Masekela preferred since mostly a quiet pace and focuses on ballads. In 1984 he reached baby top positions in the American dance charts with the song Do not Go Lose It. This was followed by his production of the Broadway musical " Sarafina! " Which was also successful in Bombay, and 1987 to participate in Paul Simon's " Graceland " tour on several continents. Bring Him Back Home brought in the same year, again a great success as an anthem for the subsequent release of Nelson Mandela from prison. In 1991, he appeared as a guest musician with the album Underground of wind ensembles 29th Street Saxophone Quartet.

Since October 2007 he has a seat on the board of the Woyome Foundation.

Others

Hugh Masekela's sister Barbara Masekela was South African ambassador to the United States and France.

Awards

  • 2005: Kora All African Music Awards in the categories Artist of the Year and Best Artist Southern Africa

Discography (selection)

  • Grrr (1965, Mercury )
  • The Emancipation of Hugh Masekela (1965, university)
  • The Lasting Impression of Hugh Masekela (1965, Verve )
  • The Americanization Of Ooga Booga (1965, Verve )
  • Hugh Masekela 's Next Album (1966, MGM)
  • Hugh Masekela 's Latest (1967, university)
  • Hugh Masekela (1968, Mercury Wing )
  • Masekela (1969, university)
  • Hugh Masekela & the Union of South Africa ( with Jonas Gwangwa and Caiphus Semenya )
  • Home Is Where the Heart Is (1972, Blue Thumb Chisa, also titled African Connection with Dudu Pukwana, Larry Willis, Eddie Gomez and Makaya Ntshoko )
  • Home Is Where the Music Is (1972, MCA)
  • I Am Not Afraid (1974, Blue Thumb )
  • Still Grazing (Compilation 1966-1974, Blue Thumb )
  • The Boys Doin 'It (1975, Casablanca)
  • Colonial Man (1976, Casablanca)
  • You Told Your Mama Not to Worry (1977, Casablanca)
  • Main Event Live (1979, A & M, with Herb Alpert )
  • Waiting for the Rain (1985, Jive )
  • Sarafina (1987, Shanachie, with Mbongeni Ngema )
  • TOMORROW (1987, wea, along with Kalahari: John B " Longwe " Selolwane, Mopati "Bully" Tsienyane, Banjo T Mosele, Michael Timothy, Francis Fuster, Aubrei Oaki, Sonti Mndebele )
  • Uptownship (1989, Novus )
  • Beatin ' Aroun De Bush (1992, Novus )
  • Black to the Future (1999, Shanachie )
  • Sixty (2000, Shanachie )
  • Time (2002, Sony Jazz )
  • Almost Like Being in Jazz (2005, Chissà )
  • Revival (2006, Heads Up )
  • Phola (2009, Edel)
Jive (dance) King Kong (Musical) Abdullah Ibrahim John Dankworth Guildhall School of Music and Drama Singing Jazz fusion Ballad#Pop and rock ballads Broadway theatre Mumbai Hymn Kora Awards Integrated Authority File
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