I had a friend ask me about Hugh Masekela after seeing his
name trending. I didn’t know where to begin, so I said, “If Bob Marley lived
and continued his social activism he would be the Hugh Masekela of the Western
Hemisphere.” This wasn’t an attempt to elevate “Bra” Masekela or diminish the
legacy of Bob Marley. The two had great respect for each other; Masekela
performed on some of Bob Marley and the Wailers early songs. But that’s how
important Hugh was to South African Jazz and the spirit to fight apartheid in
South Africa.
Bra Masekela joined the ancestors this morning (1/23/18) at
the age of 78 after a decade long battle with prostate cancer. His family said
that he, “passed away peacefully in his sleep.”
Masekela died a legend. He used his trumpet and love for
South Africa to give a voice to a silenced people. His first break in music was
as a member of the Jazz Epistles: South Africa’s first jazz band. At a time
when artists of all stripes were having their work curtailed by the government,
the Jazz Epistles risked their freedom to perform shows off the beaten path.
In 1960, the South African government banned large gatherings
of Black Africans and instituted the segregation policy known as Pass Laws. The
pass laws severely limited travel for Black Africans. Tensions were so high
that a planned protest in the Sharpesville township against the law ended in
what is now known as the Sharpesville Massacre. 69 unarmed people were killed
and hundreds injured when the police opened fire on the crowd. Masekela left
his home country and wouldn’t return for 30 years.
After pursuing his education in London and Manhattan, Masekela
returned to the studio and started making music. He played across multiple genres.
His discography includes over 50 albums, almost 300 guest appearances and
records with the likes of Herb Alpert, Paul Simon, Joan Baez, Bob Marley, Bob
Dylan, Vusi Mahlasela and many more. In 1986, he released “Bring Him Back Home”
a song calling for the release of Nelson Mandela.
Hugh Masekela weaponized his gift. Even though much of his musical
catalog was banned at the height of apartheid, his message found the people who
inspired it. Music wasn’t just the vehicle that transported him across the
globe, it was his way of fighting racism. If you listen to his music you can almost
hear the love spilling out of his trumpet. During his life he partnered with
anyone fighting racism and oppression. He learned from those who came before
him and made sure to teach the generations that would follow. South African President
Jacob Zuma said, “Masekela's death was an immeasurable loss to the music
industry and to the country at large… His contribution to the struggle for
liberation will never be forgotten."
The legacy of Jazz in South Africa isn’t much different than
the legacy it has in America. The ruling classes in both countries thought the
art form was crude and corrupting. There were musicians and scholars who couldn’t
find the value in this new genre. At a time when elites in both countries were still
fetishizing classical music created in Europe, people suffering the soul
killing effects of racism sought another way to reflect their pain and inspire
a sense of pride. Bra Masekela was more than a musician. He coupled his gifts with
real world activism. He left the world more than he took. His life and music
are worth studying and learning from.
#RestInPower
