Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela (1939-2018) was a famed South African trumpeter and bandleader.

Masekela was a prominent figure in 1960s jazz. A student of Dizzy Gillespie and Louis Armstrong, Masekela used this tutelage, coupled with the deep African influences of his home country’s music to create a style all his own. Masekela grew popular within the hippie counterculture, performing at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

He’s released a steady output of music in the fifty years since, often collaborating with artists like The Byrds, Fela Kuti, Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder and Marvin Gaye. He passed away in 2018 from prostate cancer.