Hugh Masekela -

Hugh Masekela (April 4, 1939 — Jan. 23, 2018) was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, cornetist, singer, composer, and bandleader from Witbank, Mpumalanga. His recordings joined South African song forms with jazz, soul, and electronic production across six decades. The Philemon Hou instrumental “Grazing in the Grass” became a U.S. No. 1 single.

Background

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela was born on April 4, 1939, in Witbank, South Africa, to health inspector and sculptor Thomas Selena Masekela and social worker Pauline Bowers Masekela. Father Trevor Huddleston gave the fourteen-year-old Masekela a trumpet and arranged lessons with local bandleader Uncle Sauda. Huddleston then organized the Huddleston Jazz Band around the young player.

Masekela entered Johannesburg professional music through the African Jazz and Variety revue and joined Todd Matshikiza’s 1959 musical King Kong as a member of the touring cast. He also formed the Jazz Epistles with pianist Dollar Brand, alto saxophonist Kippie Moeketsi, trombonist Jonas Gwangwa, bassist Johnny Gertze, and drummer Makaya Ntshoko. The sextet recorded Jazz Epistle, Verse 1 and established a modern South African small-group setting before state restrictions curtailed the local circuit.

Sharpeville massacre prompted Masekela to leave South Africa in 1960 for London. He studied at Guildhall School of Music, then enrolled at Manhattan School of Music for classical trumpet training. Miriam Makeba and Harry Belafonte introduced him to American management and record-company contacts. Mercury booked a New York orchestra around Masekela for his first solo LP.

Trumpet Africaine

Hugh Masekela released his debut album, Trumpet Africaine, in August 1962 on Mercury.

The program combines South African material with Caribbean, Brazilian, American folk, and spiritual repertory. Arranger-conductor Hugo Montenegro surrounds Masekela’s trumpet, flugelhorn, and occasional singing with a studio orchestra, while Miriam Makeba contributes or co-writes five selections.

“Satisfying Song” bounds through a lively orchestral chart with Masekela’s horn above broad ensemble phrases. “Click Song” glides through a related instrumental setting as large-group accompaniment supports direct solo figures.

A1. “Satisfying Song” (2:04) – Miriam Makeba
A2. “Merci Bon Die” (2:18) – Frantz Casseus
A3. “House of the Rising Sun” (2:52) – Traditional
A4. “Sit Down (Lord, I Can’t Sit Down)” (3:00) – Traditional
A5. “He’s Gone Away” (2:22) – Traditional
A6. “Click Song” (2:29) – Miriam Makeba

B1. “Guinean Song” (2:12) – Makeba, Masekela
B2. “Ox Driver’s Song” (2:38) – Traditional
B3. “Umhome” (2:39) – Makeba, Masekela
B4. “Magwalandini” (2:21) – Makeba, Masekela
B5. “Morning of the Carnival” (2:01) – Luiz Bonfá, Ross Jungnickel
B6. “Wimoweh” (2:18) – Solomon Linda

Bob Bollard produced the August 1962 New York sessions with engineer Bob Simpson; Hugo Montenegro arranged and conducted the orchestra. Bollard and Simpson also worked on the Chad Mitchell Trio’s Mighty Day on Campus, while Simpson engineered Harry Belafonte’s Midnight Special in the same period.

Photographer Peter Perri supplied the cover and liner portraits. Perri also photographed Belafonte’s Jump Up Calypso and the Chad Mitchell Trio’s Blowin’ in the Wind.

Grrr

Hugh Masekela released his second album, Grrr, in 1966 on Mercury.

Ten instrumentals draw exclusively from South African composers and traditional forms. Guitarist Eric Gale, pianist Larry Willis, saxophonist Morris Goldberg, trombonist Jonas Gwangwa, and tubist Howard St. John form the principal ensemble; Gwangwa also arranged “Kwa-Blaney.”

“U, Dwi” lopes through spare accompaniment as piano lines dart beneath Masekela’s rough-grained trumpet. “Sharpville” tightens compact ensemble phrases around rhythmically intricate South African patterns. “Kwa-Blaney” pivots through Jonas Gwangwa’s lean arrangement with sharply defined group figures.

A1. “U, Dwi (Song for My Mother)” (3:09) – Masekela
A2. “Zulu and the Mexican” (3:17) – Masekela
A3. “Emavungweni (Green Home)” (3:05) – Ndikho Xaba
A4. “Ntjilo-Ntjilo (The Love Bird)” (4:05) – Miriam Makeba
A5. “Sharpeville” (3:26) – Masekela

B1. “Umaningi Bona (Long River)” (3:11) – Zack Nkabinde
B2. “Sipho” (3:37) – Gwigwi Mrwebi
B3. “Kwa-Blaney” (2:07) – Jonas Gwangwa
B4. “Mra” (3:04) – Christopher Ngcukana
B5. “Phatsha-Phatsha (Hurry-Hurry)” (2:54) – Lemmy Mabaso

Ed Townsend produced the April–May 1965 New York sessions, and Luchi DeJesus edited the masters. Mercury’s original credit block does not identify a recording engineer.

Photography firm Bob Eimore & Associates worked with photographer Bob Prokup on the sleeve. The front uses a close portrait beneath oversized title lettering.

Wing/Mercury reissued the album as Hugh Masekela in 1968 under the Wing imprint. Verve restored the original title in 2003 for a compact-disc edition.

The Emancipation of Hugh Masekela

Hugh Masekela released The Emancipation of Hugh Masekela in 1967 on Chisa.

Masekela wrote seven of nine selections and worked with pianist Charlie Smalls, bassist John Cartwright, drummer Chuck Carter, and conguero Big Black. Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes supply the extended “Felicidade,” while Caiphus Semenya contributes “Ha Lese Le Di Khanna.”

“Felicidade” unfolds through open piano phrases with a Brazilian lilt and gospel-inflected turns. “Why Are You Blowing My Mind?” saunters through broad horn charts and buoyant dance accents. “Do Me So La So So” drifts beneath a heraldic trumpet call and lullaby restraint. “Ha Lese Le Di Khanna” loosens around conga flourishes, understated classically inflected figures, and wide solo arcs.

A1. “Chisa” (2:13) – Masekela
A2. “Why Are You Blowing My Mind?” (2:37) – Masekela
A3. “She Doesn’t Write” (3:42) – Masekela
A4. “Felicidade” (10:11) – Antônio Carlos Jobim, Vinicius de Moraes

B1. “Do Me So La So So” (2:33) – Masekela
B2. “Ha Lese Le Di Khanna” (6:44) – Caiphus Semenya
B3. “What Is Wrong With Groovin’?” (3:01) – Masekela
B4. “Child of the Earth” (4:41) – Masekela
B5. “Sqo” (2:15) – Masekela

Stewart Levine produced the Gold Star Studios sessions in Hollywood with co-founder and engineer Stan Ross, whose nearby work included Beach Boys sessions for Pet Sounds. The album began a production association that continued across Masekela’s Chisa, Uni, Blue Thumb, and Casablanca recordings.

Photographer Gabor Halmos and actor-filmmaker Jonathan Haze supplied the jacket images. Haze photographed Masekela after roles in Roger Corman productions, including The Little Shop of Horrors.

Chisa issued “Chisa” in February 1967 (b/w “What Is Wrong With Groovin’?”).

The Promise of a Future

Hugh Masekela released The Promise of a Future in June 1968 on Uni.

Masekela works with reedist Al Abreu, pianist William Henderson, bassist Henry Franklin, and drummer Chuck Carter, while guitarist Bruce Langhorne joins “There Are Seeds to Sow.” The album balances four Masekela pieces with songs linked to Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell, Traffic, Howard Tate, and Miriam Makeba.

“Grazing in the Grass” skips through a lilting cowbell pattern as a broad trumpet figure and small guitar pings mark each turn. “Vuca” sways through Caribbean-tinged accents.

A1. “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (2:00) – Nickolas Ashford, Valerie Simpson
A2. “Madonna” (3:10) – Al Abreu
A3. “No Face, No Name and No Number” (3:26) – Jim Capaldi, Steve Winwood
A4. “Almost Seedless” (3:36) – Masekela
A5. “Stop” (2:35) – Jerry Ragovoy, Mort Shuman

B1. “Grazing in the Grass” (2:40) – Philemon Hou
B2. “Vuca (Wake Up)” (3:40) – Masekela
B3. “Bajabula Bonke (The Healing Song)” (6:25) – Miriam Makeba
B4. “There Are Seeds to Sow” (2:25) – Masekela

Levine produced sessions from March 12–14, 1968, at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood with the engineer credited as “The Doctor.” The same room and production team followed the preceding Chisa work with a smaller instrumental cast.

The original Uni portrait sleeve carries no named designer or photographer.

Uni issued “There Are Seeds to Sow” in February 1968 (b/w “Ha Lese Le Di Khanna”). “Grazing in the Grass” followed in May (b/w “Bajabula Bonke”) and reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 15 on the Easy Listening chart. The album peaked at No. 17 on Billboard’s album chart.

One Way Records issued the album in 1993 as a compact-disc edition.

Masekela

Hugh Masekela released Masekela in late 1968 on Uni.

Masekela wrote ten of twelve compositions; Kippie Moeketsi, Dollar Brand, and Philemon Hou supplied the exceptions.

“Mace and Grenades” seethes through barbed experimental turns and concentrated protest phrases. “Gold” mourns mine labor through cooed phrases and a solemn, sustained lament.

A1. “Mace and Grenades” (3:50) – Masekela
A2. “Boeremusiek” (2:00) – Masekela
A3. “Gold” (4:15) – Masekela
A4. “Sobukwe” (1:54) – Masekela
A5. “Blues for Huey” (2:00) – Kippie Moeketsi
A6. “Gafsa” (2:35) – Dollar Brand

B1. “Fuzz” (2:50) – Masekela
B2. “Head Peepin’” (2:52) – Masekela
B3. “Otis” (2:05) – Masekela
B4. “Riot” (1:55) – Masekela
B5. “If There’s Anybody Out There” (3:30) – Masekela
B6. “Extra Added Attraction” (1:00) – Philemon Hou

Levine produced the September 1968 Los Angeles sessions. Uni’s original credits do not identify a recording engineer.

Photographer Barry Feinstein designed the cover around his portrait of Masekela. Feinstein also photographed Ike & Tina Turner for the 1968 Outta Season sleeve before forming Camouflage Productions with Tom Wilkes.

Uni issued “Riot” in December 1968 (b/w “Mace and Grenades”).

Hugh Masekela & the Union of South Africa

Hugh Masekela released Hugh Masekela & the Union of South Africa in May 1971 on Chisa.

The Union places Masekela beside singer–alto saxophonist Caiphus Semenya and singer–trombonist Jonas Gwangwa. Semenya wrote four selections, Gwangwa supplied two, and the three principals share ensemble singing across the album.

“Ade” bounds through fast-moving horn lines, group replies, and guitar figures. “Dyambo” surges through propulsive backing as Masekela’s trumpet arcs above a loose communal singalong; a middle jam draws group phrases into surrounding accompaniment. “Hush (Somebody’s Calling My Name)” gathers slowly from a simple bass figure into repeated group lines.

A1. “Goin’ Back to New Orleans” (5:07) – Masekela
A2. “Ade” (3:47) – Caiphus Semenya
A3. “To Get Ourselves Together” (2:55) – Masekela
A4. “Johannesburg Hi-Lite Jive” (3:57) – Jonas Gwangwa, Christopher Songxaka
A5. “Mamani” (5:20) – Caiphus Semenya

B1. “Shebeen” (4:00) – Jonas Gwangwa
B2. “Dyambo (Weary Day Is Over)” (3:48) – Caiphus Semenya
B3. “Caution!” (5:45) – Caiphus Semenya
B4. “Hush (Somebody’s Calling My Name)” (3:32) – Joe May

Sessions spanned April 5–7, 1971, at Poppi Studios in Los Angeles with producer Levine and engineers Lewis Peters and Rik Pekkonen. His 1971 work also included the Crusaders’ Pass the Plate. Masekela retained Pekkonen for the next four selected albums.

Barry Feinstein and Tom Wilkes designed and photographed the cover through Camouflage Productions. Their partnership also designed the 1971 Concert for Bangladesh package.

Chisa issued “Dyambo (Weary Day Is Over)” in June 1971 (b/w “Shebeen”). MoJazz released the album in 1994 through the label’s compact-disc series.

Home Is Where the Music Is

Hugh Masekela released the double album Home Is Where the Music Is in August 1972 on Chisa/Blue Thumb.

Masekela leads a five-piece group with pianist Larry Willis, alto saxophonist Dudu Pukwana, bassist Eddie Gomez, and drummer Makaya Ntshoko. Caiphus Semenya supplied five compositions and joined Levine as co-producer; Miriam Makeba, Kippie Moeketsi, Sekou Toure, and Willis account for four additional pieces.

“Part of a Whole” rolls through a loose electric-piano vamp; paired horn lines rise twice before an alto solo and taut flugelhorn reply. “Minawa” glides from soft keyboard phrases into rasp-edged brass calls. “Uhomé” softens into spacious phrases before a restrained, exploratory passage. “Maseru” bounds through knotty figures and Cuban-tinged accents. “Blues for Huey” rages through an unrelenting percussive opening. “Nomali” drifts through lilting, unhurried phrases. “Ingoo Pow-Pow” erupts with a passionate group chant.

A1. “Part of a Whole” (9:37) – Caiphus Semenya
A2. “Minawa” (9:37) – Sekou Toure

B1. “The Big Apple” (7:53) – Caiphus Semenya
B2. “Unhomé” (5:28) – Miriam Makeba
B3. “Maseru” (7:07) – Masekela

C1. “Inner Crisis” (5:52) – Larry Willis
C2. “Blues for Huey” (6:25) – Kippie Moeketsi
C3. “Nomali” (7:21) – Caiphus Semenya

D1. “Maesha” (10:28) – Caiphus Semenya
D2. “Ingoo Pow-Pow (Children’s Song)” (6:45) – Caiphus Semenya

Sessions occurred on January 15, 1972, at Island Studios in London with producers Levine and Semenya and engineer Pekkonen. The date followed Pekkonen’s work on the Union album and preceded his Lagos sessions with Hedzoleh Soundz.

Feinstein and Wilkes designed the gatefold with Mphoeng Kgama and incorporated artwork by exiled South African artist Dumile Feni. The outer panels carry no title lettering; the album name appears inside the fold.

ABC/Impulse reissued the album in 1978 as The African Connection in the Dedication Series. Verve restored the original title for a 2008 compact-disc edition.

Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz

Masekela released Introducing Hedzoleh Soundz in 1973 on Blue Thumb.

Fela Kuti introduced Masekela to the Accra ensemble Hedzoleh Soundz, which joined him across the album. Group members supply six compositions, Masekela contributes “Languta,” and the closing “Rekpete” adapts traditional material.

“Languta” percolates through echo-laden horn calls and interlocking Ghanaian patterns, then shifts from a driving solo into husky declamation. “Rekpete” circles a Liberian sea-shanty phrase over dense hand percussion.

A1. “Languta” (4:49) – Masekela
A2. “Kaa Ye Oya” (4:36) – Nii Morton, Sam Nortey
A3. “Adade” (4:16) – Nii Morton, Obo Addy, Sam Nortey
A4. “Yei Baa Gbe Wolo” (5:40) – Nii Morton, Sam Nortey

B1. “Patience” (3:50) – Nat Hammond, Richard Neesai
B2. “When” (7:31) – Nat Hammond
B3. “Nye Tamo Ame” (5:25) – Nat Hammond
B4. “Rekpete” (3:48) – adapted by Hedzoleh Soundz

Levine produced the July 1973 sessions at EMI Studios in Lagos with engineer Pekkonen. The same engineer also worked on the Crusaders’ 1973 Unsung Heroes.

Push Pin Studios co-founder Milton Glaser designed the illustrated cover. Glaser’s recent music graphics included the foldout portrait poster packaged with Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits.

Blue Thumb issued “Languta” in December 1973 (b/w “Rekpete”).

The Boy’s Doin’ It

Hugh Masekela released The Boy’s Doin’ It in June 1975 on Casablanca.

The nine-piece cast retains Hedzoleh associates and adds Nigerian saxophonist–singer O.J. Ekemode, keyboardist Gboyega Adelaja, conguero Rocky Dzidzornu, and talking drummer Okyerema Asante. Ensemble members share the title composition, while Masekela wrote four of the remaining five tracks.

“The Boy’s Doin’ It” struts through a chanted group line and low-slung dance pattern. “Ashiko” bounds on an up-tempo percussion bounce as echo-laden trumpet solos spill into repeated breakdowns.

A1. “The Boy’s Doin’ It” (5:57) – Gboyega Adelaja, Masekela, Guy Warren, O.J. Ekemode, Frank Todd, Stanley Todd Kwesi, Yaw Opoku
A2. “Mama” (5:11) – Masekela
A3. “Excuse Me Please” (6:32) – Masekela

B1. “Ashiko” (9:36) – O.J. Ekemode
B2. “In the Jungle” (5:14) – Masekela
B3. “A Person Is a Sometime Thing” (7:46) – Masekela

Levine and Masekela produced sessions in New York and Lagos with engineer Pekkonen. His 1975 work also included the Crusaders’ Chain Reaction.

The original Casablanca jacket carries no named designer or photographer. Large display lettering sits above a performer portrait.

Casablanca issued “The Boy’s Doin’ It” in October 1975 (b/w “Excuse Me Please”). “A Person Is a Sometime Thing” followed in June 1976 (b/w “Mama”).

Verve expanded the album on compact disc in 1998 with six selections drawn from Masekela’s later Casablanca recordings.

Colonial Man

Hugh Masekela released Colonial Man on January 30, 1976, through Casablanca.

The title song, “Vasco Da Gama,” and “Cecil Rhodes” address European conquest and colonial rule. Brazilian accordionist–singer Sivuca joins the preceding ensemble on “A Song for Brasil,” while Patti Austin, Deborah McDuffie, and Maeretha Stewart provide backing parts on three selections.

“A Song for Brazil” saunters through a coastal lullaby as Sivuca pairs accordion figures with sung phrases. “Colonial Man” locks into a repeated beat beneath blunt anticolonial lines. “Witch Doctor” lopes through lilting phrases while narrative text traces exploration routes and ivory trade.

A1. “A Song for Brasil” (4:13) – Masekela
A2. “Vasco Da Gama (The Sailor Man)” (5:28) – Masekela
A3. “For the Love of You” (8:25) – O’Kelly Isley Jr., Rudolph Isley, Ronald Isley

B1. “Colonial Man” (5:04) – Masekela
B2. “Witch Doctor” (7:31) – Masekela
B3. “Cecil Rhodes” (5:13) – Masekela

Masekela produced sessions across Capricorn, Good Vibrations, Hit Factory, and Regent Sound in New York and Curtom Studios in Chicago. Pekkonen engineered the recordings, while Levine directed the project.

Casablanca design firm Gribbitt! and art director Stephen Lumel devised the sleeve around a photograph by David Alexander. For the 1976 Hotel California sleeve, Alexander photographed the Eagles.

Casablanca circulated “For the Love of You” as an April 1976 promotional single.

Verve included “A Song for Brasil” and “Colonial Man” on the expanded 1998 edition of The Boy’s Doin’ It. The 2018 compilation Masekela ’66–’76 added “Witch Doctor” to those selections.

You Told Your Mama Not to Worry

Hugh Masekela released You Told Your Mama Not to Worry on November 9, 1977, through Casablanca.

Masekela shares production and much of the composition with guitarist Stanley Todd. Miriam Makeba sings “Soweto Blues,” while percussionist Paulinho da Costa and the Waters siblings join a Ghanaian-American studio cast.

“Soweto Blues” grieves over a guitar-and-bass figure with cross-cutting percussion as Miriam Makeba shifts between sung and spoken lines.

A1. “You Told Your Mama Not to Worry” (7:18) – Masekela, Letta Mbulu
A2. “Hangover (Babalazi)” (5:20) – Masekela, Letta Mbulu, Stanley Todd
A3. “Soweto Blues” (5:48) – Masekela, Stanley Todd

B1. “Black Beauty” (6:17) – Stanley Todd
B2. “Mami Wata” (3:36) – Masekela, Stanley Todd
B3. “Makonko” (4:37) – adapted by Masekela
B4. “The Mandingo Man” (5:42) – Masekela

Masekela and Todd produced the sessions at Ambassador Records in Kumasi, Ghana. Rik Pekkonen co-produced and remixed the album at Hollywood Sound Studios, extending an association established on the 1971 Union sessions.

Illustrator Henry Vizcarra and Casablanca photographer Ron Slenzak created the jacket. Vizcarra also handled Casablanca sleeve design for Love and Kisses, while Slenzak photographed Giorgio Moroder for From Here to Eternity.

Verve reissued “You Told Your Mama Not to Worry” and “Mami Wata” on the expanded 1998 edition of The Boy’s Doin’ It.

Techno Bush

Hugh Masekela released Techno Bush in 1984 on Jive Afrika.

Masekela combines a Botswana-based band with Fairlight CMI programming by Peter Harris. Bassist Zakes Mchunu, drummer Bongani Nxele, guitarists Banjo Mosele and John “Blackie” Selolwane, organist Moses Ngwenya, and four singers supply the principal ensemble.

“Don’t Go Lose It Baby” skitters through electronic figures and organ jive as spoken rap cuts across syncopated accents. “The Seven Riffs of Africa: Medley” bounds on an elastic bass figure as earlier Masekela themes and “The Lion Never Sleeps” cycle through an upbeat dance setting. “Motlalepula (The Rainmaker)” rejoices through buoyant lines that mark rain after drought. “Getting Fat in Africa” sways through Caribbean-tinged steel-pan phrases and digital accents.

A1. “Don’t Go Lose It Baby” (6:20) – Masekela, Stewart Levine
A2. “The Seven Riffs of Africa: Medley” (12:32) – Masekela
“The Lion Never Sleeps” / “Isikhokhiyana” / “Grazing in the Grass”

B1. “Motlalepula (The Rainmaker)” (5:45) – Masekela, Zakes Mchunu
B2. “Getting Fat in Africa” (4:39) – Masekela
B3. “Pula Ea Na (It’s Raining)” (4:28) – Frank Leepa, Tsepo Tshola
B4. “African Secret Society” (3:08) – Masekela
B5. “U-Dwi” (3:26) – Masekela, Zakes Mchunu

Levine produced the sessions through Battery Mobile at the Woodpecker Inn in Gaborone, Botswana, with recording engineer Greg Cutler and mix engineer Nigel Green. The album reunited Levine and Masekela after their Chisa, Uni, Blue Thumb, and Casablanca work.

South African photographers Athol Franz and Janette Harris supplied the jacket images. Franz also photographed album sleeves for Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The cover places Masekela against a geometric field.

Jive Afrika issued “Don’t Go Lose It Baby” in April 1984 with a dub mix on the reverse.

Later Activity

Masekela recorded Waiting for the Rain and Tomorrow, which introduced “Bring Him Back Home” to his catalogue. Concert work with Paul Simon and Miriam Makeba preceded his return to South Africa after three decades in exile. Later projects included recordings with pianist Larry Willis, soundtrack and theatre work, heritage initiatives, and a Jazz Epistles reunion with Abdullah Ibrahim.

Prostate cancer forced Masekela to cancel his 2017 performance schedule. He died in Johannesburg on January 23, 2018, at age seventy-eight.

Discography: