I have been a fan of Hugh Masekela since the 1960’s. Masekela was a South African trumpeter, flugelhornist, and singer. He died in 2018 at the age of 78. He has been called the father of South African jazz. He was known for his antiapartheid songs like “Bring Him Back Alive”, a song about freeing Nelson Mandela when he was imprisoned.
Because Hugh was so outspoken about apartheid he was banned from coming back to his country for many years. He also made a number one hit song in 1968, “Grazing in the Grass.” Masekela reached a worldwide audience and his songs about conditions in South Africa resonated with scores of people. Many of his songs were sung in the his Zulu language that I would try to sing too. He also wrote the score for the award winning musical, Sarafina. Hugh received numerous national and international honors.
In this mosaic Hugh is wearing a bracelet that has the colors of his Zulu ancestry. I used a lot color in this mosaic that I hope that reflect his flamboyant personality.