31 Facts About Hugh Masekela

1. In 1987, Hugh Masekela scored another hit with the anti-apartheid anthem "Bring Him Back Home" dedicated to late anti-apartheid leader and future South African President, Nelson Mandela.

2. In 1968, Hugh Masekela scored a major No 1 hit with his single "Grazing In The Grass", leading to a prolific period of releases.

3. In 1983 Hugh Masekela met South African playwright Mbongemi Ngema, who had written several critically acclaimed plays.

4. In 1986 Hugh Masekela founded the Botswana International School of Music, a nonprofit institute to train African musicians.

5. Hugh Masekela moved back to Africa in 1980, settling in Botswana, where he lived for four and a half years.

6. Hugh Masekela toured parts of Africa in 1973, performing with African musicians.

7. Hugh Masekela was born on April 4, 1939 in Witbank, a coal-mining town near Johannesburg, South Africa.

8. Hugh Masekela spoke hopefully in the Boston Herald of his plan to spend time in his country.

9. Hugh Masekela toured parts of Africa in 1973, playing with a variety of African musicians.

10. Hugh Masekela was born on April 4,1939, in Witbank, a coal mining town near Johannesburg, South Africa.

11. Hugh Masekela released a total of 49 studio albums between 1962 and 2016.

12. Hugh Masekela used his global reach to help in spreading the word on Africa's heritage restoration.

13. Hugh Masekela opened his own studio and a record labelled "House of Masekela".

14. In 1981, Hugh Masekela moved to Botswana where he founded the International School of Music, partnering with Dr Khabi Mngoma.

15. Hugh Masekela left South Africa for New York, to Manhattan where he began music classes with the help of John Mehegan, Harry Belafonte and Dizzy Gillespie.

16. Hugh Masekela left South Africa at an age of 21 in 1960.

17. In 1956, Hugh Masekela joined Alfred Herbert's band that was known as the African Jazz Revenue.

18. Hugh Masekela was the father of American television host Sal Masekela.

19. Hugh Masekela joined Rashawn Ross on trumpet for "Proudest Monkey" and "Grazing in the Grass".

20. In 2010, Hugh Masekela was featured, with his son Selema Masekela, in a series of videos on ESPN.

21. Hugh Masekela appeared at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967, and was featured in the film Monterey Pop by D A Pennebaker.

22. Hugh Masekela had hits in the United States with the pop jazz tunes "Up, Up and Away" and the number-one smash "Grazing in the Grass" (1968), which sold four million copies.

23. Hugh Masekela was helped by Trevor Huddleston and international friends such as Yehudi Menuhin and John Dankworth, who got him admitted into London's Guildhall School of Music in 1960.

24. Hugh Masekela was born in KwaGuqa Township, Witbank, South Africa to Thomas Selena Masekela, who was a health inspector and sculptor and his wife, Pauline Bowers Masekela, a social worker.

25. Hugh Masekela had a number-one US pop hit in 1968 with his version of "Grazing in the Grass".

26. Hugh Masekela was there, along with Sting, Aretha Franklin, Herbie Hancock, and Morgan Freeman was the master of ceremonies.

27. Hugh Masekela died in Johannesburg on the early morning of 23 January 2018 from prostate cancer, aged 78.

28. Hugh Masekela was involved in several social initiatives, and served as a director on the board of the Lunchbox Fund, a non-profit organization that provides a daily meal to students of township schools in Soweto.

29. In 1985 Hugh Masekela founded the Botswana International School of Music, which held its first workshop in Gaborone in that year.

30. In 1984, Hugh Masekela released the album Techno Bush; from that album, a single entitled "Don't Go Lose It Baby" peaked at number two for two weeks on the dance charts.

31. Hugh Masekela reached a large population that felt oppressed due to the country's situation.