# Hugh Masekela

> The South African trumpeter who turned his horn into a weapon against apartheid - and somehow also landed a number-one pop hit in America with an instrumental about grass.

*South African jazz trumpeter*

**Canonical URL:** https://fame.am/person/hugh-masekela

## Identity
- **Profile type:** Singer / Musician ([Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q177220))
- **Category:** Musicians
- **Country:** South Africa
- **Born:** 1939-04-04
- **Died:** 2018-01-23
- **Status:** deceased
- **Gender:** male

## Bio

Hugh Ramapolo Masekela was born on 4 April 1939 in South Africa, where he would become known as "the father of South African jazz." He played trumpet, flugelhorn, and cornet, building a career that fused jazz composition with pointed political work. In 1968, right in the middle of apartheid's grip, he released "Grazing in the Grass" - an instrumental that climbed to number one on the US pop charts and was later covered by other artists. But his lasting mark came from songs like "Soweto Blues" and "Bring Him Back Home," which became anthems of the anti-apartheid movement. He died on 23 January 2018, having spent decades proving that a brass instrument could carry both melody and resistance.

## Fame
- **Popularity score:** 70.6 / 100
- **Momentum:** 4.2 / 100  (trend: STABLE)
- **Historical depth:** 23.7 / 100
- **Attention shift:** 9.9 / 100
- **Source confidence:** 90.0 / 100
- **Profile completeness:** 90.0 / 100
- **Total followers across platforms:** 12,900

## Platforms
- **X**: https://x.com/hughmasekela (@hughmasekela)
- **FACEBOOK**: https://www.facebook.com/Hugh-Masekela-ZA-147130960234 (@Hugh-Masekela-ZA-147130960234)
- **IMDB**: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0556249/ (@nm0556249)
- **SPOTIFY**: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1b3F5FI7TX4IWTNA4P1kWp (@1b3F5FI7TX4IWTNA4P1kWp)
- **WEBSITE**: https://hughmasekela.co.za
- **YOUTUBE**: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfAkbN43RQG_Pe1xOevukfA (@Hugh Masekela - Topic, 12,900 followers)

## Timeline
- **2018** - Died
- **2011** - Etnosur award
- **2010** - Order of Ikhamanga in Gold
- **2007** - Ghana Music Awards
- **2005** - Channel O Music Video Awards
- **1939** - Born

## Sources
- [Hugh Masekela](https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [休·马塞克拉](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%BC%91%C2%B7%E9%A9%AC%E5%A1%9E%E5%85%8B%E6%8B%89)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [هيو ماسيكيلا](https://arz.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%D9%8A%D9%88_%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3%D9%8A%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%84%D8%A7)
- [هیو ماسکلا](https://azb.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%DB%8C%D9%88_%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%84%D8%A7)
- [Хю Масекела](https://bg.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A5%D1%8E_%D0%9C%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B5%D0%BA%D0%B5%D0%BB%D0%B0)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://ca.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://cy.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://eo.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://eu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [هیو ماسکلا](https://fa.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D9%87%DB%8C%D9%88_%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B3%DA%A9%D9%84%D8%A7)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [હ્યુ માસેકેલા](https://gu.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%AA%B9%E0%AB%8D%E0%AA%AF%E0%AB%81_%E0%AA%AE%E0%AA%BE%E0%AA%B8%E0%AB%87%E0%AA%95%E0%AB%87%E0%AA%B2%E0%AA%BE)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://ha.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [יו מסקלה](https://he.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D7%99%D7%95_%D7%9E%D7%A1%D7%A7%D7%9C%D7%94)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://id.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://ig.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Hugh Masekela](https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [ヒュー・マセケラ](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%83%92%E3%83%A5%E3%83%BC%E3%83%BB%E3%83%9E%E3%82%BB%E3%82%B1%E3%83%A9)
- [휴 마세켈라](https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%ED%9C%B4_%EB%A7%88%EC%84%B8%EC%BC%88%EB%9D%BC)
- [Wikiquote](https://cs.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [Wikiquote](https://ig.wikiquote.org/wiki/Hugh_Masekela)
- [MusicBrainz](https://musicbrainz.org/artist/83a2e0fb-3d9b-46ff-b383-3dde54c15297)
- [Discogs](https://www.discogs.com/artist/14661)

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