What the death of African jazz legend Masekela means

        First thing you notice is how many of the under 30s did not know him.

“Hugh, who?”

Even the pronunciation of that name is difficult for most Africans.

“Masekela, the trumpet guy...”

“What did he do?”

“He played jazz during the 2010 World Cup finals in South Africa. Remember?”

At last whiffs of recognition. Soccer. South Africa. Nelson Mandela. Takes time to bring recent generations to sip, nibble and gulp a departed emperor like Hugh Masekela. Has to do with Music Television (MTV)....perhaps?

The media, the media, The....!

Who is promoted and who is not? One of London conservative daily had Hugh Masekela’s passing news on page 31. Tiny, micro, fraction report.

Page- Thirty- One!

Despite this, folks, fans and seasoned musicians across the globe had only wonderful words for 1939 born superstar who died of prostate cancer on Tuesday. London Singer- songwriter, Melvin Ashong (Irish- Ghanaian): “All black men should follow his example.”

Percussionist Nadia Al Faghih Hasan: “When I saw him live a few years ago, his story, song, spoken word moved me to tears.”

Jamaican award winning composer, Phil Ramocon: “He was a fantastic musician.”

Few decades ago my award winning brother Ndesanjo Macha noted how he had been in a press conference in Dar es Salaam when a fellow reporter whispered wondering what “this visiting Hugh Masekela” did. At that time Masekela and years before (just like now) was already -and still is- an icon.

...Born under apartheid, given his first horn (trumpet) by the respected British Bishop Trevor Huddleston ( who also lived in Tanzania and was Mwalimu Nyerere’s personal friend) ; roamed in worldwide exile, studied music (UK and USA), jammed, recorded, and gigged with the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Charles Mingus, John Coltrane and of course Miles Davis. In his 1989 autobiography, the late great Davis, quipped:

“Every time I saw Hugh, I just told him to just keep on doing his own thing rather than trying to play what were playing over here...”

Those words rhyme with London based East African musician and producer of the AILTV (Africans in London online channel) Mr Joseph Adamson, aka, JJ:

“Masekela was a jazz musician who Africanised jazz music.” JJ cited “Stimela” among his most eerie compositions. Watch a ten minute You Tube version where the jazz maestro narrates plight of Africans of all shades trekking to South Africa to toil in the mines. Listen to the beautiful horns. Amazing rhythms. Booming voice. Great sunny, misty, poetic lyrics. Easy to understand why JJ cited Stimela. Historical song.

Testament of black folks that slouches on the same classical palace as Bob Marley’s Redemption Song or James Brown’s Say It Loud I am Black and Proud. “I met Masekela in the 1990s” remembers English multi- instrumentalist, Louisa Le Marchand, “He had a big personality. Very, very charismatic.”

The project manager for London’s Global Fusion Music and Arts praised Masekela’s “immense” contribution to African music.

Speaking of impressions, Zarina, a University music student and blogger recalls being blown on seeing Masekela while a youngster. “He was old and huge but danced lightly, joyfully like a child.”

Kenyan broadcaster and editor of “Informer East Africa”, Julius Mbaluto, described Masekela as one who “reminded us of the melodious sounds that dominated South Africa during the apartheid movement.” Mbaluto insists Masekela, Yvone Chaka Chaka, Mahotela Queens and Black Mambazo “brought hope in such difficult times.”

Tanzanian jazz enthusiast, Wilkins Kiondo, confesses to have seen Masekela in Lisbon 1989 and London 2011. “I remember he took off his shoes and blew his trumpet barefooted. Really special guy...”

There is “so much more” about Bra ‘Masekela- once married to the queen of African singers, Miriam Makeba. South African musician, jazz trumpeter, Mr Claude Deppa recalls first impressions when he met Masekela, in London, 1982.

“He would talk to anybody. He lived and travelled everywhere. Whenever he arrived somewhere, he will look where the locals ate and mingle with them, talk to them. He would go to Nigeria and hang out with Fela Kuti...”

A phenomenal jazz artist himself, Deppa says Masekela’s music was (and remains) a buffet of the South African struggle against injustice. “Singing and music is embroiled in South African culture and he was deep into that. Spoke his mind...”

Trumpeter Deppa expands Masekela’s visionary, creative gift in popularising jazz and addressing it to our times, realities and troubles. “What is jazz? Jazz came out of suppression of Africans.

Profound words to educate us on why we should admire what Hugh Masekela championed and why the sensitive world has been mourning his farewell. Get up! Study the legend!

Music never dies.